Spatiotemporal control of chemical microenvironment using oscillating microstructures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757699-B2
Application number	US-201314092104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 27, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for generating a chemical gradient within a flow channel include providing at least one bubble support structure within the flow channel. A bubble support structure helps maintain a bubble at a predetermined location in flow channel when a fluid flow passes therethrough. Oscillations are induced in the bubble using acoustic waves, which may be provided by a piezoelectric transducer located proximate the flow channel. Two or more inlets provide fluids of different chemical compositions into the flow channel, and bubble oscillations are used to generate a dynamically controllable mixing process.

First claim

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. An apparatus for generating a chemical gradient in a fluid flow, the apparatus comprising:
a flow channel, the flow channel having a first inlet configured to introduce a first fluid flow into the flow channel, and a second inlet configured to introduce a second fluid flow into the flow channel, the flow channel also comprising an outlet;
the flow channel having a wall configured to contact the first fluid or the second fluid;
a support structure located within the flow channel and extending into the flow channel from the wall and configured such that the first fluid and the second fluid may contact the support structure and the wall, the support structure including an opening in a downstream portion of the support structure, the support structure supporting an oscillating structure within the flow channel when the first and second flows are introduced into the flow channel; and
an oscillatory energy field generator operable to produce oscillation in said oscillating structure,
wherein excitation of said oscillating structure induces m1×mg of said first and said second fluid flows,
the apparatus generating a chemical gradient having a time-dependence controllable using the oscillatory energy field generator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the support structure including a curved wall.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the opening in the curved wall of the support structure facing the outlet of the flow channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , the support structure having a C-shape, a U-shape, or a horseshoe shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the flow channel being a microchannel,
the microchannel being supported by a substrate and being defined by the substrate and walls formed in a molded polymer,
the microchannel having a width parallel to the substrate and a height normal to the substrate,
the width, height, or both being less than 1 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the flow channel having a height and a width, the width or the height or both being less than 1 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the oscillatory energy field generator being a piezoelectric transducer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the chemical gradient having a time-dependence controllable using a drive signal applied to the oscillatory energy field generator, or by modifying a flow rate of the first or second flow.

9. An apparatus for generating a chemical gradient in a fluid flow, the apparatus comprising:
a flow channel, the flow channel being a microchannel configured to channel a liquid flow therethrough;
a first inlet configured to introduce a first liquid into the flow channel;
a second inlet configured to introduce a second liquid into the flow channel;
a flow channel outlet;
the flow channel having a wall configured to contact the first liquid or the second liquid;
a bubble support structure located within the flow channel and extending into the flow channel from the wall and configured such that the first fluid and the second fluid may contact the support structure and the wall, the bubble support structure including an opening in a downstream portion of the bubble support structure, the bubble support structure configured to support a bubble within the flow channel when the liquid flow passes through the flow channel; and
an acoustic transducer located proximate the flow channel, the acoustic transducer oriented to be operable to generate oscillations in the bubble using acoustic waves,
the oscillations of the bubble capable of generating the chemical gradient in the liquid flow.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , the chemical gradient being in a transverse direction to the liquid flow.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further including an electronic circuit for driving the acoustic transducer,
the electronic circuit providing a drive signal to the acoustic transducer,
the chemical gradient having a time-dependence controllable using the drive signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , including a plurality of bubble support structures located within the flow channel.

13. A method of generating a chemical gradient in a flow channel of claim 1 , the method including:
introducing a first fluid and a second fluid into the flow channel,
supporting a bubble within the channel; and
generating acoustic waves to drive oscillations in the bubble, the oscillations inducing a mixing between the first fluid and the second fluid,
the chemical gradient being formed by said mixing.

14. The method of claim 13 , the first fluid being a first liquid, the second fluid being a second liquid, the channel being a flow channel,
the first liquid and the second liquid passing through the flow channel,
the oscillations of the bubble within the flow channel creating the chemical gradient due to different chemical compositions of the first and second liquids.

15. The method of claim 13 , the channel being a microfluidic channel.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said generating acoustic waves comprises driving a piezoelectric transducer using a drive signal, said piezoelectric transducer being located proximate the flow channel and generating the acoustic waves.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including dynamically controlling the chemical gradient using said drive signal.

18. The method of claim 13 , further including controlling the chemical gradient using a flow rate of the first or second fluids.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , the support structure oriented to allow fluid flow on at least two opposing sides in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the fluid.

20. The apparatus of claim 9 , the support structure oriented to allow fluid flow on at least two opposing sides in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the fluid.

Assignees

• Penn State Res Found

Inventors

• Ahmed daniel
• Benkovic Stephen
• Huang Tony Jun

Classifications

• B01F15/0404

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F11/0283

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F13/0059 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/00493

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F11/02

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic