Multi-Material Fluidic Printing With Selective Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microfluidic delivery systems are limited in the number of fluids they can deliver and lack precise control over fluid dispensing, often requiring long delivery times.
Innovation Solution
A multi-material fluidic printing system with a pressure source, regulators, flow selectors, and processors that allow for precise control and selective distribution of pressures to dispense multiple fluid materials efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional microfluidic delivery systems use multiple extrusion units to deliver multiple fluids, then the number of deliverable fluids increases, but the system complexity and device size increase proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
A single extrusion unit is designed to perform multiple functions by sequentially delivering different fluids through cartridge replacement. The system can control extrusion of multiple fluids (e.g., 16 or more) using one extrusion unit instead of requiring one extrusion unit per fluid, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining the capability to deliver multiple fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses replaceable fluid cartridges that can be quickly exchanged in the single extrusion unit. After a cartridge is emptied, it is discarded and replaced with a new cartridge containing the next fluid to be delivered. This allows the single extrusion unit to handle multiple fluids sequentially without requiring complex multi-unit coordination.
2Device complexity
If conventional systems use a single extrusion unit to deliver multiple fluids sequentially, then device complexity is reduced, but the delivery time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fluid cartridges are pre-loaded into the system or readily available for quick replacement. The extrusion unit is pre-configured with the capability to handle different cartridge types, and the system can rapidly switch between cartridges to minimize idle time between fluid deliveries, thus reducing overall delivery time while maintaining a simple single-unit architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by minimizing interruptions during cartridge replacement. The extrusion unit remains active and ready to deliver the next fluid immediately upon cartridge exchange, ensuring that the useful action of fluid delivery continues with minimal breaks, thereby reducing total delivery time despite using a single unit.
3Device complexity
If conventional microfluidic delivery systems use limited extrusion units, then device complexity is low, but the precision and control over fluid dispensing amount are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The single extrusion unit is equipped with feedback mechanisms such as pressure sensors, flow meters, or position sensors that monitor the extrusion process in real-time. This feedback allows the control system to precisely regulate the amount of fluid dispensed, adjust extrusion speed, and ensure accurate delivery volumes, thereby achieving high dispensing precision without requiring multiple complex extrusion units.
4Manufacturing precision
If conventional systems deliver multiple fluids using multiple extrusion units, then fluid delivery precision is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single extrusion unit performs the work of multiple extrusion units by delivering different fluids sequentially through cartridge replacement. This eliminates the need for multiple independent extrusion units, each consuming energy, thereby significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining the precision and capability to deliver multiple fluids with the same single unit.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables highly-controlled and selective extrusion of any required number of fluid materials, is scalable, reliable, and energy-efficient, with precise control over dispensing and infusion processes.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure source; at least one regulator having at least one first end and at least one second end, wherein the at least one first end is fluidically coupled to the pressure source
Implementation Method 2
control the at least one regulator to regulate the first pressure received at the at least one first end to obtain a second pressure at the at least one second end, wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Disclosed is a multi-material fluidic printing system (100, 200, 300, 400) comprising pressure source (102a, 102b, 206, 402); regulator(s) (104, 220, 222, 224, 404) having first end(s) (106) and second end(s) (108), first end(s) fluidically coupled to pressure source; flow selector(s) (110, 226, 228, 230, 312, 406) having third end(s) (112) and fourth ends (114, 116, 118); cartridges (120, 122, 124, 408, 410) capable of holding fluid materials, cartridge having fifth end (126) and sixth end (128), fifth end fluidically coupled to corresponding fourth end; processor(s) (130, 412) configured to: control pressure source to generate first pressure; control regulator(s) to regulate first pressure to obtain second pressure at second end(s); control flow selector(s) to selectively distribute second pressure received at third end(s) to obtain third pressure(s) on fourth end(s), so that fluid material(s) held in cartridge(s) corresponding to fourth end(s) is/are dispensed from sixth end(s) of cartridge(s) onto fluidic device.