462 results about "Nanofluidics" patented technology

The present invention discloses the integration of programmable microfluidic circuits to achieve practical applications to process biochemical and chemical reactions and to integrate these reactions. In some embodiments workflows for biochemical reactions or chemical workflows are combined. Microvalves such as programmable microfluidic circuit with Y valves and flow through valves are disclosed. In some embodiments microvalves of the present invention are used for mixing fluids, which may be part of an integrated process. These processes include mixing samples and moving reactions to an edge or reservoir for modular microfluidics, use of capture regions, and injection into analytical devices on separate devices. In some embodiments star and nested star designs, or bead capture by change of cross sectional area of a channel in a microvalve are used. Movement of samples between temperature zones are further disclosed using fixed temperature and movement of the samples by micropumps.

With the coupling of an external field and aeration (or a flow of another gas), nanoparticles can be smoothly and vigorously fluidized. Multiple external fields and/or pre-treatment may be employed with the fluidizing gas: sieving, magnetic assistance, vibration, acoustic/sound or rotational/centrifugal forces. Any of these forces, either alone or in combination, when coupled with a fluidizing medium, provide excellent means for achieving homogenous nanofluidization. The additional force(s) help to break channels as well as provide enough energy to disrupt the strong interparticle forces, thereby establishing an advantageous agglomerate size distribution. Enhanced fluidization is reflected by at least one of the following performance-related attributes: reduced levels of bubbles within the fluidized system, reduced gas bypass relative to the fluidized bed, smooth fluidization behavior, reduced elutriation, a high level of bed expansion, reduced gas velocity levels to achieve desired fluidization performance, and/or enhanced control of agglomerate size/distribution. The fluidized nanoparticles may be coated, surface-treated and/or surface-modified in the fluidized state. In addition, the fluidized nanoparticles may participate in a reaction, either as a reactant or a catalyst, while in the fluidized state.

The invention relates to the field of machining, in particular to a nano particle jet flow micro-scale lubricating and grinding three-phase flow supply system. The system is characterized in that: nano fluid is conveyed to a nozzle by a liquid path, high temperature gas enters the nozzle through a gas path at the same time, the high pressure gas and the nano fluid are fully mixed and atomized in the mixing room of the nozzle, the mixed high pressure gas and nano fluid are accelerated in an acceleration room and enter a vortex room, compressed gas enters from the vent hole of the vortex room, and a three-phase flow is further mixed and accelerated by rotating, and is jetted in the form of atomized liquid drops to a grinding area through the outlet of the nozzle. The system has the advantages that: the helical vent hole of the mixing room of the nozzle is tangent to the wall surface of the mixing room, and the nano fluid and the gas are uniformly mixed; pressure adjusting valves, throttles and flow meters are arranged in the gas path and the liquid path, and the pressure and the flow of the nano fluid and the high pressure gas can be adjusted as required so as to achieve an optimal micro-scale lubricating effect; and the problems of insufficient cooling capability in micro-scale lubricating, the large using quantity of a lubricant in pouring type grinding, high waste liquid processing cost and heavy environment pollution are solved.

The present invention provides methods and apparatus that can manipulate, detect, and/or analyze single molecules, single small particles or single small samples of matter passing through a nanoscale gap within a nanofluidic channel of a detector.

A nano-fluidic trapping device and method of fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, a nano-fluidic trapping device for assembling a SERS-active cluster includes a substrate. The nano-fluidic trapping device further includes a SERS-active cluster compartment. The SERS-active cluster is formed in the SERS-active cluster compartment. In addition, the nano-fluidic trapping device includes a reservoir. The reservoir allows introduction of target molecules into the nano-fluidic trapping device. Moreover, the nano-fluidic trapping device includes a microchannel. The microchannel allows the target molecules to be introduced to the SERS-active cluster compartment from the reservoir. The nano-fluidic trapping device also includes a nanochannel. The SERS-active cluster compartment, the reservoir, the microchannel, and the nanochannel are disposed within the substrate.

A nanochannel apparatus and method of fabrication provide an array of nanochannels with distal open or exposed ends formed in situ through a permanent support. A nanofluidic system includes the nanochannel apparatus, a fluidic interface, and a component interfaced to the nanochannel apparatus. The method includes encasing an array of nanowires in a support, and forming the array of nanochannels in situ in locations of the nanowires, such that distal ends of the nanochannels are exposed.

