Microfluidic device with deformable valve

A microfluidic device, comprising:

• a plurality of sets, each of the sets comprising:
• a first microchannel having a capillary pressure related to a width of the first microchannel;
• a second microchannel having a capillary pressure related to a width of the second microchannel;
• a valve comprising at least an input port and an output port, the ports respectively connected to the first microchannel and the second microchannel, the valve designed to control a flow of a liquid along a flow direction (z) defined by the ports;
• and
• one or more walls of the valve defining a hollow chamber, the one or more walls including side walls defining a width of the chamber that is wider than each of the microchannels in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction, the side walls intersecting the first microchannel at the input port at an obtuse opening angle θadd measured between a flow direction and a portion of the side walls defining the hollow chamber at the input port, wherein a capillary pressure of the chamber is related to the width of the chamber and a speed of the liquid entering the chamber from the first microchannel is related to a difference between the capillary pressure of the chamber and the capillary pressure of the first microchannel, the one or more walls further including top and bottom walls at least partly deformable between a first deformation state and a second deformation state along a deformation direction (−y) intersecting the flow direction,
• wherein in the first deformation state the top and bottom walls are separated by a first distance to provide a first capillary pressure in the chamber greater than the capillary pressure of the first microchannel and said first deformation state is configured to reduce a flow of liquid into the chamber from the first microchannel, and in the second deformation state the top and bottom walls are separated by a second distance less than the first distance to provide a second capillary pressure in the chamber that is less than the first capillary pressure, and wherein said second deformation state is configured to advance fluid from the input port to the output port along the flow direction.