Rheometry apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354152-B2
Application number	US-201113813933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2011
Priority date	Aug 3, 2010
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Rheometry apparatus comprises a block of substantially rigid material having an external surface and at least a first internal flow channel, the first internal flow channel being arranged inside the block and substantially in a plane and the block further comprising a plurality of holes, each hole communicating with the first internal flow channel at a respective position along the first internal flow channel and extending from the respective position to said external surface so as to provide access to the first internal flow channel from the external surface, the plurality of holes comprising a first hole communicating with a first said position, for connection to pumping means to drive fluid flow along said first internal flow channel, a second hole communicating with a second position and in which a sensor may be located to measure a property of fluid at the second position, and a third hole communicating with a third position and in which a sensor may be located to measure a property of fluid at the third position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidic rheometry apparatus for use in microfluidic rheometry, the apparatus comprising:
a block of substantially rigid material having an external surface and at least a first internal flow channel, the first internal flow channel being arranged inside the block and substantially in a plane and the block further comprising a plurality of holes, each hole communicating with the first internal flow channel at a respective position along the first internal flow channel and extending from the respective position to said external surface so as to provide access to the first internal flow channel from the external surface, the plurality of holes comprising a first hole communicating with a first said position, for connection to pumping means to drive fluid flow along said first internal flow channel, a second hole communicating with a second position and in which a sensor may be located to measure a property of fluid at the second position, and a third hole, communicating with a third position, adapted to receive a sensor to measure a property of fluid at the third position;
wherein at least one of the plurality of holes comprises a first portion adjacent the first internal flow channel and a second portion adjacent the external surface, the first portion providing a constriction between the first internal flow channel and the second portion.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes comprises a fifth hole communicating with a fifth position to introduce fluid into the flow channel.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes comprises a sixth hole communicating with a sixth position and via which fluid may be extracted or expelled from the flow channel.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of holes extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said block is substantially transparent to visible light.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said block is formed from PMMA or fused silica.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said external surface is substantially flat.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first internal flow channel comprises a cruciform feature having four arms and the plurality of holes comprises four holes arranged for accommodating pressure sensors to measure the pressure of fluid flowing in each arm of the cruciform feature.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first internal flow channel comprises a plurality of flow-affecting features arranged in series such that pumping means connected to the first hole can drive fluid flow through the plurality of flow-affecting features simultaneously, the plurality of holes being arranged so as to permit sensors to be located to measure at least one property of fluid flow at, along, or across each flow-affecting feature.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor arranged inside the third hole to measure the pressure of fluid within the third hole and in communication with the third position.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first flow channel has a volume less than 5 ml.

12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
an automated loading system for loading fluid into the or each fluid channel.

13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes comprises a fourth hole communicating with a fourth position for connection to reservoir means adapted to hold a reservoir of fluid.

14. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said fourth position is downstream of the second and third positions relative to the first position.

15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising: reservoir means connected to the fourth hole and arranged to hold a volume of liquid in communication with the first flow channel.

16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said block comprises a plurality of separate internal flow channels, including said first internal flow channel, and a respective plurality of holes communicating with different positions along each separate flow channel, whereby the block may be used to measure at least one rheological property of a plurality of separate fluid samples simultaneously, each fluid sample being located in a respective one of the separate flow channels.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of separate internal flow channels has the same geometry.

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of holes is threaded.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 wherein the first portion is connected to the second portion by at least a shoulder against which an ‘O’ ring may be compressed to form a seal.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the first portion is generally cylindrical.

21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 , wherein the first portion has a diameter smaller than a width of the flow channel at the position at which the hole is in communication with the flow channel.

22. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the first portion comprises a side channel extending from a side of the flow channel and substantially in said plane.

23. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 , wherein the side channel has a width smaller than a width of the flow channel at the position where the side channel communicates with the flow channel.

24. Apparatus in accordance with claim 22 , wherein the side channel extends from the flow channel to a chamber portion of the respective hole, the chamber portion providing a chamber extending generally in said plane for containing a volume of fluid in communication, via the side channel, with the flow channel.

25. Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 , wherein the second portion is generally cylindrical.

26. Apparatus in accordance with claim 25 , wherein the second portion is provided with a screw thread for engagement by a correspondingly threaded portion of a pumping means, sensor housing, reservoir means, or inlet or outlet connector.

27. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said block comprises a first block portion and a second block portion, the first internal flow channel being provided at an interface between the first and second block portion, said external surface being an external surface of the second block portion, and each said hole extending from said interface, through the second block portion, to said external surface.

28. Apparatus in accordance with claim 27 , wherein a side channel extends from the flow channel to a chamber portion of the respective hole, the chamber portion providing a chamber extending generally in said plane for containing a volume of fluid in communication, via the side channel, with the flow channel, and wherein said side channel, and optionally said chamber portion, is provided at said interface.

29. Apparatus in accordance with claim 28 , wherein said first internal flow channel has been formed by forming a recess in a flat surface of the first block portion and attaching a flat surface of the second block portion to said flat surface of the first block portion.

30. Apparatus in accordance with

Assignees

• Yuan xue-feng
• Univ Manchester

Inventors

• Yuan xue-feng

Classifications

• G01N11/08 Primary

  by measuring pressure required to produce a known flow · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G01N11/04 Primary

  through a restricted passage, e.g. tube, aperture · CPC title