A flow cell is provided for the analysis and/or microscopy of liquid or gas samples on the nanometer to micron scale. The flow cell preferably includes a thin membrane that is transparent to electrons and/or photons, thereby enabling the penetration of electrons or photons into a liquid flowing through the cell. Trenches are provided on either side of the membrane, which advantageously minimize fluidic resistance outside of the window area of the cell and also enable a faster response time in response to changes in external fluidic pressure. This feature enables active feedback using pathlength sensitive probes to stabilize the fluid flow to thin streams from nanometer to micron scale thicknesses with nanometer precision.

Nanofluidic entropic traps, comprising alternating thin and thick regions, sieve small molecules such as DNA or protein polymers and other molecules. The thick region is comparable or substantially larger than the molecule to be separated, while the thin region is substantially smaller than the size of the molecules to be separated. Due to the molecular size dependence of the entropic trapping effect, separation of molecules may be achieved. In addition, entropic traps are used to collect, trap and control many molecules in the nanofluidic channel. A fabrication method is disclosed to provide an efficient way to make nanofluidic constrictions in any fluidic devices.

The invention relates to tunable elastomeric nanochannels for nanofluidic manipulation. In particular, the present invention relates to nanochannels for performing biological assays.

Microfluidic devices and methods for operations on micro through nano-meter scales. Methods of processing, handling and analysis of yocto-liter scale volumes. Methods and devices for single-molecule transports in milli-scale dimensions. Methods of laser propulsion of individual cells and droplets. Methods of packaging and manufacturing of micro and nanofluidic devices. Method of improving dispensing accuracy. Methods of uses and manufacturing of micro-optico-fluidic devices. Bottom up processing method. Ionic particle deflector device. Smart package device and methods for high-throughput synthesis and screening. Methods and devices for controlled refills of micro stamps. Methods and devices for insitu concentration and dilution of micro volumes of solids and liquids. Methods and devices for eliminating undesirable dry outs and evaporation of microscale volumes of fluids.

A method for producing nanofluids with multilayered graphene nanoplatelets for providing improved heat transfer coolant fluids. A method for optimizing the concentration of nanoplatelets based on their morphology that allows achieving high thermal conductivity and low viscosity thus resulting in high heat transfer coefficient. A method is provided to functionalize as received graphene nanoplatelets by oxidaitively treating the multilayered graphene/nanothin graphite to generate highly dispensable nanoparticles for suspension in polar fluids for cooling thermal sources, such as power electronics and other heat transfer cooling applications.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for real time single molecule sequencing of a polymeric molecule, such as a polynucleotide, by isolating the polymeric molecule in a nanofluidic device, subjecting it in situ to a polymerase reaction wherein various components of the polymerase reaction mixture are labeled, and determining the time-sequence of incorporation of monomeric subunits during the polymerization process.

Devices for controlling the capture, trapping, and transport of macromolecules include at least one fluidic transport nanochannel that intersects and is in fluid communication with at least one transverse nanochannel with (shallow) regions and/or with integrated transverse electrodes that enable fine control of molecule transport dynamics and facilitates analyses of interest, e.g., molecular identification, length determination, localized (probe) mapping and the like.

The present invention provides a nano-fluidic field effective device. The device includes a channel having a first side and a second side, a first set of electrodes adjacent to the first side, a second set of electrodes adjacent to the second side, a control unit for applying electric potentials to the electrodes and a fluid within the channel containing a charge molecule. The first set of electrodes is disposed such that application of electric potentials produces a spatially varying electric field that confines a charged molecule within a predetermined area of said channel. The second set of electrodes is disposed such that application of electric potentials relative to the electric potentials applied to the first set of electrodes creates an electric field that confines the charged molecule to an area away from the second side of the channel.

The invention discloses a major accident mitigation system of a nuclear power station on the basis of the nano fluid characteristic, belonging to the technical field of nuclear power station equipment and safety. The system is composed of a superconductive tube, a heat exchanger, a radioactive grain removing device, a nano fluid preparation chamber, an ultrasonic oscillator, an air cooling tower and the like. The system can quickly adsorb energy in a containment under the major accident, hyperpressure in the containment can be alleviated by releasing and removing radioactive air and radioactive aerosol particles, nano particles can be obtained, and the efficient heat exchange medium nano fluid can be prepared to achieve the goal of alleviating the major accident of the reactor and protecting the integrity of the containment structure. A safety control function is performed and finished when major accidents happen. The system has the advantages of good backup safety, simple flow, stable performance and high reliability, is convenient to implement and simple to control, and treats wastes with wastes.

