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The Fluence Interconnection System is used, where a microfluidic ‘baseboard’ provides the platform for the interconnection of multiple microfluidic chips. Up to 20 separate microfluidic chips can be accommodated by the baseboard in building a multi-fluid, multi-channel microfluidic network. Additional complexity is attainable by linking separate baseboards, populated with further microfluidic chips. The distribution baseboard comprises an array of straight microchannels, with a corresponding array of mounting holes for aligning and accommodating the functional microfluidic chips. The baseboards are 6mm thick and are provided with 100µm x 100µm microfluidic channels.
The illustration of the populated baseboard shows two microfluidic processes operating in parallel.
The top configuration comprises a 4-way fluid connector where the four inputs are mixed together via three mixer-reactor chips. An additional delay chip is shown for fine tuning the process. A single fluid output connector is positioned on the right. The bottom configuration illustrates single and dual fluid connectors, where staged entry of additional fluid streams is shown. Tiling of the baseboards is also illustrated, which enables more complex microfluidic processes to be realised along with scale up by scale out applications. The Fluence Tool Kit comprises 2 baseboards and a set of 40 microfluidic chips. Fluid connectors and other accessories are included to provide a powerful ‘starter pack’ for those experimental chemists and biologists wanting to explore the advantages of microfluidics.
A ‘Y’ mixer chip is illustrated here to describe the standard chip footprint. In this example, fluid ports P1 and P4 operate as inputs, fluid port P2 operates as output, and port P3 has no connection. H is a mounting hole. Along with fluid connectors and other accessories, each Tool Kit comprises the following set of microfluidic chips.
Fluence Tool Kits are available in two grades of material, and can be provided with modified surface chemistries to suit the application. See Design and Manufacturing Capability for further details. The Tool Kits can be supplied with Special Microfluidic Products to supplement the above. Such additional modules can provide functions such as temperature control, electrodes for electrical measurements, filtering, reagent introduction, on-chip reservoirs and optical measurement. Custom Tool Kit Design
In the picture opposite, a custom microchannel layout in the baseboard distributes 2 fluid input streams (on the left) to 3 output streams (on the right). Three independent processing paths each involve prototype analytical microfluidic chips before and after a custom designed catalyst reactor chip. This scheme was provided for the UK Government Department of Trade and Industry’s Lab-on-a-Chip collaborative research programme.
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The
Fluence Microfluidic Tool Kit provides an effective decision making tool
for product and process developers working on microchemical and microbiological
applications. Microfluidic chips are used as system building blocks for
controlling the flow and reaction of nanolitre to millilitre fluid volumes
in a well defined manner.
The
standard footprint for the Tool Kit microfluidic chips is 36x36mm,
and comprises a square array of four fluid connection ports, each configurable
as input, output, or no connection. In addition to the connection ports,
each chip comprises 2 mounting holes to facilitate alignment and mounting
to the Tool Kit distribution baseboard. The microfluidic chips are 4mm
thick and are provided with 100µm x 100µm microfluidic channels.
In
situations where the customer has a pre-defined requirement for a specific
baseboard, coupled with specific ideas for microfluidic chips, then Epigem
offer a custom tool kit design and manufacture service. This service is
also applicable to previous Tool Kit users who want to enhance functionality
of their microfluidic chip set.
