Lateral cavity acoustic transducer based microfluidic switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517465-B2
Application number	US-201213613623-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2012
Priority date	Sep 13, 2011
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A microfluidic switching device that includes an upstream microfluidic channel configured to contain a liquid having particles therein and a plurality of outlet channels coupled to the upstream microfluidic channel at a junction. A dead-end side channel or LCAT is oriented generally perpendicular to the upstream microfluidic channel and coupled to the upstream microfluidic channel at the junction, the dead-end side channel having a gas contained therein. The device includes a transducer configured to apply an external source of acoustic energy. Actuation of the transducer effectuates symmetrical oscillation of a gas/liquid boundary at the junction. Preferably, the junction comprises a bifurcation with two outlets. Further, the LCAT has a leading edge and a trailing edge and wherein the trailing edge of the LCAT is substantially aligned with the bifurcation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic switching device comprising:
an upstream microfluidic channel configured to contain a liquid having particles therein;
at least three outlet channels coupled to the upstream microfluidic channel at a junction;
a first dead-end side channel oriented at an angle with respect to the upstream microfluidic channel and coupled to the upstream microfluidic channel at the junction, the first dead-end side channel having a gas contained therein;
a second dead-end side channel located on an opposing side of the upstream microfluidic channel as the first dead-end side channel, the second dead-end channel oriented at an angle with respect to the upstream microfluidic channel and coupled to the upstream microfluidic channel at the junction, the second dead-end side channel having a gas contained therein;
a transducer, wherein actuation of the transducer moves the particles laterally across the upstream microfluidic channel into one of the at least three outlet channels; and
wherein the upstream microfluidic channel, the at least three outlet channels, the first dead-end side channel, and the second dead-end side channel are formed in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate and the PDMS substrate is bonded to a glass substrate and the transducer is acoustically coupled to the glass substrate.

2. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein the upstream microfluidic channel is coupled to a first sheathing channel and a second sheathing channel at an upstream location.

3. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise cells.

4. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , further comprising an imager configured to image one or more of the at least three outlet channels.

5. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein a switching rate of the microfluidic switching device is tunable.

6. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is actuated in an on state for a period of time between about one millisecond and about four milliseconds.

7. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein the first dead-end side channel and the second dead-end side channel are oriented at an acute angle with respect to the upstream microfluidic channel.

8. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein the first dead-end side channel and the second dead-end side channel are oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the upstream microfluidic channel.

9. The microfluidic switching device of claim 1 , wherein the upstream microfluidic channel comprises a focusing zone.

Assignees

• Patel Maulik V
• Tovar Armando R
• Lee Abraham P
• Univ California

Inventors

• Patel Maulik V
• Tovar Armando R
• Lee Abraham P

Classifications

• G01N15/1484

  microstructural devices · CPC title

• Y10T436/2575

  Volumetric liquid transfer · CPC title

• B01L2200/0652

  Sorting or classification of particles or molecules · CPC title

• B01L2200/0636

  Focussing flows, e.g. to laminate flows · CPC title

• B01L3/502738

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