Integrated electrostatic peristaltic pump method and apparatus
First Claim
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1. An electrostatic fluid regulating device comprising a plurality of fluid regulating elements numbered from 1 through N disposed on a substrate;
- each of the fluid regulating elements comprising;
a fluid channel comprises an inlet at a first end and an outlet at a second end, the fluid channel being disposed overlying the substrate;
an actuation region disposed overlying the substrate and coupled to the fluid channel;
a polymer based diaphragm coupled between the fluid channel and the actuation region;
a first electrode coupled to the substrate and to the actuation region;
a second electrode coupled to the polymer based diaphragm;
an electrical power source coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode and substantially free from causing an electric field within the fluid channel region; and
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are physically separated from each other by at least the actuation region, and are coupled when a potential difference arises between them.
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Abstract
An electrostatic fluid regulating device and methods. The device has a substrate. The device also has a first electrode coupled to the substrate. The device has a polymer based diaphragm. A second electrode is coupled to the diaphragm. A polymer based fluid chamber is coupled to the diaphragm. The device also has an inlet coupled to the polymer based fluid chamber and an outlet coupled to the polymer based fluid chamber.
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33 Claims
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1. An electrostatic fluid regulating device comprising a plurality of fluid regulating elements numbered from 1 through N disposed on a substrate;
- each of the fluid regulating elements comprising;
a fluid channel comprises an inlet at a first end and an outlet at a second end, the fluid channel being disposed overlying the substrate;
an actuation region disposed overlying the substrate and coupled to the fluid channel;
a polymer based diaphragm coupled between the fluid channel and the actuation region;
a first electrode coupled to the substrate and to the actuation region;
a second electrode coupled to the polymer based diaphragm;
an electrical power source coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode and substantially free from causing an electric field within the fluid channel region; and
wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are physically separated from each other by at least the actuation region, and are coupled when a potential difference arises between them. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- each of the fluid regulating elements comprising;
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22. A method for fabricating a micro fluidic device, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate;
patterning a first electrode layer to form a plurality of first electrode elements overlying the substrate;
forming a first polymer based layer overlying the plurality of first electrode elements;
forming a first sacrificial layer overlying the first polymer based layer;
forming a second polymer based layer overlying the first sacrificial layer;
patterning a second electrode layer to form a plurality of second electrode elements over the second polymer based layer, each of the second electrode elements being associated with respective first electrode elements;
forming a third polymer based layer overlying the plurality of second electrode elements to sandwich the plurality of second electrode elements between the second polymer based layer and the third polymer based layer;
forming a second sacrificial layer overlying the third polymer based layer;
forming a fourth polymer based layer overlying the second sacrificial layer;
releasing the first sacrificial layer between the first polymer based layer and the second polymer based layer; and
releasing the second sacrificial layer between the second polymer based layer and the third polymer based layer. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of flowing a fluid comprising:
providing an electrostatic fluid regulating device comprising a plurality of fluid regulating elements numbered from 1 through N disposed on a substrate, each of the fluid regulating elements comprising, a fluid channel comprises an inlet at a first end and an outlet at a second end, the fluid channel being disposed overlying the substrate, an actuation region disposed overlying the substrate and coupled to the fluid channel, a polymer based diaphragm coupled between the fluid channel and the actuation region, and a first electrode coupled to the substrate and to the actuation region;
a second electrode coupled to the polymer based diaphragm such that the first electrode and the second electrode are physically separated from each other by at least the actuation region; and
applying electrical power from a source in a sequence to create a potential difference between the first and second electrodes of first, second, and third fluid regulating elements in turn, the first and second electrodes coupled when a potential difference arises between them such that contents of the fluid channel region are substantially free from an applied electric field. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
Specification