公开(公告)号：US12103000B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-01

申请号：US17995842

申请日：2021-04-09

Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Inventor： Elliot En-Yu Hui ,  Hinesh Vipul Patel

IPC: B01L3/00

CPC classification number: B01L3/502715 ,  B01L3/50273 ,  B01L3/502738 ,  B01L2200/0689 ,  B01L2300/0861 ,  B01L2400/0677

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the fabrication and use of phase-change material (PCM) membranes in microvalves for microfluidic systems. The microvalve may be fabricated by using a tissue-sectioning instrument to slice a thin membrane of PCM off of a block of PCM. The membrane may then be sandwiched between a plurality of microfluidic flow sections to act as a microvalve. At room temperature, the membrane may exist in a solid state to act as a zero-leakage seal and microvalve. Applying heat to the membrane may bring the membrane to a melting point, causing it to reach a liquid state. The microvalve in the liquid state may experience a surface tension effect by a material of the microfluidic flow sections, causing it to displace from a flow path and allow a fluid to pass from one microfluidic flow section to another.

公开(公告)号：US20230149923A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-18

申请号：US17995842

申请日：2021-04-09

Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Inventor： Elliot En-Yu Hui ,  Hinesh Vipul Patel

IPC: B01L3/00

CPC classification number: B01L3/502715 ,  B01L3/50273 ,  B01L3/502738 ,  B01L2200/0689 ,  B01L2300/0861 ,  B01L2400/0677

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the fabrication and use of phase-change material (PCM) membranes in microvalves for microfluidic systems. The microvalve may be fabricated by using a tissue-sectioning instrument to slice a thin membrane of PCM off of a block of PCM. The membrane may then be sandwiched between a plurality of microfluidic flow sections to act as a microvalve. At room temperature, the membrane may exist in a solid state to act as a zero-leakage seal and microvalve. Applying heat to the membrane may bring the membrane to a melting point, causing it to reach a liquid state. The microvalve in the liquid state may experience a surface tension effect by a material of the microfluidic flow sections, causing it to displace from a flow path and allow a fluid to pass from one microfluidic flow section to another.