Microfluidic systems, pumps, valves, fluidic chips thereof, and applications of same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745180-B2
Application number	US-202218084634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Microfluidic systems, pumps, valves and applications of the same are provided. The microfluidic system may be a pump or a valve having a fluidic chip and an actuator controlling the opening and closing of the fluidic channel in the fluidic chip. The actuator may be disposed to tilt from the fluidic chip, forming a tilted-rotor peristaltic pump. Alternatively, the actuator may be a rolling ball actuator, and different fluidic chips may be used in different applications. For example, the fluidic chip may be a spiral pump chip having spiral channels, a rotary peristaltic pump chip having multiple output channels, or a multi-port valve chip having one port interconnected with multiple different ports. An analytical valve chip may switchably interconnect bioreactor and rinse/calibration input channels to sensor and waste output channels. The actuator of a random-access valve can move from one valve position to another without opening or closing intermediate ones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic system, being a tilted-actuator pump, and comprising:
a support plate;
a fluidic chip disposed on the support plate, wherein the fluidic chip has a fluidic network comprising at least one fluidic channel;
an actuator having a plurality of compression structures configured to roll against the fluidic chip to control the fluidic channel to switch between an open state and a closed state, wherein each of the compression structures is a roller; and
a motor shaft inserted in the actuator to drive the actuator to rotate relative to the fluidic chip;
wherein the actuator and the motor shaft are disposed to tilt from an actuator-contact surface of the fluidic chip, such that the actuator rotates in a plane tilted by an angle with respect to the actuator-contact surface of the fluidic chip.

2. The microfluidic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor shaft is perpendicular to the support plate, and the fluidic chip is a wedge-shaped fluidic chip, such that the actuator and the motor shaft are disposed to tilt from the actuator-contact surface of the wedge-shaped fluidic chip; or
the motor shaft is tilted and is not perpendicular to the actuator-contact surface of the fluidic chip and the support plate, such that the actuator and the motor shaft are disposed to tilt from the actuator-contact surface of the fluidic chip; or
the motor shaft is perpendicular to the support plate, and a passive wedge structure is disposed between the fluidic chip and the support plate, such that the fluidic chip is disposed to tilt from the support plate, and the actuator and the motor shaft are disposed to tilt from the actuator-contact surface of the fluidic chip.

3. The microfluidic system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic chip is a spiral pump chip comprising:
a first surface facing and fixed to the support plate; and
a circular zone disposed on a second surface facing the actuator assembly, wherein each compression structure of the actuator rolls against the circular zone;
wherein each fluidic channel of the spiral pump chip is a spiral fluidic channel having an outer end outside the circular zone and an inner end within the circular zone, and each spiral fluidic channel partially aligns with the circular zone along a vertical direction, such that each compression structure rolls along the circular zone, compressing the portion of each spiral fluidic channel to pump a fluid inside each spiral fluidic channel.

4. The microfluidic system of claim 1 , further comprising a bubble-tracking flow meter, comprising:
two light-transmission detecting devices disposed on two locations of the fluidic channel of the fluidic chip, each of the two light-transmission detecting devices comprising:
a light source disposed on a first side of the fluidic channel, configured to emit light; and
a light detector disposed on a second, opposite side of the fluidic channel, configured to receive light emitted by the light source;

wherein a bubble injected in the fluidic channel is configured to trigger each of two light-transmission detecting devices, such that a flow rate of the fluidic channel is determined by measuring a triggering time difference between the two light-transmission detecting devices.

5. The microfluidic system of claim 1 , further comprising a gas exchange bioreactor, comprising:
a chamber located between and in communication with an input port and an output port, wherein a bioreactor perfusion media is configured to pass through the chamber; and
a plurality of gas exchange channels surrounding the chamber, such that gas passing through the gas exchange channels is configured to diffuse through a material between the chamber and each gas exchange channel and to interact with a content of the chamber.

6. A microfluidic system, comprising:
a support plate;
a fluidic chip disposed on the support plate, wherein the fluidic chip has a fluidic network comprising at least one fluidic channel;
at least one compression structure, configured to compress or decompress the fluidic network within the fluidic chip;
an actuator, controlling the compression structure at a compression site; and
a motor shaft inserted in the actuator, configured to rotate the actuator relative to the fluidic chip, wherein the actuator controls the compression structure at the compression site to compress or decompress the fluidic channel at a particular location when the actuator rotates or moves,
wherein the actuator is an actuator assembly comprising:
a ball cup facing the fluidic chip, forming the receiving cavity between the ball cup and the fluidic chip, wherein the at least one compression structure comprises a plurality of balls disposed in the receiving cavity and configured to roll against the fluidic chip;
a ball cage disposed between the balls; and
a traction disc disposed between the ball cup and the balls, configured to generate a traction force to compress the balls to roll against the fluidic chip.

7. The microfluidic system of claim 6 , wherein the fluidic chip is a rotary peristaltic pump chip, each fluidic channel within the rotary peristaltic pump chip has a pumping channel interconnected with an output channel and an output bypass channel, and the at least one compression structure comprises a plurality of balls configured to roll against an outer surface of the pumping channel and to press a fluid in the pumping channel toward the output channel and the output bypass channel.

8. The microfluidic system of claim 6 , further comprising a gas exchange bioreactor, comprising:
a chamber located between and in communication with an input port and an output port, wherein a bioreactor perfusion media is configured to pass through the chamber; and
a plurality of gas exchange channels surrounding the chamber, such that gas passing through the gas exchange channels is configured to diffuse through a material between the chamber and each gas exchange channel and to interact with a content of the chamber.

9. A microfluidic system, comprising:
a support plate;
a fluidic chip disposed on the support plate, wherein the fluidic chip has a fluidic network comprising at least one fluidic channel;
at least one compression structure, configured to compress or decompress the fluidic network within the fluidic chip;
an actuator, controlling the compression structure at a compression site; and
a motor shaft inserted in the actuator, configured to rotate the actuator relative to the fluidic chip, wherein the actuator controls the compression structure at the compression site to compress or decompress the fluidic channel at a particular location when the actuator rotates or moves,
wherein the fluidic chip is a spiral pump chip comprising:
a first surface facing and fixed to the support plate; and
a circular zone disposed on a second surface facing the actuator assembly, wherein each compression structure of the actuator rolls against the circular zone;
wherein each fluidic channel of the spiral pump chip is a spiral fluidic channel having an outer end outside the circular zone and an inner end within the circular zone, and each spiral fluidic channel partially aligns with the circular zone along a vertical direction, such that each compression structure rolls along the circular zone, compressing the portion of each spiral fluidic channel to pump a fluid inside each spiral fluidic channel.

10. The microfluidic system of claim 9 , wherein the actuator is an actuator assembly comprising:
a ball cup facing the fluidic chip, forming the receiving cavity between the ball cup and the fluidic chip, wherein the at least one compression structure comprises a plurality of balls disposed in the receiving cavity and

Assignees

• Univ Vanderbilt

Inventors

• Reiserer Ronald S
• Schaffer David K
• Samson Philip C
• Markov Dmitry A
• Geuy Michael
• Mccawley Lisa J
• Wikswo John P

Classifications

• B01L3/502738 Primary

  characterised by integrated valves (throttle valves in microfluidic sample containers B01L3/502746) · CPC title

• B01L2300/0627

  Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated · CPC title

• B01L2300/123

  Flexible; Elastomeric · CPC title

• B01L2400/0644

  rotary valves · CPC title

• F04B43/1261

  the rollers being placed at the outside of the tubular flexible member · CPC title