Micromachined fluid handling apparatus with filter
First Claim
1. A micromachined fluid handling apparatus comprising a micromachined filter, and a micromachined fluid handling device;
- said fluid handling apparatus further comprising a substrate and a membrane mounted on said substrate;
said substrate and said membrane comprising respective mounting portions secured together;
wherein said micromachined filter and said micromachined fluid handling device comprise respective integral sections of said substrate and said membrane;
wherein said micromachined filter further comprises a filter element means for removing particles of at least a predetermined size from an unfiltered fluid from an unfiltered fluid source, a first inlet port means for receiving said unfiltered fluid from said unfiltered fluid source and for conveying said unfiltered fluid to said filter element means, and a first outlet port means for conveying a filtered fluid from said filter element means and for permitting said filtered fluid to exit from said micromachined filter; and
wherein said micromachined fluid handling device comprises an inlet port means for receiving said filtered fluid from said first outlet port means, and an outlet port means for permitting said filtered fluid to exit from said micromachined fluid handling device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The fluid handling devices are capable of accurately handling substantially continuous fluid flow rates as low as about 0.01 cc/day. The devices are so miniaturized, corrosion-resistant and non-toxic that they are suitable for being implanted in the human body; and are capable of being mass produced at costs so low, by using micromachining techniques, such as etching, that they may be considered to be disposable. The devices are either passive devices which consume no electrical energy at all, or are active devices which consume very small amounts of electrical energy. The devices are reliable because they may have as few as only two parts, only one which is a moving part; and because they may handle fluids at very low pressures. The fluid handling devices include active piezoelectrically driven membrane pumps; and passive fluid flow regulators, on-off valves, flow switches and filters.
121 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A micromachined fluid handling apparatus comprising a micromachined filter, and a micromachined fluid handling device;
- said fluid handling apparatus further comprising a substrate and a membrane mounted on said substrate;
said substrate and said membrane comprising respective mounting portions secured together;
wherein said micromachined filter and said micromachined fluid handling device comprise respective integral sections of said substrate and said membrane;
wherein said micromachined filter further comprises a filter element means for removing particles of at least a predetermined size from an unfiltered fluid from an unfiltered fluid source, a first inlet port means for receiving said unfiltered fluid from said unfiltered fluid source and for conveying said unfiltered fluid to said filter element means, and a first outlet port means for conveying a filtered fluid from said filter element means and for permitting said filtered fluid to exit from said micromachined filter; and
wherein said micromachined fluid handling device comprises an inlet port means for receiving said filtered fluid from said first outlet port means, and an outlet port means for permitting said filtered fluid to exit from said micromachined fluid handling device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- said fluid handling apparatus further comprising a substrate and a membrane mounted on said substrate;
Specification