Microfluidic mixing and analytic apparatus
AssigneeMicronics, Inc.
InventorsJohn Clemmens, C. Frederick Battrell, John Gerdes, Denise Maxine Hoekstra
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a device comprising a pair of bellows pumps configured for efficient mixing at a microfluidic scale. By moving a fluid sample and particles in suspension through an aperture between the paired bellows pump mixing chambers, molecular collisions leading to binding between the particles and ligands in the sample are enhanced. Such devices provide an alternative for mixing that does not use a vent and can be used with a variety of particles in suspension such as magnetic beads to capture or purify useful cells and molecules.
Claims15
A microfluidic cartridge comprising:
- a) a first bellows pump with a pump cavity bisected in coronal plane by a first elastomeric diaphragm, said first diaphragm dividing said pump cavity of said first bellows pump into a first half-chamber and a second half-chamber;
- b) a second bellows pump with a pump cavity bisected in coronal plane by a second elastomeric diaphragm, said second diaphragm dividing said pump cavity of said second bellows pump into a first half-chamber and a second half-chamber;
- c) a flow-restricting aperture fluidly interconnecting said first half-chamber of said first bellows pump with said first half-chamber of said second bellows pump, said flow-restricting aperture having a depth, width and length such that fluid flow within the flow-restricting aperture is laminar;
- d) an inlet fluidly connected to said first half chamber of said first bellows pump, wherein said inlet is comprised of a microfluidic channel with valve;
- e) a pneumatic member pneumatically connected to said second half chamber of said first bellows pump, wherein said pneumatic element is selected from the group consisting of a microchannel and a vent;
- and
- f) a pneumatic member pneumatically connected to said second half chamber of said second bellows pump, wherein said pneumatic element is selected from the group consisting of a microchannel and a vent,
- wherein said cartridge is configured to receive pneumatic pulses from a pneumatic pulse generator programmed to actuate the first diaphragm with pneumatic pulses such that fluid flow within the flow-restricting aperture is laminar, but transitions to turbulent flow upon exiting said flow-restricting aperture and into said first half-chambers of said first and second bellows pumps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.