Microfluidic modulating valve

• US 20060145110A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Tzu-Yu, Cabuz, Eugen
• Granted Patent: US 7,328,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 251/129.10
• CPC Class Codes: F15C 5/00 Manufacture of fluid circuit elements; Manufacture of assemblages of such elements integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0069 Bistable microvalves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0084 Chemistry or biology, e.g. "lab-on-a-chip" technology
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 2099/0086 Medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0001 Microvalves microdevices B81B1/00; manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate B81C1/00; microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; micropumps F04B19/006
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0026 Valves using channel deformation
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0051 using electrostatic means

Abstract

A valve is provided that can selectively change the size of a flow channel in a valve in order to modulate the fluid flow through the valve. In one illustrative embodiment, the valve includes a housing that defines a cavity, with an inlet and an outlet extending into the cavity. A diaphragm is positioned in the cavity, where at least part of the diaphragm defines at least part of the fluid path. One or more electrodes are fixed relative to the diaphragm, and one or more electrodes are fixed relative to the housing such that the diaphragm can be electrostatically actuated to modulate the fluid flow through the valve.

Claims

1. A valve, comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity;

an inlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

a fluid path within the cavity that extends between the inlet port and the outlet port, the fluid path having a cross-sectional area;

a diaphragm positioned in the cavity, at least part of the diaphragm defining at least part of the fluid path; and

means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm between at least three stable positions, wherein each stable position results in a different cross-sectional area of the fluid path, and wherein the different cross-sectional areas are sized such that fluid can flow between the inlet port and the outlet port in at least two of the stable positions.

2. The valve of claim 1 wherein the cavity is at least partially defined by two opposing sides.

3. The valve of claim 2 wherein the means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm includes one or more electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm and one or more electrodes fixed relative to one or more of the two opposing sides.

4. The valve of claim 3 wherein the means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm includes two or more electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm and one or more electrodes fixed relative to one or more of the two opposing sides.

5. The valve of claim 3 wherein the means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm includes one or more electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm and two or more electrodes fixed relative to at least one of the two opposing sides.

6. The valve of claim 3 wherein the means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm includes two or more electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm and two or more electrodes fixed relative to each of the two opposing sides.

7. The valve of claim 2 wherein at least one of the two opposing sides includes a portion that extends down closer to the diaphragm.

8. The valve of claim 7 wherein the portion that extends down closer to the diaphragm includes an electrode.

9. The valve of claim 8 wherein a part of the diaphragm adjacent to the portion of the at least one of the two opposing sides that extends down closer to the diaphragm includes an electrode.

10. The valve of claim 1 wherein at least part of at least one of the two opposing sides is corrugated having alternating ridges and grooves.

11. The valve of claim 10 wherein the means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm includes one or more electrodes fixed relative to the corrugated side(s).

12. The valve of claim 11 wherein the means for electrostatically actuating at least part of the diaphragm includes one or more spaced electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm, wherein at least selected spaced electrodes are positioned adjacent to corresponding grooves in the corrugated side(s).

13. The valve of claim 3 further comprising a biasing element for biasing the diaphragm away from one of the two opposing sides.

14. The valve of claim 13 wherein the biasing element comprises a spring.

15. The valve of claim 14 wherein the biasing element comprises two or more springs.

16. The valve of claim 13 wherein the biasing element bias the diaphragm in a position that closes or substantially closes the fluid path

17. The valve of claim 1 wherein one of the at least three stable positions is a fully closed position.

18. The valve of claim 17 wherein one of the at least three stable positions is a fully open position.

19. The valve of claim 18 wherein one of the at least three stable positions is a partially open position.

20. The valve of claim 1 wherein one of the at least three stable positions is a first partially open position, and another of the at least three stable positions is a second but different partially open position.

21. A valve, comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity;

an inlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

a fluid path within the cavity that extends between the inlet port and the outlet port, the fluid path having a cross-sectional area;

a diaphragm positioned in the cavity, at least part of the diaphragm defining at least part of the fluid path; and

at least two independently controllable diaphragm electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm; and

at least one housing electrode fixed relative to the housing;

the at least two diaphragm electrodes and the at least one housing electrode configured such that when a sufficient voltage is applied between a first one of the diaphragm electrodes and the at least one housing electrode at least part of the diaphragm is actuated to provide a first cross-sectional area of the fluid path, and when a sufficient voltage is applied between a second one of the diaphragm electrodes and the at least one housing electrode at least part of the diaphragm is actuated to provide a second cross-sectional area of the fluid path.

