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Method for Microfluidic Flow Manipulation
6,907,895 issued 6/21/05
Inventors: Locascio, Laurie E. / Ross, David J. / Johnson, Timothy J.

Full Patent Text Including Drawings

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for the mixing of two microfluidic channels wherein several wells are oriented diagonally across the width of a mixing channel. The device effectively mixes the confluent streams with electrokinetic flow, and to a lesser degree, with pressure driven flow. The device and method may be further adapted to split a pair of confluent streams into two or more streams of equal or non-equal concentrations of reactants. Further, under electrokinetic flow, the surfaces of said wells may be specially coated so that the differing electroosmotic mobility between the surfaces of the wells and the surfaces of the channel may increase the mixing efficiency. The device and method are applicable to the steady state mixing as well as the dynamic application of mixing a plug of reagent with a confluent stream.

Claims

1. A method of mixing two confluent laminar flows in microchannels comprising: providing a first inlet stream and a second inlet stream that meet at a confluence point to produce a confluent stream; passing said confluent stream through a mixing channel, said mixing channel comprising a plurality of substantially straight unconnected wells, said wells being oriented substantially longitudinally across the width of said mixing channel and diagonally across said mixing channel; and producing a mixed laminar flow at the output of said mixing channel. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein alternating wells are configured perpendicular to each other. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said wells are configured parallel to each other. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said microfluidic streams are propelled by pressure. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said microfluidic streams are propelled by electrokinetics. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein at least a portion of the surface of said wells having an electroosmotic mobility that is different from at least a portion of the surface of said mixing channel. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first inlet stream comprises a plug of reagent.