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US 9,067,179 B2Granted
Microfluidic device facilitating gas exchange, and methods of use and manufacture thereof
AssigneeThe Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
InventorsJoseph L. Charest, Jeffrey T. Borenstein, Joseph M. Bauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides systems and methods for exchanging gas in a microfluidic device, and methods for preparing such microfluidic devices. The systems and methods can be used to transfer oxygen to blood to assist lung function in a patient.
Claims21
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a first layer of a single type of gas permeable material that defines therein at least two chambers configured for gas flow and at least two chambers configured for liquid flow, wherein the at least two chambers configured for liquid flow are configured differently than the at least two chambers configured for gas flow and the thickness of the gas permeable material separating a chamber configured for gas flow from an adjacent chamber configured for liquid flow is about 1 μm to about 100 μm;
- and
- a second layer of the gas permeable material, stacked upon the first layer, defining therein at least two chambers for gas flow and at least two chambers for liquid flow, wherein at least one chamber configured for liquid flow in the first layer is (i) adjacent to and in-plane with at least one chamber configured for gas flow in the first layer and (ii) aligned, in a plane perpendicular to the first layer, with a chamber configured for gas flow in the second layer.
A microfluidic device, comprising:
- a first layer of a single type of gas permeable material that defines therein at least two chambers configured for gas flow and at least two chambers configured for liquid flow, wherein the at least two chambers configured for liquid flow are configured differently than the at the at least two chambers configured for gas and the thickness of the gas permeable material separating a chamber configured for gas flow from an adjacent chamber configured for liquid flow is no greater than that which has an oxygen gas permeance of at least 1×10−6 mL/s/cm2/cm Hg;
- and
- a second layer of the gas permeable material, stacked upon the first layer, defining therein at least two chambers for gas flow and at least two chambers for liquid flow, wherein at least one chamber configured for liquid flow in the first layer is (i) adjacent to and in-plane with at least one chamber configured for gas flow in the first layer and (ii) aligned, in a plane perpendicular to the first layer, with a chamber configured for gas flow in the second layer.
A method for transferring a gas to a liquid, comprising:
- passing a liquid through at least two chambers configured for liquid flow located in a microfluidic device;
- and
- flowing a gas through at least two chambers configured for gas flow located in the microfluidic device, wherein the microfluidic device comprises:
- a first layer of a single type of gas permeable material that defines therein a plurality of chambers configured for gas flow and a plurality of chambers configured for liquid flow, wherein the plurality of chambers configured for liquid flow are configured differently than the plurality of chambers configured for gas flow, and the thickness of the gas permeable material separating a chamber configured for gas flow from an adjacent chamber configured for liquid flow is about 1 μm to about 100 μm;
- and
- a second layer of the gas permeable material, stacked upon the first layer, defining therein a plurality of chambers for gas flow and a plurality of chambers for liquid flow, wherein at least one chamber configured for liquid flow in the first layer is (i) adjacent to and in-plane with at least one chamber configured for gas flow in the first layer and (ii) aligned, in a plane perpendicular to the first layer, with a chamber configured for gas flow in the second layer.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.