Connectors for pneumatic devices in microfluidic systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272429-B2
Application number	US-201715831976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A vacuum line may be placed within the vacuum port, and configured to deliver negative pressure to the vacuum port. A vacuum holding area is created in the volume between the outer seal and each of the sealing members when the inner surface of the body is placed against a substrate. When the vacuum line is activated, a vacuum is created within the vacuum holding area, creating a positive seal between the body and the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A removable pneumatic connector, comprising:
a body having a plurality of bores passing through, each bore surrounded by a sealing member on an inner surface of the body;
a vacuum port disposed on the inner surface of the body; and
an outer seal on the inner surface of the body surrounding the sealing members and the vacuum port;
wherein the outer seal and each of the sealing members are configured to create a vacuum holding area in the volume between the outer seal and each of the holding members when the inner surface of the body is placed against a substrate.

2. The removable pneumatic connector of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of gas lines, wherein each line of the plurality of gas lines is placed within a corresponding bore.

3. The removable pneumatic connector of claim 2 , further comprising a vacuum line placed within the vacuum port.

4. The removable pneumatic connector of claim 3 , wherein the vacuum line is configured to deliver negative pressure to the vacuum port, such that a vacuum is created within the vacuum holding area.

5. The removable pneumatic connector of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member surrounding each bore and the outer seal have a similar compressibility ratio.

6. The removable pneumatic connector of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member surrounding each bore comprises an O-ring, and the outer seal comprises a gasket.

Assignees

• Emd Millipore Corp

Inventors

• Gaige Terry
• Zayac Andrew
• Sydlowski Paul
• Lee Philip

Classifications

• B01L2400/049

  vacuum · CPC title

• G01N35/00871

  Communications between instruments or with remote terminals · CPC title

• B01L2300/0681

  Filter · CPC title

• C12M23/40

  Manifolds; Distribution pieces (fluid transfer means B01L3/563) · CPC title

• B01L2200/025

  Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other · CPC title