US 8,584,703 B2Granted

Device with diaphragm valve

AssigneeIntegenX Inc.

InventorsBoris Kobrin, Iuliu I. Blaga, William Nielsen, Shize D. Qi, Ezra Van Gelder

Life of this patent

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Abstract

This invention provides composite plastic articles and methods of making them. The articles can be fluidic or microfluidic devices having fluidic conduits and, optionally, pneumatic conduits that regulate flow in the fluidic conduits. The articles comprise a first substrate coated with a layer of a material that comprises, or onto which have been introduced, reactive groups. For example, the substrate can be a plastic coated with an oxide or a siloxane onto which hydroxyl groups have been introduced. These articles are covalently bonded with other articles comprising reactive groups on their surfaces, for example, polysiloxanes treated to have silanol groups. Certain articles have specified locations on their surfaces that are not bonded to the other piece. For example, the coating can be removed from these locations before bonding. Such locations can be useful as functional elements of various devices, such as valve seats in valves of microfluidic devices.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A microfluidic device comprising a plurality of diaphragm valves configured to regulate fluid flow along each of a plurality of microfluidic channels and comprised in a combination that comprises a fluidics layer, an actuation layer and an elastic layer sandwiched between the fluidics layer and the actuation layer,

wherein each diaphragm valve comprises:
a) a diaphragm comprised in the elastic layer;
b) a valve seat comprised in the fluidics layer and recessed from a surface of the fluidics layer that contacts the elastic layer so that the diaphragm does not close the diaphragm valve unless positive pressure is exerted on the diaphragm;
and
c) a valve inlet and a valve outlet comprised in the fluidics layer and in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel;
wherein both of the fluidics layer and the actuation layer comprise a plastic substrate coated with a material covalently bonded to the elastic layer and wherein the fluidics layer and the actuation layer are covalently bonded to the elastic layer through siloxy bonds and wherein the elastic layer is not bonded to all or part of the surface of the valve seat;
and
wherein the diaphragm is configured to be actuated by positive or negative pressure transmitted to the diaphragm through an actuation conduit in the actuation layer and wherein one actuation conduit is configured to actuate a plurality of diaphragm valves in parallel.

5 more elements

A microfluidic device comprising a pump configured to regulate fluid flow along a microfluidic channel and comprised in a combination that comprises a fluidics layer, an actuation layer and an elastic layer sandwiched between the fluidics layer and the actuation layer, wherein the pump comprises, in series, a first diaphragm valve, a pumping valve, and a second diaphragm valve;

(I) wherein each diaphragm valve comprises:
a) a diaphragm comprised in the elastic layer;
b) a valve seat comprised in the fluidics layer and recessed from a surface of the fluidics layer that contacts the elastic layer so that the diaphragm does not close the diaphragm valve unless positive pressure is exerted on the diaphragm;
and
c) a valve inlet and a valve outlet comprised in the fluidics layer and in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel;
and
(II) wherein the pumping valve comprises:
a) a diaphragm comprised in the elastic layer;
b) a chamber comprised in the actuation layer and in the fluidics layer and recessed from a surface of the fluidics layer that contacts the elastic layer;
and
c) a pumping valve inlet and a pumping valve outlet comprised in the fluidics layer and in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel;
wherein deforming the diaphragm of the pumping valve into the actuation chamber creates a volume to accept fluid, and deforming the diaphragm into the fluidics chamber pumps liquid out of the chamber and wherein the pumping valve does not completely block fluid flow in the microfluidic channel;
and
wherein the diaphragms in the diaphragm valves and the pumping valve are configured to be actuated by positive or negative pressure transmitted to the diaphragm through an actuation conduit in the actuation layer, and wherein both of the fluidics layer and the actuation layer comprises a plastic substrate coated with a material covalently bonded to the elastic layer and wherein the fluidics layer and the actuation layer are covalently bonded to the elastic layer through siloxy bonds and wherein the elastic layer is not bonded to all or part of the surface of the valve seat.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/949,623Filed 18 Nov 2010 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 Dec 2009
Published: US 2011/0126911 A12 Jun 2011
Granted: 19 Nov 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

F16K 99/0001
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass: microvalves
B01F 31/65
Mixers with shaking, oscillating, or vibrating mechanisms: the materials to be mixed being directly submitted to a pulsating movement, e.g. by…
B01F 33/30
Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers: micromixers
B32B 7/022
Physical, chemical or physicochemical properties: mechanical properties