Microfluidic Chip Fluid Handling Device with Sealed Independent Tanks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microfluidic systems face challenges with multiple reservoirs, including space constraints, complexity in manufacturing, fluid cross-contamination, and inefficiencies in fluid handling and sample collection.
Innovation Solution
A device with multiple independent fluid tanks that can be directly plugged into a microfluidic chip, eliminating the need for external tubing and reducing dead volume, while ensuring sealed fluidic communication and efficient fluid delivery and collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple external reservoirs are used for fluid handling, then fluid storage capacity is improved, but device complexity and space constraints worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate external reservoirs into a single integrated device body containing multiple internal fluid tanks. This integration reduces the number of separate components, simplifies the overall device structure, and eliminates the need for multiple external connections while maintaining the ability to store and deliver multiple different fluids through dedicated tanks and channels.
2Ease of operation
If external tubing is used to connect reservoirs to chip, then fluid delivery is enabled, but dead volume increases and contamination risk worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the external tubing component from the fluid delivery system. By integrating the fluid tanks directly onto the chip device and providing direct fluidic connections, the design removes the intermediate tubing that creates dead volume, thereby reducing fluid loss and contamination risk while maintaining efficient fluid delivery capability.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple external reservoirs are used, then fluid storage is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate reservoir manufacturing processes into a single integrated device fabrication process. By incorporating multiple fluid tanks within one device body that can be manufactured as a single unit or pre-assembled module, the design simplifies manufacturing operations, reduces assembly steps, and lowers production complexity and cost compared to producing and assembling multiple separate external reservoirs.
4Ease of operation
If traditional reservoir systems are used, then fluid handling is enabled, but fluid cross-contamination and fluid loss worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluid storage system into multiple independent, sealed tanks within the device body, each dedicated to storing a specific fluid. This segmentation with individual sealed containers prevents cross-contamination between different fluids while maintaining ease of operation through dedicated delivery channels for each tank, thereby improving reliability by eliminating contamination pathways present in traditional shared reservoir systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device suitable for being plugged directly into a microfluidic chip which has at least one opening, the device comprising a body which contains a plurality of independent fluid tanks, wherein each fluid tank has an inlet configured for receiving a fluid and an outlet, forming an open end of the fluid tank and being configured to deliver the corresponding fluid directly into at least one opening of the microfluidic chip, characterized in that each outlet has a smaller opening compared with its corresponding inlet and is configured to be in a sealed fluidic communication with at least one opening of the microfluidic chip.