Microfluidic Cartridge Pneumatic Interface Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microfluidic systems face challenges in fluid actuation, particularly in medical disposables like biosensors, where there is a trade-off between control and simplicity, with mechanical driving being flexible but prone to contamination and passive driving being cost-effective but inflexible and limited in flow characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic cartridge with a flexible membrane that is pneumatically deflectable, allowing for reversible pneumatic actuation without the need for mechanical contact or tubing, enabling efficient fluid transport and valve functions using a pneumatic interface plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mechanical driving with pistons is used for fluid actuation, then flexibility and control are improved, but contamination risk and operational lifetime are worsened due to physical contact and cleaning problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical piston-driven fluid actuation with a pneumatic system that uses a flexible membrane to transmit pneumatic pressure for fluid actuation. This substitution eliminates the need for direct mechanical contact between moving parts, thereby reducing contamination risk while maintaining flexibility and control in fluid manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane acts as an intermediary between the pneumatic pressure source and the fluid. It transmits the pneumatic pressure to actuate the fluid without requiring direct mechanical contact, thus serving as a mediator that prevents contamination while enabling controlled fluid movement.
2Ease of manufacture
If passive capillary driving is used for fluid actuation, then cost is improved, but flow characteristics and flexibility are worsened due to limited flow rate and inability to reverse flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic pressure applied through a flexible membrane to drive fluid actuation. This pneumatic approach maintains cost-effectiveness by avoiding complex mechanical components while providing superior flow control, including the ability to reverse flow and maintain constant flow rates independent of fluid viscosity and surface tension.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static capillary-driven flow to dynamic pneumatic actuation. The flexible membrane allows real-time adjustment of pneumatic pressure, enabling dynamic control of flow rate and direction, thereby providing adaptability in flow characteristics while maintaining simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mechanical metering with pistons is used, then flexibility in fluid actuation is improved, but device complexity and contamination risk are worsened due to physical contact requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical piston and metering components with a simpler pneumatic system using a flexible membrane. This substitution reduces device complexity by eliminating multiple mechanical parts while maintaining or improving fluid manipulation flexibility through pneumatic pressure control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the complex mechanical piston and metering components from the system, retaining only the essential flexible membrane and pneumatic pressure source. This extraction simplifies the device structure while preserving fluid actuation flexibility.
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
This solution provides a low-cost, reliable, and flexible fluid actuation system that maintains operational simplicity while allowing for high power and large stroke pneumatic actuation, reducing contamination risks and increasing the operational lifetime of the instrument.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible membrane is pneumatically deflectable from the ground state perpendicular to the plane of the flexible membrane in two directions when the cartridge is placed onto the parallel pneumatic interface plate
Implementation Method 2
The flexible membrane is pneumatically deflectable from the ground state perpendicular to the plane of the flexible membrane in two directions when the cartridge is placed onto the parallel pneumatic interface plate
Implementation Method 3
the fluid is to be transported by pneumatic pumping of a pneumatic instrument
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a design of an interface plate (101) between a microfluidic cartridge (100) and an instrument (102) for fluid actuation in the disposable cartridge. Pneumatic actuation is carried out through a reversible pneumatic interconnection between instrument and cartridge. Pneumatic drivers are integrated in the instrument for a low cost and reliable solution. The actuation of the fluid in the cartridge is achieved by a flexible membrane (105) attached to the major surface of the disposable cartridge forming closed compartments only when attached to the instrument. The pressure, in these compartments determines the deflection of the membrane which in turn actuates the fluid. This approach takes advantage of the high power and large stroke of pneumatic actuation while at the same time keeping the disposable cartridge simple and low cost and allowing easy introduction of other physical transport across the interface plate, like heat or acoustic vibration. A large number of actuators can be integrated easily into the flat interface plate as no individual fixation, like tubing, is required for the pneumatic actuation.