Hybrid microfluidic and nanofluidic system

A fluid circuit comprising:

• a membrane having a first side, a second side opposite said first side, and a pore extending from said first side to said second side having a width less than about 250 nanometers;
• a first channel containing fluid extending along said first side of the membrane;
• and
• a second channel containing fluid extending along said second side of the membrane and forming a crossing with said first channel;
• wherein the membrane has a thickness of between about 1 micrometer and about 100 micrometers, and
• the pore in the membrane is at said crossing.

A fluid circuit comprising:

• a membrane having a first side, a second side opposite said first side, and a pore extending from said first side to said second side;
• a first channel containing a first fluid having a first Debye length in fluid communication with said first side of the membrane;
• and
• a second channel containing a second fluid having a second Debye length at least as long as said first Debye length in fluid communication with said second side of the membrane and forming a crossing with said first channel;
• wherein the pore has a width between about 0.01 and about 1000 times the first Debye length;
• the membrane has a thickness of between about 1 micrometer and about 100 micrometers, and
• the pore in the membrane is at said crossing.

An apparatus comprising:

• a membrane having a first side, a second side opposite said first side, and a pore extending from said first side to said second side;
• a first channel adjacent said first side of the membrane for containing fluid in fluid communication with said first side of the membrane;
• a second channel adjacent said second side of the membrane for containing fluid in fluid communication with said second side of the membrane and forming a crossing with said first channel;
• and
• an electrical source in electrical communication with at least one of said first channel and second channel for selectively developing an electrical potential between fluid in said first channel and fluid in said second channel thereby causing at least one said first channel and said second channel to the other of said first channel and said second channel;
• wherein the membrane has a thickness of between about 1 micrometer and about 100 micrometers.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of membranes, each of said membranes having a first side, a second side opposite said first side, and a pore extending from said first side to said second side;
• a plurality of pairs of channels, each of said pairs of channels including a first channel adjacent at least one of said first sides of the membranes for containing fluid in fluid communication with said first side of the respective membrane and a second channel adjacent at least one of said second sides of the membranes for containing fluid in fluid communication with said second side of the respective membrane, said second channel forming a crossing with said first channel;
• and
• an electrical source in electrical communication with at least one of said channels for selectively developing an electrical potential between fluid in said channels thereby causing at least one component of fluid to pass through the pore in at least one of said membranes at said crossing;
• wherein each of said membranes has a thickness of between about 1 micrometer and about 100 micrometers.