Self-pumping structures and methods of using self-pumping structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041486-B2
Application number	US-201815920918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2010
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a self-pumping structure, methods of self-pumping, and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sample flow system comprising:
a fluid ejection system comprising:
one or more actuators,
one or more ejector devices adapted to eject a fluid,
wherein the one or more ejector devices include one or more pairs of an ejector nozzle and an ejector structure, wherein the ejector nozzle is at an end of the ejector structure,
wherein fluid is ejected out of the ejector nozzle through an open aperture;

one or more inner reservoirs, wherein the one or more ejector devices and the one or more actuators are in fluidic communication with the one or more inner reservoirs, wherein the one or more inner reservoirs are configured to contain the fluid that fills the one or more ejector devices, and
wherein the ejector structure has a cross-sectional area decreasing from a base of the ejector nozzle adjacent to the one or more inner reservoirs to the ejector nozzle in both two and three dimensions; and

an outer reservoir in fluidic communication with the one or more inner reservoirs, wherein actuation of the one or more actuators in the one or more ejector devices causes the fluid disposed in the outer reservoir to flow into the one or more inner reservoirs,
wherein the outer reservoir and the one or more inner reservoirs are in fluidic communication via one or more inlet structures, wherein the one or more inlet structures is a channel having a constant width along the length of the channel.

2. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid filling the one or more inner reservoirs is ejected from the one or more ejector devices.

3. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein outer reservoir and the one or more inner reservoirs are in fluidic communication via a substantially open boundary.

4. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more actuators are selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric actuator and a capacitive actuator.

5. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the ejector structure has a cross-section selected from the group consisting of: a conical cross-section, a pyramidal cross-section, and a horn-shaped cross-section, and each cross-section has a dimensional configuration in two dimensions or in three dimensions.

6. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more ejector devices include an array of pairs of the ejector nozzle and the ejector structure selected from the group consisting of a one-dimensional array and a two-dimensional array.

7. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the ejector structure has a diameter at the base of about 50 micrometers to 5 millimeters and the ejector structure has a height from the ejector nozzle aperture to a broadest point in the ejector structure of about 20 micrometers to 4 millimeters, wherein the ejector nozzle has a diameter of about 50 nanometers to 50 micrometers, and wherein the dimensions of the one or more inner reservoirs is about 100 micrometers to 10 centimeters in width, about 100 micrometers to 10 centimeters in length, and about 100 nanometers to 5 centimeters in height.

8. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inlet structures has a cross-section selected from: circular cross-section, polygonal cross-section, elliptical cross-section, square cross-section, rectangular cross-section, and rhombus cross-section.

9. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inlet structures has a length of about 10 micrometers to 10 cm, a height of about 100 nanometers to 1 cm, and a width of about 100 nanometers to 1 cm.

10. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the outer reservoir and the one or more inner reservoirs are in fluidic communication via the one or more inlet structures in the one or more actuators.

11. The sample flow system of claim 1 , comprising the one or more inlet structures, wherein the one or more inlet structures are operated in a sequence with one another or in parallel with one another.

12. The sample flow system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more inlet structures are each operated independently of one another.

13. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid in the outer reservoir does not flow into the one or more inner reservoirs unless at least one of the one or more actuators is actuated.

14. A method of filling fluid from the outer reservoir to the one or more inner reservoirs, comprising:
providing the fluid ejection system of claim 1 ,
actuation of the one or more actuators, and
providing a pressure gradient along the one or more inlet structures to cause a net flow of the fluid from the outer reservoir into the one or more inner reservoirs during actuation, wherein the fluid flows as a result of the actuation.

15. A method of ejecting a fluid from an ejector structure, comprising:
providing the fluid ejection system of claim 1 ,
actuation of the one or more actuators,
ejection of the fluid from the one or more ejector devices, and simultaneously flowing of the fluid from the outer reservoir into the one or more inner reservoirs during actuation, wherein the fluid flows as a result of the actuation.

16. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the sample flow system is configured for a total fluid flow rate of 360 mL/min or greater.

17. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the sample flow system is configured for a total sample flow rate of 360 million cells/min or greater.

18. The sample flow system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more inlet structures is in direct connection between the outer reservoir and the one or more inner reservoirs.

19. A sample flow system comprising:
a fluid ejection system comprising:
one or more actuators,
one or more ejector devices adapted to eject a fluid,
wherein the one or more ejector devices include one or more pairs of an ejector nozzle and an ejector structure, wherein the ejector nozzle is at an end of the ejector structure,
wherein fluid is ejected out of the ejector nozzle through an open aperture;

an inner reservoir, wherein the one or more ejector devices and the one or more actuators are in fluidic communication with the inner reservoir, wherein the inner reservoir is configured to contain the fluid that fills the one or more ejector devices, and
wherein the ejector structure has a cross-sectional area decreasing from a base of the ejector nozzle adjacent to the inner reservoir to the ejector nozzle in both two and three dimensions; and

an outer reservoir in fluidic communication with the inner reservoir, wherein actuation of the one or more actuators in the one or more ejector devices causes the fluid disposed in the outer reservoir to flow into the inner reservoir,
wherein the outer reservoir and the inner reservoir are in fluidic communication via one or more inlet structures, wherein the one or more inlet structures is in direct connection between the outer reservoir and the inner reservoir.

20. The sample flow system of claim 19 , wherein the outer reservoir and the inner reservoir are in fluidic communication via the one or more inlet structures, wherein the one or more inlet structures each has a channel having a constant width along the length of the channel.

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Meacham John Mark
• Fedorov Andrei G
• Degertekin F Levent

Classifications

• F04B19/006 Primary

  Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence) · CPC title

• F04B19/20

  Other positive-displacement pumps · CPC title