Check valves for microfluidic systems and methods thereof
| DWPI Title: Micro-fluidic check valve for fluidic cartridge, has pre-stressed spring comprising extended beams defined within substrate and connected to central support, and lid comprising cavity to encompass pre-stressed spring and elastomeric pad |
| Abstract: The present invention relates to microfluidic check valves, as well as fluidic cartridges including such check valves. In particular examples, the check valve includes a pre-stressed spring formed from a planar substrate. Various characteristics of the valves, such as size, profile, opening pressure, etc., can be tuned to provide desired performance when employed within a fluidic cartridge. |
| Use: Micro-fluidic check valve for a fluidic cartridge. |
| Advantage: The valve is provided with one-directional flow when back pressure is low or high, low dead volumes and a thin profile, thus permitting integration into thin devices and ease-of-manufacture of the valve from common materials. The valve permits independent selection of material and structural properties of the spring and the sealing pad, thus allowing for optimized combinations of properties that match intended use of the valve. The valve allows orthoplanar springs to ensure adequate sealing against reverse flow while preserving minimally impeded forward flow over a wider pressure range. |
| Novelty: The valve has an elastomeric pad (120) comprising a first surface and a second surface that opposes the first surface. A pre-stressed spring (102A) comprises extended beams defined within a planar substrate and connected to a central support, where a surface portion of the substrate contacts a surface portion of a base (130) and the central support is defined within the substrate and aligns with the second surface of the elastomeric pad for providing a pressurized seal between an inlet (131) of the base, the elastomeric pad and the central support of the pre-stressed spring. A lid (110) comprises a cavity (115) to encompass the pre-stressed spring and the elastomeric pad. |
| Filed: 3/2/2017 |
| Application Number: US15447581A |
| Tech ID: SD 13724.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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