22. The valve of claim 21 wherein the at least two independently controllable diaphragm electrodes are spaced side-by side in a spacing direction along at least part of the diaphragm.

23. The valve of claim 22 wherein the flow path extends normal or substantially normal to the spacing direction.

24. The valve of claim 22 wherein the at least two independently controllable diaphragm electrodes each have an electrode width along the spacing direction, and at least two of the electrodes have different electrode widths.

25. The valve of claim 24 wherein a series of the at least two independently controllable diaphragm electrodes have electrode widths of 2^N, where N represents a series number of a particular electrode in the series of electrodes.

26. The valve of claim 22 wherein the at least two independently controllable diaphragm electrodes each have an electrode width along the spacing direction, and wherein the at least two electrodes have the same or substantially the same electrode widths.

27. The valve of claim 21 further comprising a biasing element for biasing the diaphragm away from the at least one housing electrode.

28. The valve of claim 27 wherein the biasing element comprises a spring.

29. The valve of claim 28 wherein the biasing element comprises two or more springs.

30. The valve of claim 28 wherein the biasing element comprises a spring for each of the at least two independently controllable diaphragm electrodes.

31. A valve, comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity, wherein the cavity is at least partially defined by two opposing sides;

an inlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

a fluid path within the cavity that extends between the inlet port and the outlet port, the fluid path having a cross-sectional area;

a diaphragm positioned in the cavity between the two opposing sides of the cavity, at least part of the diaphragm defining at least part of the fluid path; and

at least two independently controllable housing electrode fixed relative to one of the two opposing sides that define the cavity;

at least one diaphragm electrode fixed relative to the diaphragm; and

the at least one diaphragm electrode and the at least two housing electrodes configured such that when a sufficient voltage is applied between a first one of the housing electrodes and the at least one diaphragm electrode at least part of the diaphragm is actuated to provide a first cross-sectional area of the fluid path, and when a sufficient voltage is applied between a second one of the housing electrodes and the at least one diaphragm electrode at least part of the diaphragm is actuated to provide a second cross-sectional area of the fluid path.

32. The valve of claim 31 wherein the at least two independently controllable housing electrodes are spaced side-by side in a spacing direction along at least part of the housing.

33. The valve of claim 32 wherein the flow path extends normal or substantially normal to the spacing direction.

34. The valve of claim 32 wherein the at least two independently controllable housing electrodes each have an electrode width along the spacing direction, and at least two of the electrodes have different electrode widths.

35. The valve of claim 34 wherein a series of the at least two independently controllable housing electrodes have electrode widths of 2^N, where N represents a series number of a particular electrode in the series of electrodes.

36. The valve of claim 32 wherein the at least two independently controllable housing electrodes each have an electrode width along the spacing direction, and wherein the at least two electrodes have the same or substantially the same electrode widths.

37. The valve of claim 31 further comprising a biasing element for biasing the diaphragm away from the at least two housing electrodes.

38. The valve of claim 37 wherein the biasing element comprises a spring.

39. The valve of claim 38 wherein the biasing element comprises two or more springs.

40. The valve of claim 38 wherein the biasing element comprises a spring for each of the at least two independently controllable housing electrodes.

41. A valve, comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity, wherein the cavity is at least partially defined by two opposing sides;

an inlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity;

a fluid path within the cavity that extends between the inlet port and the outlet port, the fluid path having a cross-sectional area;

a diaphragm positioned in the cavity between the two opposing sides of the cavity, at least part of the diaphragm defining at least part of the fluid path; and

at least two housing electrodes fixed relative to a first one of the two opposing sides and at least two housing electrodes fixed relative to a second one of the two opposing sides;

at least two diaphragm electrodes fixed relative to the diaphragm; and

at least selected ones of the at least two diaphragm electrodes each corresponding to an electrode on the first one of the two opposing sides and an electrode on the second one of the two opposing sides.

42. The valve of claim 41 wherein the diaphragm is positioned in the cavity and is spaced from both the two opposing sides of the cavity.

43. A method for modulating a fluid flow through a fluid path, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a cross-sectional area for the fluid path from three or more discrete cross-sectional area values; and

changing the cross-sectional area for the fluid path to the selected one of the three or more discrete cross-sectional area values.