A microfluidic optical sensor utilizes at least one subwavelength nanowire or nanoribbon waveguide coupled to a fluidic structure having at least one nanofluidic channel through which one or more molecular species are conveyed. In response to optical pumping (e.g., a laser source) the waveguide optically interrogates nearby molecular species retained within said fluidic structure to detect chemical species in response to optical characterization of small (on the order of sub-picoliter) volumes of solution. Characterization is performed in response to evanescent wave sensing. In one aspect, optical characterization is selected from the group of optical characterizations consisting of absorbance, fluorescence and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

The invention discloses a method for making a self-supporting structure of a nano fluid system based on a SU-8 photoresist, which is characterized by comprising the following steps of: firstly processing and making a PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) flexible template, making a SU-8 nano channel substrate by utilizing the PDMS flexible template, simultaneously making a SU-8 bonding layer comprising a sample pond by utilizing ultraviolet exposure development, realizing the bonding sealing of the SU-8 nano channel substrate and the bonding layer by utilizing a bonding technique, and finally removing PDNS and PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) flexible substrates to obtain the self-supporting structure of the nano fluid system. The method has the advantages of simple operation, low making cost and low equipment requirement. The making result shows that the system has no delamination and blockage, the bonded interface can be hardly seen, and the outline of a channel is clear and visible so that the self-supporting structure of the nano fluid system has good quality.

An article of manufacture and method of preparation thereof. The article of manufacture and method of making the article includes an eutectic salt solution suspensions and a plurality of nanocrystalline phase change material particles having a coating disposed thereon and the particles capable of undergoing the phase change which provides increase in thermal energy storage. In addition, other articles of manufacture can include a nanofluid additive comprised of nanometer-sized particles consisting of copper decorated graphene particles that provide advanced thermal conductivity to heat transfer fluids

The invention relates to a method for preparing nano fluid for a heat transfer medium of a solar heat exchange system, which comprises the following steps: selecting one of Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, Ni and Cu nano grains with the grain diameter of 5 to 100 nanometers as additive, selecting water or water/ethylene glycol or water/propylene glycol mixture as base solution, adding surfactant into the solution, and strongly stirring and ultrasonically oscillating to form the nano fluid which is used for the heat transfer medium of the solar heat exchange system, wherein the Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, Ni or Cu nano grains account for 0.1 to 3 volume percent of the volume of the nano fluid. The practical detection result for placing the solar heat exchange system on the roof shows that the nano fluid can remarkably improve the heat collecting efficiency of the solar heat exchange system, has the advantages of high heating speed, low cooling speed, low cost and simple preparation process and can remarkably improve the heat collection and heat utilization efficiencies of the existing solar heat collecting system.

The invention relates to a preparation method of a polydimethylsiloxane micro-nanofluidic chip. The method comprises the following steps: transferring a designed pattern of a chip structure onto a mask, closely jointing the mask with glass on which a chromium layer and a photoresist are sequentially coated, using ultraviolet light to irradiate the mask for exposure, taking out, using fixing water for fixing, using dechromisation solution to remove redundant chromium, using ethanol to remove the redundant photoresist, and completing the transfer from the designed pattern to the pattern on the chromium layer; then using etching solution to etch the glass after well processing for a certain period of time, wherein the time needs to be longer than the traditional glass etching time so as to achieve the purpose of excessive etching; taking out the well etched glass, and drying; uniformly mixing a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) prepolymer with a curing agent according to a certain weight ratio, uniformly distributing the mixture on a glass mold, curing for a certain period of time at the temperature of 40 DEG C-120 DEG C, and stripping off from the mold; and using oxygen and other plasmas to process a PDMS chip with the pattern and a substrate, rapidly jointing the two, forming irreversible joint, and finally getting the polydimethylsiloxane micro-nanofluidic chip.

The invention discloses a laser speckle testing system used for measuring the movement velocity of nano-particles in nano-fluid. The system is characterized in that the irradiation mode of a light source and the receiving mode of a recording device are improved according to the optical character of the nano-particles. An extender lens system is used for two-dimensional expansion of laser beam to form the flowing nano-particles that are irradiated by a surface light source; the recording device is arranged on the light path which positively faces to the incident light direction at the other side of a transparent pipe of the tested nano-fluid according to the rayleigh scattering characteristic, so that the speckle image of the nano-particles is recorded clearly; the laser speckle testing system of the invention is not only used for measuring the movement of the nano-particles in the nano-fluid, but also applicable to the movement measurement of micron particles; the system has simple structure and wide range of usage, and can be widely applicable to speckle measurement of the movement velocity of fluid.