Microfluidic system including a bubble valve for regulating fluid flow through a microchannel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016303564-A1
Application number	US-201514689508-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2002
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A microfluidic system includes a bubble valve for regulating fluid flow through a microchannel. The bubble valve includes a fluid meniscus interfacing the microchannel interior and an actuator for deflecting the membrane into the microchannel interior to regulate fluid flow. The actuator generates a gas bubble in a liquid in the microchannel when a sufficient pressure is generated on the membrane.

First claim

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and protected by Letters Patent is:

1 . A microfluidic device, comprising:
a microchannel having an interior bounded by a side wall, the microchannel formed in a microfluidic chip substrate and configured to accommodate a flow of liquid through the microchannel; a valve comprising a sealed reservoir, a side passage extending between the reservoir and the interior of the microchannel via an aperture in the side wall, the side passage configured to accommodate a volume of liquid between the interior of the microchannel and the reservoir, and an actuator integrated in the microfluidic chip, the actuator configured to increase an internal pressure of the reservoir and move at least a portion of the volume of the liquid from the side passage into the microchannel to deflect a portion of the liquid flowing through the microchannel.

2 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to vary the volume of the reservoir.

3 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein actuation of the valve does not block the flow of liquid through the microchannel.

4 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises one of a piezoelectric actuator and an electromagnetic actuator.

5 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sealed reservoir includes a movable wall, and wherein the actuator deflects the movable wall to increase the internal pressure of the sealed reservoir.

6 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the sealed reservoir includes a flexible membrane, and wherein the actuator flexes the flexible membrane to increase the internal pressure of the sealed reservoir.

7 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the microchannel includes at least one inlet, a switching region, and a plurality of outlet channels downstream of the switching region; and wherein the valve is located in the switching region.

8 . The microfluidic device of claim 7 ,
wherein increasing the internal pressure of the reservoir generates a pressure pulse within the switching region, and wherein the pressure pulse travels across the flow direction of the liquid flowing through the microchannel.

9 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 ,
wherein a stream of particles in a carrier fluid flows through the microchannel, and wherein, when the actuator increases the internal pressure of the reservoir, a pressure pulse selectively deflects a particle having a predetermined characteristic from the stream of particles.

10 . The microfluidic device of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer reservoir for absorbing the pressure pulse.

Assignees

• Cytonome St Llc

Inventors

• Gilbert John R
• Böhm Sebastian
• Deshpande Manish

Classifications

• B01L2200/0605

  Metering of fluids · CPC title

• B01L2400/082

  Active control of flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers · CPC title

• B01L3/502738

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

• B01L2300/0816

  Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions · CPC title

• B01L2400/06

  Valves, specific forms thereof · CPC title