Modular microfluidic system
AssigneeEpigem Limited
InventorsPhilip Summersgill, Timothy George Ryan, Thomas Grierson Harvey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modular microfluidic system is described having at least one base board with a plurality of fluidly linked fluid supply apertures, optional intermediate level boards of equivalent construction, a plurality of microfluidic modules adapted to be detachably attached to the base board/intermediate boards, each having one or more fluid inlets and/or outlets, and a plurality of fluid couplings preferably in the form of projecting ferrules to effect releasable fluid connection between a module and a base board/intermediate level board via a supply aperture on the board and an inlet/outlet on the module. A method of providing a microfluidic system as a modular assembly is also described.
Claims12
A modular microfluidic system comprising at least one base board having a plurality of fluidly linked fluid supply apertures on one or both sides thereof, a plurality of microfluidic modules adapted to be detachably attached to the base board, each having one or more fluid inlets and/or outlets, and a plurality of fluid couplings to effect releasable fluid-tight connection between a microfluidic module and the at least one base board via a supply aperture on the at least one base board and an inlet/outlet on the microfluidic module, said fluid coupling comprising a ferrule insertable into a suitably shaped recess in such an inlet/outlet/aperture to effect a fluid tight communication therebetween, said ferrule projecting from a surface of one of said base board and microfluidic module in a direction toward a surface of the other of said base board and microfluidic module and being resilient at least in the region of fluid-tight connection between said ferrule and recess.
A method of providing a microfluidic system as a modular assembly comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one base board having a plurality of fluidly linked fluid supply apertures on one or both sides thereof and a plurality of fluid channels and/or chambers linking in fluid communication at least some of the supply apertures;
- providing a plurality of microfluidic modules, each having one or more fluid inlets and/or outlets and at least one fluid channel or chamber in fluid communication therebetween;
- providing a fluid coupling comprising a ferrule insertable into a suitably shaped recess in such an inlet/outlet/aperture to effect a fluid tight communication therebetween, said ferrule projecting from a surface of one of said base board and microfluidic module in a direction toward a surface of the other of said base board and microfluidic module and being resilient at least in the region of fluid-tight connection between said ferrule and said recess;
- connecting the microfluidic modules to the at least one base board via the flexibly resilient ferrule to effect releasable fluid-tight connection therebetween via a supply aperture on the at least one base board and an inlet/outlet on the microfluidic module such that the fluid channels or chambers within the microfluidic modules act in co-operation with fluid channels or chambers in the at least one base board to complete a desired microfluidic circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.