SINGLE USE MICROFLUIDIC VALVE

• US 20100276005A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), Université Grenoble Alpes
• Original Assignee: Energies Alternatives Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et AUX, Universite Joseph Fourier
• Inventors: ALLAIN, Marjolaine, Basrour, Skandar, Berthier, Jean, Pouteau, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,127,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0677 phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001
• 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 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• 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 99/003 Valves for single use only
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 99/0044 using thermo-electric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1797 Heat destructible or fusible

Abstract

The invention relates to a microfluidic valve (10) comprising a microchannel (30), a membrane (40) arranged so as to seal off said microchannel (30) and equipped with resistive means (60).

Said resistive means (60) are arranged in a groove (50) formed on one face (41) of the membrane (40) and are capable, when an electric control current flows through them, of expanding sufficiently under the effect of the heat produced by the flow of said electric current to cause the rupture of at least one part of said membrane (40).

Claims

1. Microfluidic valve (10) comprising a microchannel (30), a membrane (40) arranged so as to seal off said microchannel (30) and equipped with resistive means (60),

characterised in that at least one face (41) of said membrane (40) comprises at least one groove (50),

and in that said resistive means (60) are arranged in said groove (50) and are capable, when an electric control current flows through them, of expanding sufficiently under the effect of the heat produced by the flow of said electric current to cause the rupture of at least one part of said membrane (40).

2. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that

said groove (50) comprises two lateral faces (51A, 51B), substantially opposite to each other, delimiting a width of groove and connected to each other by a lower face (52),

said resistive means (60) being in at least partial contact with said lateral faces (51A, 51B) and said lower face (52).

3. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises means for generating an electric control current connected to said resistive means (60).

4. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that said means for generating electric current are generation means by electromagnetic induction and comprise a coil connected to said resistive means (60).

5. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said resistive means (60) are made of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and in that said membrane (40) is made of a material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion substantially less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.

6. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said groove (50) has an average depth between 0.2 and 0.8 times the average thickness of said membrane (40).

7. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said resistive means (60) are made of a material chosen among gold, platinum, aluminium, manganese, zinc, nickel, inconel 600, chromium, copper and polysilicon.

8. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said membrane (40) is made of a material chosen among Si₃N₄, SiO₂, and SiN.

9. Microfluidic valve (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said face (41) of the membrane (40) comprising said groove (50) is opposite to said microchannel (30).

10. Microfluidic device comprising a microfluidic valve (10) according to any of claims 1 to 9, a reservoir of fluid being connected to said microchannel (30).

11. Method for opening a microfluidic valve (10) according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein an electrical energy substantially less than 10⁻

4 J is supplied to said resistive means (60).