Pumping and flow control in systems including microfluidic systems
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsHemantkumar R. Sahoo, Klavs F. Jensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention generally relates to devices and methods for affecting the flow rate of fluid using pressure. The invention generally provides for controlled application of pressure to flowing fluids to control pressure and flow rates of those fluids, independent of location of the fluids relative to various devices. For example, in a series of devices, each connected to another via a conduit, pressure control units can be provided between devices to raise or lower pressure and/or flow rate of fluid flowing from one device to the next. In this way, a series of interconnected devices can be arranged such that inlet fluid pressure or flow rate of any individual device can be set independently of every other device.
Claims19
A fluid pressure regulator able to affect pressure of a chemically or biologically interacting fluid passing from a first chemical or biological processing device to a second chemical or biological processing device, comprising:
- a pressure regulator inlet fluidly connected to the first chemical or biological processing device;
- a pressure regulator outlet fluidly connected to the second chemical or biological processing device;
- at least two enclosures, each enclosure constructed to contain the chemically or biologically interacting fluid, and each enclosure positioned between and fluidly connected to both the first chemical or biological processing device and the second chemical or biological processing device via the pressure regulator inlet and the pressure regulator outlet, respectively;
- a source of a pressurizing fluid in communication with the at least two enclosures, whereby the pressurizing fluid applies pressure to the interacting fluid to urge movement of the interacting fluid relative to each respective enclosure through the outlet to the second processing device;
- and
- at least one one-way valve in a conduit between the pressure regulating inlet and the pressure regulating outlet, positioned to allow fluid flow preferentially in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet,
- wherein, in operation, the interacting fluid has a first pressure and/or flow rate in the pressure regulator inlet and a second pressure and/or flow rate in the pressure regulator outlet, wherein the second pressure and/or flow rate can be made by the device to be greater than the first pressure and/or flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.