NON-MECHANICAL VALVES FOR FLUIDIC SYSTEMS

• US 20040144421A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caliper Life Sciences Incorporated (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Caliper Technologies Corp (Revvity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Andrea W., Parce, J. Wallace
• Granted Patent: US 6,779,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0415 electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/06 Valves, specific forms thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/02 Burettes; Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• CPC Class Codes: F15C 1/04 Means for controlling fluid streams to fluid devices, e.g. by electric signals or other signals, no mixing taking place between the signal and the flow to be controlled fluid information or pulse transducers F15B5/00; electric regulation with electro-fluid amplifiers G05B7/02; fluid operating means for indicating or recording members in measuring instruments G01D5/42; distribution or supply devices for servomotors with electrically-controlled pilot valves F15B13/043
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0396 Involving pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2076 Utilizing diverse fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2142 With variable or selectable source of control-input signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/218 Means to regulate or vary operation of device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2191 By non-fluid energy field affecting input [e.g., transducer]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2273 Device including linearly-aligned power stream emitter and power stream collector

Abstract

Methods devices and systems that employ non-mechanical valve modules for controllably directing fluid and other material movement through integrated microscale channel networks. These non-mechanical valve modules apply forces that counter the driving forces existing through a given channel segment, via fluidly connected channel segments, so as to selectively arrest flow of material within the given channel segment.

Claims

1. A method of controlling material flow in a microscale channel, comprising:

providing a first channel segment having first and second ends, a second channel segment communicating with the first channel segment at a first fluid junction, the first fluid junction being disposed between the first and second ends of the first channel segment, and a third channel segment communicating with the first channel segment at a second fluid junction, the second fluid junction being disposed between the first fluid junction and the second end of the first channel segment;

applying a differential driving force between the first and second ends of the first channel segment; and

selectively applying a second differential driving force through the second channel segment that is sufficient to substantially eliminate a differential driving force between the first end of the first channel segment and the first fluid junction, and selectively applying a third differential driving force through the third channel segment sufficient to substantially eliminate a differential driving force between the second fluid junction and the second end of the first channel segment.