Inventors:
Chong Ahn - Cincinnati OH, US
Suresh Murugesan - Cincinnati OH, US
Sanghyo Kim - Yongln, KR
Gregory Beaucage - Cincinnati OH, US
International Classification:
B01L003/00
Abstract:
A functional on-chip pressure source using a solid propellant chemical material is disclosed which, upon heating to a critical temperature, liberates a precise amount of gas which, when liberated within an enclosed cavity coupled to a liquid in a microfluidic channel, raises the pressure and causes precise displacement of the liquid. The functional on-chip pressure source may be easily integrated with a disposable biochip, may be fabricated using low-cost, high volume manufacturing techniques, uses very low power, and may provide a dynamically variable output pressure across a broad spectrum of pressures. Embodiments of the present invention address significant challenges in the development of disposable microfluidic biochips including providing a reliable solution for pumping liquids in a microfluidic system and immediately applying the solution to a variety of microfluidic biochip applications.
