Method for microfluidic flow manipulation

US6907895B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce · US

Inventors

• Timothy J. Johnson · Richland, US
• David J. Ross · Silver Spring, US
• Laurie E. Locascio · Gaithersburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 1, 2002
• Grant date: Jun 21, 2005
• Expiry date: Nov 16, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T137/87652
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for the mixing of two microfluidic channels wherein several wells are oriented diagonally across the width of a mixing channel. The device effectively mixes the confluent streams with electrokinetic flow, and to a lesser degree, with pressure driven flow. The device and method may be further adapted to split a pair of confluent streams into two or more streams of equal or non-equal concentrations of reactants. Further, under electrokinetic flow, the surfaces of said wells may be specially coated so that the differing electroosmotic mobility between the surfaces of the wells and the surfaces of the channel may increase the mixing efficiency. The device and method are applicable to the steady state mixing as well as the dynamic application of mixing a plug of reagent with a confluent stream.