Microfluidic separation device and method of making same
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsGeorge Maltezos, Alvaro Gomez, Frank Gomez, Axel Scherer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method for making a microfluidic separation device. A microfluidic separation device could include a microfluidic column having an inlet, the microfluidic column being configured to hold a first fluid and the microfluidic column including a porous portion, and an outlet attached to the microfluidic column, the outlet being configured to output a second fluid. The method may include providing a microfluidic column having an inlet, configuring the microfluidic column to hold a first fluid, forming a porous portion in the microfluidic column, and attaching an outlet to the microfluidic column.
Claims9
A microfluidic separation device comprising:
- a microfluidic column having a first section and a second section,
- the first section being a section of the microfluidic column between an inlet and a crystallized porous solid portion, and configured to hold a first fluid, and
- the second section being a section of the microfluidic column between the crystallized porous solid portion and an outlet, and configured to hold a second fluid;
- the crystallized porous solid portion being embedded and trapped within the microfluidic column, the crystallized porous solid portion fluidly separating the first section from the second section, the crystallized porous solid portion forming a monolithic structure with the microfluidic column such that the crystallized porous solid portion is monolithically part of the microfluidic column;
- and
- the outlet attached to the microfluidic column, the outlet being configured to output a second fluid,
- wherein the crystallized porous solid portion comprises sodium silicate.
A separation device comprising:
- a microfluidic column having a first section and a second section,
- the first section being a section of the microfluidic column between an inlet and a crystallized porous solid portion, and configured to hold a first fluid, and
- the second section being a section of the microfluidic column between the crystallized porous solid portion and an outlet, and configured to hold a second fluidthe microfluidic column including;
- the crystallized porous solid portion being embedded and trapped within the microfluidic column, the crystallized porous solid portion fluidly separating the first section from the second section, the crystallized porous solid portion forming a monolithic structure with the microfluidic column such that the crystallized porous solid portion is monolithically part of the microfluidic column;
- the outlet associated with the microfluidic column, the outlet being configured to output a second fluid;
- and
- a microfluidic circuit, the microfluidic circuit being connected to the microfluidic column either before separation of said first fluid or after separation of said first fluid,
- wherein the crystallized porous solid portion comprises sodium silicate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.