Discrete elements for 3D microfluidics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124333-B2
Application number	US-201514735941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Jun 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A module may be provided with at least one opening, the opening being an endpoint of a microfluidic channel that passes through at least part of the module. A set of multiple such modules may be arranged into an arrangement of modules, which may be coupled together using one or more coupling mechanisms included on each module. The arrangement of modules may fit within a regular polyhedral grid, and each module within the arrangement of modules may have a form suitable for arrangement of the modules within the regular polyhedral grid. Fluid may then flow through at least a subset of the arrangement of modules via the microfluidic channel of each module of the subset of the arrangement of modules. Some modules may include sensors, actuators, or inner microfluidic channel surface coatings. The arrangement of modules may form a microfluidic circuit that can perform a microfluidic circuit function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for modular fluid handling, the system comprising:
a first module of a first three-dimensional polyhedral shape, the first module comprising a material and having an exterior with four or more faces;
a first opening on a first face of the four or more faces of the first module, wherein the first face is of a first polygonal shape;
a second opening on a second face of the four or more faces of the first module, wherein the second face is of the first polygonal shape;
a microfluidic channel passing through at least part of the first module and passing a fluid between at least the first opening and the second opening;
a light emitter embedded into the first module, wherein the light emitter emits light that intersects with the microfluidic channel while the microfluidic channel passes the fluid;
a receiver embedded into the first module, wherein the receiver receives the light emitted by the light emitter that intersects with the microfluidic channel, wherein a voltage signal from the receiver is indicative of a parameter of the fluid while the receiver receives the light that intersects with the microfluidic channel;
a first coupling mechanism on the first face of the first module, wherein the first module is connected to a second module of the first three-dimensional polyhedral shape via a first connector, the first coupling mechanism securing the first connector to the first face of the first module and allowing fluid flow between the first opening and the second module through the first connector; and
a second coupling mechanism on the second face of the first module, wherein the first module is connected to a third module of the first three-dimensional polyhedral shape via a second connector, the second coupling mechanism securing the second connector to the second face of the first module and allowing fluid flow between the second opening and the third module through the second connector, wherein the fluid flows along at least one microfluidic flow path through each module and each connector of an assembly constructed using a plurality of modules and a plurality of connectors, the plurality of modules including at least the first module and the second module and the third module, the plurality of connectors including at least the first connector and the second connector, wherein the plurality of modules of the assembly are tiled in three dimensions within a three-dimensional regular polyhedral grid.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a microcontroller that identifies that the voltage signal from the receiver has reached at least a detection threshold voltage, indicating that a droplet of the fluid is of at least a particular length.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional polyhedral grid is based on the first three-dimensional polyhedral shape, and wherein a subset of the plurality of modules of the assembly are secured in a polyhedral primitive cell arrangement based on the first three-dimensional polyhedral shape in which one of the subset of the plurality of modules is positioned at each corner of the polyhedral primitive cell arrangement.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is a phototransistor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of the fluid is a length of a droplet of the fluid.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of modules includes a magnet module having a magnet embedded therein that withdraws a magnetic bead from the fluid, wherein the magnetic bead is a substrate to a reagent.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a coating applied along an interior surface of the microfluidic channel via initiated chemical vapor deposition, wherein the coating modifies hydrophobicity of the interior surface of the microfluidic channel.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a microcontroller that digitizes the voltage signal from the receiver.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the microfluidic channel includes a surface material that reacts with one or more chemicals in the fluid flowing through the microfluidic channel.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light that is emitted by the light emitter and received by the receiver is of one or more electromagnetic frequencies, wherein the one or more electromagnetic frequencies include at least one of an infrared (IR) frequency or a near-infrared (NIR) frequency.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter of the fluid is a droplet frequency of the fluid.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light emitter and the receiver are embedded into a stereo-lithographically fabricated part of the first module.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light emitter is embedded into one or more embossed features on a third face of the four or more faces of the first module, and wherein the receiver is embedded into one or more embossed features on a fourth face of the four or more faces of the first module.

14. A system for modular fluid handling, the system comprising:
a plurality of modules, wherein each module of the plurality of modules is of a first three-dimensional polyhedral shape, wherein each module of the plurality of modules comprises a material through which a microfluidic channel passes and carries fluid between a plurality of openings that are each on different faces of an exterior of the module, wherein one of the plurality of modules is an optical sensor module, a light emitter and a receiver embedded into the optical sensor module, wherein the light emitter emits light that passes through the microfluidic channel of the optical sensor module at least while the microfluidic channel of the optical sensor module carries the fluid, wherein the receiver receives the light and outputs a voltage signal that is indicative of a parameter of the fluid; and
a plurality of connectors, wherein each connector of the plurality of connectors includes a second microfluidic channel, wherein each module of the plurality of modules is connected to at least one other module of the plurality of modules via one of the plurality of connectors so that the plurality of modules and the plurality of connectors are connected together into an assembly having at least one microfluidic flow path conveying the fluid through each module and each connector of the assembly, wherein the plurality of modules of the assembly are tiled in three dimensions within a three-dimensional polyhedral grid.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of modules includes a thermal sensor module having a thermistor embedded therein, wherein the thermistor is in contact with the microfluidic channel of the thermal sensor module.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein at least a subset of the plurality of modules modulate a concentration of an ingredient within the fluid to a predetermined concentration.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of modules of the assembly include at least one three-dimensional polyhedral primitive cell arrangement of modules.

18. A method of modular fluid handling, the method comprising:
receiving a fluid into a microfluidic flow path comprising a plurality of microfluidic channels that are connected to each other, wherein a first subset of the plurality of microfluidic channels are within a plurality of modules, wherein a remainder of the plurality of microfluidic channels other than the first subset are found in a plurality of connectors, wherein each module of the plurality of modules is of a first three-dimensional polyhedral shape, wherein each connector of the plur

Assignees

• Univ Southern California
• Reolab Inc

Inventors

• Bhargava Krisna Chandra
• Thompson Bryant
• Malmstadt Noah

Classifications

• B01L2200/0684

  Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles · CPC title

• B01L2300/0867

  Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution · CPC title

• B01L3/502715 Primary

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• B01L2200/0605

  Metering of fluids · CPC title

• B01L3/502707 Primary

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title