Pressure-Controlled Fluid Release Assembly for Contactless Droplet Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microfluidic devices face challenges in preventing evaporation during thermal processes and pressure cycles, particularly in the generation of aqueous droplets for nucleic acid amplification and analysis, and lack a contactless method for precise fluid droplet deposition.
Innovation Solution
A non-compressible compartment with specific geometric and fluid properties is used to control fluid release through a channel, allowing for contactless and precise dispensing of fluids, including the use of a macrofluidic reservoir and microfluidic channel designs to manage fluid flow and prevent evaporation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a saturated atmosphere chamber is used to prevent evaporation, then evaporation is prevented, but manipulation of chips becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the fluid handling function into separate components: a reservoir chamber for fluid storage and a microfluidic chip for processing. The reservoir can be removed and replaced without manipulating the chip, allowing evaporation prevention while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A reservoir chamber acts as an intermediary between the fluid source and the microfluidic chip. This intermediary component provides a stable fluid supply while allowing the chip to be manipulated independently, resolving the conflict between evaporation prevention and manipulation ease.
2Ease of operation
If direct contact between reservoirs and liquid source is used, then fluid handling is simple, but evaporation occurs during thermal processes
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir chamber is designed with a flexible seal that can be detached without breaking. This allows the reservoir to be easily connected and disconnected from the liquid source while maintaining a closed system that prevents evaporation during thermal processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid handling system is segmented into a removable reservoir chamber and a separate liquid source. This segmentation allows simple connection/disconnection while maintaining evaporation prevention through the sealed reservoir design.
3Manufacturing precision
If contactless fluid dispensing is implemented, then evaporation is prevented and precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pneumatic pressure differentials between the reservoir chamber and the microfluidic chip to drive fluid flow. This pneumatic mechanism enables contactless dispensing with high precision while avoiding complex mechanical positioning systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The contactless fluid dispensing replaces complex mechanical positioning and alignment systems with a simpler pneumatic pressure-based system. This substitution achieves high precision dispensing while reducing overall device complexity.
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
The solution effectively prevents evaporation and allows for automated, parallelized fluid dispensing without direct contact, ensuring precise control over fluid release and maintaining droplet stability during thermal processes.
Implementation Method 1
at least two fluids in fluidic contact and enclosed inside the non-compressible compartment, one of the two fluids being gas, wherein the fluid to be released has a density superior to the compressible fluid
Implementation Method 2
The assembly is placed in a pressure-controlled environment, allowing the compressible fluid to be pressurized and thus enabling a contactless release of the fluid through the channel
Implementation Method 3
The solution effectively prevents evaporation and allows for automated, parallelized fluid dispensing without direct contact, ensuring precise control over fluid release and maintaining droplet stability during thermal processes
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly for contactless pressure-controlled release of a fluid comprising a non-compressible compartment, at least two fluids in fluidic contact and enclosed inside the non-compressible compartment, one of the two fluids being compressible, and one channel for fluid flow.