Fluid transfer systems, devices, components, and methods of manufacture

A polymeric film comprising:

• one or more polymeric materials in one or more layers;
• a plurality of fluid channels defined by interior surfaces within the polymeric film, physically separated, and in a first geometric arrangement in an active region of the film;
• and
• a fluid input end of the polymeric film comprising a second geometric arrangement of the plurality of fluid channels different from the first geometric arrangement,
• wherein the first geometric arrangement of the fluid channels is converted to the second geometric arrangement of the fluid channels by an integrally formed fluid channel geometry converter;
• the first geometric arrangement comprises an array of the plurality of fluid channels with a dimension of (M)×(N) where (M) is the number of rows of fluid channels in a thickness direction of the polymeric film, (N) is the number of columns of fluid channels in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction and orthogonal to a direction of fluid flow in the fluid channels, and the second geometric arrangement of fluid channels comprises an array of the plurality of fluid channels with a dimension of (C)·(M)×(N)/(C) where (M), (C), and (N) are integers and (C) is greater than 1;
• and
• the fluid channel geometry converter comprises segments of the polymeric film separated into strips along a side of the polymeric film, and the strips are folded and stacked at their ends to define the fluid input end.

A polymeric film comprising:

• one or more layers;
• an active region of the polymeric film comprising a plurality of fluid channels defined by interior surfaces within the polymeric film, each of the plurality of fluid channels is separated spatially in a first geometric arrangement of a linear array in a first direction with an array dimension of 1×(N) in the active region of the polymeric film where the array dimension has 1 row of fluid channels in a thickness direction of the polymeric film and (N) fluid channels in the first direction orthogonal to the thickness direction and orthogonal to a direction of fluid flow through the fluid channels with (N) an integer greater than 1;
• and
• an input end of the polymeric film outside of the active region of the polymeric film, the input end of the polymeric film comprises a second geometric arrangement of the plurality of fluid channels with more than one row of fluid channels in the thickness direction of the polymeric film,
• wherein an inner shape of a cross-section of each of the plurality of fluid channels in a cross-sectional plane orthogonal to the direction of fluid flow within each of the fluid channels is constant from the fluid input end to and throughout the active region.

A polymeric film comprising:

• one or more layers;
• an active region of the polymeric film comprising a plurality of fluid channels defined by interior surfaces within the polymeric film, each of the plurality of fluid channels is separated spatially in a first geometric arrangement of a linear array in a first direction with an array dimension of 1×(N) in the active region of the polymeric film where the array dimension has 1 row of fluid channels in a thickness direction of the polymeric film and (N) fluid channels in the first direction orthogonal to the thickness direction and orthogonal to a direction of fluid flow through the fluid channels with (N) an integer greater than 1;
• an input end of the polymeric film outside of the active region of the polymeric film, the input end of the polymeric film comprises a second geometric arrangement of the plurality of fluid channels with more than one row of fluid channels in the thickness direction of the polymeric film;
• and
• a plurality of segments of the polymeric film extending along a side of the polymeric film into a segmented region of the polymeric film, each segment of the plurality of segments:
• is physically separated from remaining segments of the plurality of segments in the first direction within the segmented region;
• comprises a grouping of the plurality of fluid channels;
• and
• comprises a segment end opposite the active region of the polymeric film,
• wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is folded and the segment ends of each of the plurality of segments are stacked to define the input end.

A method of forming a fluid input coupler for a fluid transfer system, the method comprising:

• forming a film comprising one or more layers of one or more polymeric materials with a plurality of fluid channels defined by interior surfaces within the film, separated, and arranged in a first geometric arrangement in an active region of the film, the first geometric arrangement comprises an array of fluid channels with a dimension of (M)×(N) where (M) is the number of rows of fluid channels in a thickness direction of the film, and (N) is the number of fluid channels in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction and orthogonal to a direction of fluid flow in the fluid channels;
• separating segments of the film along a side of the film to form segments extending along the side of the film;
• and
• folding and stacking the segments such that ends of the segments define a fluid input end comprising the fluid channels arranged in a second geometric arrangement different from the first geometric arrangement, the second geometric arrangement of fluid channels comprises an array of the fluid channels with a dimension of (C)·(M)×(N)/(C), where (M), (C), and (N) are integers and (C) is greater than 1.