US 7,243,670 B2 · Microfluidic system

Abstract

A microfluidic system, particularly a microfluidic chip, with at least one operational channel, in which a fluid and/or the constituents contained therein are moveable in the direction of the operational channel by a driving force, particularly by using pressure, acoustic energy, or an electrical and/or a magnetic field. At least one measurement sensor used to measure a measurable value assigned to the fluid and derivable in the region of the fluid and at least one regulator is provided to regulate the driving force and/or a parameter that may be influenced by it, wherein the regulator is coupled with a measurement sensor and a device used to alter the driving force and/or the parameter that may be influenced by it. The microfluidic system further relates to a procedure to transport and guide a fluid and/or the constituents contained therein within a microfluidic system of the type described above. For this, the regulator regulates the driving force and/or the parameter that may be influenced by it by means of a measurement sensor to measure a parameter assigned to the fluid and derivable in the vicinity of the fluid and by means of a device used to alter the driving force and/or a parameter that may be influenced by it.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method to transport a substance within a microfluidic system having an operational channel in which the substance is moved by a driving force in a direction of the operational channel, wherein the method comprises:

applying the driving force;
measuring a variable assigned to the substance and derivable in an area of the substance;
and
regulating the driving force based on the measured variable,
wherein the microfluidic system is configured as an open network of mutually fluid-connected channels that feed into a common channel chamber,
wherein at least one of the channels functions as a measurement channel,
wherein each of the ends of the channels away from the common chamber is in contact with an electrode that is used to exert an electrical field on the fluid,
wherein the electrodes are supplied with an electrical force,
wherein a first electrode is assigned to a first channel and a second electrode is assigned to a second channel, and
wherein said method further comprises:
regulating an electrical current (I2) to a target value at the second electrode, wherein the second electrode functions as a measurement sensor;
measuring an electrical voltage (U2) at the second electrode, wherein a voltage (U1) is applied to the first electrode;
and
regulating the electrical voltage (U1) at the first electrode in such a manner that a difference between U1 and U2 achieves a pre-determined value.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Microfluidic system

Life of this patent

Microfluidic system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11