Microfluidic device including microvalve

#This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0077816, filed on Aug. 12, 2010, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. §119, the content of which in its entirety is herein incorporated by reference.

#1. Field

#Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a microfluidic device including a microvalve, and more particularly, to a microfluidic device including a microvalve including an asymmetric valve seat, and a microfluidic device including a microfluidic circuit including logic gates implemented by microvalves.

#These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1A is a plan view of an embodiment of a microvalve disposed in a microfluidic device according to the present disclosure;

#FIG. 1B is a microscopic image of an embodiment of a microvalve according to the present disclosure;

#Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, the embodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, to explain aspects of the present description.

#It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on” or “connected to” another element or layer, the element or layer can be directly on or connected to another element or layer or intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or “directly connected to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. As used herein, connected may refer to elements being physically, fluidly and/or electrically connected to each other. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

#It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the invention.