Microfluidic valves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12220701-B2
Application number	US-201817047930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Jun 11, 2018
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A microfluidic valve may include a first portion of a liquid conduit to contain a fluid, a second portion of the liquid conduit to contain a liquid and a constriction between the first portion and the second portion and across which a capillary meniscus is to form between the fluid and liquid, the constriction comprising an edge along a ceiling of the constriction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic valve comprising:
a first portion of a liquid conduit to contain a fluid;
a second portion of the liquid conduit to contain a liquid;
a constriction between the first portion and the second portion and across which a capillary meniscus is to form between the fluid and liquid, wherein the constriction includes an interface where the liquid conduit changes from a larger flow passage to a smaller flow passage, the constriction comprising an edge along a ceiling of the microfluidic valve;
additional constrictions comprising narrowing regions arranged in series within the second portion, the additional constrictions extending inward from an interior wall of the second portion; and
sensors located between the additional constrictions and flush with the interior wall of the second portion.

2. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 further comprising a liquid phobic surface in the first portion proximate the constriction.

3. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 , wherein the constriction further comprises a second edge along a floor of the microfluidic valve.

4. The microfluidic valve of claim 3 , wherein the constriction further comprises a third edge along sides of the microfluidic valve.

5. The microfluidic valve of claim 4 further comprising a liquid phobic surface in the first portion proximate the constriction.

6. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 , wherein the constriction further comprises a second edge along a side of the microfluidic valve.

7. The microfluidic valve of claim 6 further comprising a liquid phobic surface in the first portion proximate the constriction.

8. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 , wherein the additional constrictions comprise a series of opposing teeth or annular rings spaced along the second portion.

9. The microfluidic valve of claim 8 , wherein the teeth continuously extend about an interior of the second portion.

10. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 , wherein the sensors are wet-dry sensors.

11. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 , wherein the additional constrictions are differently shaped or differently sized from one another.

12. The microfluidic valve of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the liquid conduit is continuous with the second portion of the liquid conduit.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Kornilovich Pavel
• Curthoys Daniel C
• Govyadinov Alexander N

Classifications

• F16K99/0036

  operated by temperature variations · CPC title

• F16K99/0017 Primary

  Capillary or surface tension valves, e.g. using electro-wetting or electro-capillarity effects · CPC title

• B01L2400/0688

  surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break · CPC title

• B01L2400/0442

  thermal energy, e.g. vaporisation, bubble jet · CPC title

• F16K99/0053

  using magnetostrictive means · CPC title