Fluidic devices with at least one actionnable fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780435-B2
Application number	US-201615744452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2016
Priority date	Jul 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a minifluidic device including a matrix, an elongated guiding duct embedded at least in part in the matrix, with at least one port to the outside of the matrix, a movable fiber at least partly contained in the guiding duct, and able to undergo within the guiding duct, and at least along some part of the fiber, at least one action selected among a sliding, or a deformation, or a rotation and at least one of the movable fiber or the guiding duct is elastic or is non linear along at least part of its length, or at least part of the matrix is elastic.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A minifluidic device, comprising:
actuation means;
a matrix;
an elongated guiding duct embedded at least in part in said matrix with at least one port to the outside of the matrix, all of a perimeter of said guiding duct, on at least part of a length of said guiding duct, being surrounded by said matrix;
a movable fiber at least partly contained in said guiding duct, said movable fiber being slidable so as to undergo a sliding with respect to the matrix within said guiding duct,
at least a portion of a length of the movable fiber being elastic or non-linear, or
at least part of the matrix being elastic such as to be one of:
a hard elastic material having an elastic modulus comprised between 100 kPa and 100 MPa,
a moderately hard elastic material having an elastic modulus comprised between 20 and 500 kPa, and
a soft elastic material having an elastic modulus comprised between 50 Pa and 100 kPa, wherein said actuation means induces onto said movable fiber at least one of a pulling or a pushing, at least along a part of said fiber.

2. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one zone in fluidic connection with said guiding duct, said zone being selected from: a fluid drop area, a reservoir, and a chamber.

3. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the means for actuation are mechanical means that induce onto said movable fibers at least one of a pulling or a pushing.

4. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein a multiplicity of said movable fibers are at least partly contained in a multiplicity of said guiding ducts and are slidable so as to undergo a sliding within said guiding ducts and along said fibers.

5. The minifluidic device according to claim 4 , wherein at least some of said movable fibers re mechanically related, and actuatable together by a single manipulation means.

6. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the movable fiber comprises at least one zone presenting fluid flow properties different from fluid flow properties in a part of the fiber different from said at least one zone.

7. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the guiding duct, the matrix, and the movable fiber is flexible or semi-flexible.

8. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one channel intersecting with the guiding duct, or at least one channel network in fluidic communication with the guiding duct.

9. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation of said movable fiber within the guiding duct modifies a fluidic connectivity, or at least one fluidic resistance, within a channel or within a channel network of the device.

10. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a textile component embedded in said matrix,
wherein the guiding duct is entangled with said textile component.

11. The minifluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the path of the guiding duct is non-linear or is three-dimensional, or the guiding duct is in fluidic connection with a non-linear or three dimensional channel or with a non-linear or three-dimensional channel network.

12. An instrument comprising a device according to claim 1 , said instrument being any of, or any combination of, an analytical instrument, a medical instrument, a functional clothing, a wearable instrument, an implantable instrument, a monitoring instrument, a processing instrument.

13. A kit for preparing, connecting or using a minifluidic device or instrument, comprising:
a minifluidic device according to claim 1 ; and
at least one component selected among:
a fluid,
a chemical product or a biological product, and
an additional physical component.

14. A method of initiating, or modifying, or controlling, or stopping fluid flow in a fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein said method comprises at least one of a pulling along the movable fiber or a pushing along the movable fiber.

15. A method for analyzing any of a biological, a physical or a chemical agent, or for monitoring a process, an environment, a living species, a condition of a patient or for producing a product, or for discovering or testing a drug or an active product, wherein said analysis, monitoring, production, discovery, or test, is performed using a device according to claim 1 .

16. The device of claim 2 , wherein said fluid drop area or reservoir or chamber is enclosed at least in part within said matrix or supported by said matrix.

17. The device of claim 6 , wherein the zone is selected from a group consisting of: a hole, a via, a lumen, an indentation, a change in cross-section, a porous zone, a zone of material permeable to fluids, and a gel.

18. The minifluidic device according to claim 2 , wherein a multiplicity of said movable fibers are at least partly contained in a multiplicity of said guiding ducts and are slidable so as to undergo a sliding within said guiding ducts and along said fibers.

Assignees

• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Inst Curie
• Univ Paris Curie

Inventors

• Venzac Bastien
• Yamada Ayako
• Viovy Jean-Louis
• Descroix Stephanie
• Malaquin Laurent

Classifications

• F16K99/0003

  Constructional types of microvalves; Details of the cutting-off member · CPC title

• F16K2099/0082

  Microvalves adapted for a particular use · CPC title

• F16K99/0011

  Gate valves or sliding valves · CPC title

• F16K2099/0084

  Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology · CPC title

• F16K99/0013

  Rotary valves · CPC title