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US 8,465,706 B2Granted
On-demand microfluidic droplet or bubble generation
AssigneeThe Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
InventorsDaniel Attinger, Jie Xu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Microfluidic systems and methods can dispense single or multiple fluid particles (such as a gas or other fluid bubble) or an encapsulated particle (e.g., a bead or biological cell) into a microchannel.
Claims14
An apparatus comprising:
- a microfluidic chip including
- a microchannel that includes a microchannel inlet and a microchannel outlet and a first reagent chamber that includes a first chamber inlet, a first reagent chamber outlet configured to provide fluid communication between the first reagent chamber and the microchannel, and a first compliant wall, wherein the first chamber inlet is separated from the first chamber outlet and the microchannel by a portion of the first reagent chamber that includes the first compliant wall;
- a first actuator coupled to the first compliant wall of the first reagent chamber and configured to actuate a volume change of the first reagent chamber in response to a first control signal;
- and
- a controller configured to apply the first control signal to the first actuator to perform the actuating of the first compliant wall of the first reagent chamber to controllably and individually dispense a first fluid particle on-demand from the first reagent chamber into an immiscible fluid in the microchannel.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a microfluidic chip including
- a microchannel that includes a microchannel inlet a microchannel outlet, and an immiscible fluid;
- a first reagent chamber that includes a first fluid, a first chamber inlet, a first chamber outlet providing fluid communication between the first reagent chamber and the microchannel, a first fluid;
- and
- a compliant membrane affixed to a top surface of the microfluidic chip forming a first compliant wall of the first reagent chamber;
- a first actuator coupled to the first compliant wall of the first reagent chamber and configured to actuate a volume change of the first reagent chamber in response to a first control signal;
- and
- a controller configured to apply the first control signal to the first actuator to perform the actuating to controllably and individually dispense a first fluid particle on-demand from the first reagent chamber into the immiscible fluid in the microchannel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.