# US 7,611,673 B2 · PMDS microfluidic components and methods of operation of the same

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- Number: US 7,611,673 B2
- Document ID: US7611673B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/529,130
- Filed: 2006-09-28
- Published: 2009-10-01
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2005-09-28
- Assignees: California Institute of Technology
- Inventors: Emil Kartalov; Axel Scherer; W. French Anderson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7611673B2

## CPC

- F16K 99/0001: {Microvalves (microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006)}
- B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids}
- B01L 3/502738: {characterised by integrated valves (throttle valves in microfluidic sample containers B01L3/502746)}
- F04B 19/006: {Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence)}
- G01L 19/12: Alarms or signals
- B01L 2200/146: Employing pressure sensors
- B01L 2300/0627: Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
- B01L 2300/0645: Electrodes
- B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
- B01L 2300/087: Multiple sequential chambers
- B01L 2300/0874: Three dimensional network
- B01L 2400/0415: electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
- B01L 2400/0418: electro-osmotic flow [EOF]
- B01L 2400/043: magnetic forces
- B01L 2400/046: Chemical or electrochemical formation of bubbles
- B01L 2400/0481: squeezing of channels or chambers
- B01L 2400/0487: fluid pressure, pneumatics
- B01L 2400/0655: pinch valves
- Y10T 137/206: Flow affected by fluid contact, energy field or coanda effect [e.g., pure fluid device or system]
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Component microfluidic devices which are integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chips, include designs for an electrical and optical pressure gauge, valve, electrostatic and magnetic pumps, alternating or mixing pumps, a solenoid, a magnetometer, a magnetically actuated reversible filter and valve, and a hydrolysis valve. These devices enhance and miniaturize microfluidic control, thereby expanding the available capabilities and allowing complete system miniaturization for handheld diagnostic apparatuses.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microfluidic apparatus for measuring pressure comprising:
a plurality of fluidic microvalves;
a control channel for admitting a pressure to be measured communicated to the plurality of fluidic microvalves;
a plurality of flow channels corresponding to the plurality of fluidic microvalves, where each of the plurality of fluidic microvalves is characterized by a different closing/opening pressure; and
a plurality of transducers corresponding to the plurality of flow channels to measure a parameter of the corresponding flow channel indicative of valve closure status from which the pressure can be determined within a magnitude interval.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 where each of the plurality of transducers comprises an electrical transducer for measuring an electrical parameter of each corresponding flow channel or an optical transducer for measuring an optical parameter of each corresponding flow channel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2 where the electrical transducer comprises a pair of electrodes communicated with the corresponding flow channel to measure electrical resistance or conductance in the flow channel through the corresponding microvalve.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 where each of the plurality of fluidic microvalves has a membrane and is characterized by a different closing/opening pressure by means of different values for a membrane parameter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4 where the membrane parameter is area of the membrane, a thickness of the membrane, or Young's modulus of the membrane.