Microfluidic osmotic pump

• US 8,394,644 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gu, Yuandong, Yang, Wei, Padmanabhan, Aravind
• Primary Examiner(s): Sines, Brian J
• Application Number:
  US11/983,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090123297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 422/502, 422/503, 422/504, 422/505, 436/174, 436/180, 436/164, 436/172, 436/43, 417/1, 417/21
• US Class Current: 436/180
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1486 the bags being substantially completely surrounded by fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 including sample preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A micro-fluidic osmotic pump capable of delivering a desired fluid at a predetermined destination comprising an inside fluid reservoir housing a compressible sac, a surrounding compartment having an external surface made up of a semi-permeable membrane and a fluid duct. The inside fluid reservoir houses a compressible sac containing a predetermined amount of a fluid that is desired to be pumped to a predetermined destination. The surrounding compartment holds a desired osmotic agent and its saturated solution in the remaining volume thereof. The surrounding compartment has an outer surface made up of a semi-permeable membrane that allows a predetermined second external fluid to permeate into the surrounding compartment. The fluid duct is substantially housed within the inside fluid reservoir and runs through openings and respectively provided through the inside fluid reservoir and the surrounding compartment.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a desired fluid at a predetermined destination, said method comprising:

providing a microfluidic osmotic pump including a surrounding compartment wherein an external surface of said surrounding compartment comprises a semi-permeable membrane, an osmotic agent contained within a fluid reservoir formed within the surrounding compartment, a compressible sac disposed within the fluid reservoir, and a fluid duct coupled to said compressible sac and ported through said surrounding compartment;

exposing a microfluidic osmotic pump to a predetermined external fluid, wherein said predetermined external fluid permeates through said semi-permeable membrane;

solvating said predetermined external fluid with said osmotic agent contained within the surrounding compartment resulting in a production of solvated osmotic agent; and

developing an osmotic pressure within said surrounding compartment as said solvated osmotic agent is produced, wherein said pressure compresses said compressible sac housed within the fluid reservoir to pump out secondary fluid held within the compressible sac through said fluid duct to a desired destination; and

pumping fluid out of said compressible sac as pressure is developed within said reservoir.

2. The method for delivering a desired fluid at a predetermined destination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said compressible sac housed within said fluid reservoir contains said secondary fluid comprising a pusher fluid and the desired destination is a housing associated with a microfluidic circuit containing a chemiluminescence fluid.