A micropump including: a stator (4); a rotor (6) slidably and rotatably mounted at least partially in the stator, the rotor comprising a first axial extension (24) having a first diameter (D1) and a second axial extension (26) having a second diameter (D2) greater than the first diameter; a first valve (V1) formed by a first valve seal (18) mounted on the stator around the first axial extension, in conjunction with a first channel (42) in the rotor that is configured to allow liquid communication across the first valve seal when the first valve is in an open position; a second valve (V2) formed by a second valve seal (20) mounted on the stator around the second axial extension, in conjunction with a second channel (44) in the rotor that is configured to allow liquid communication across the second valve seal when the second valve is in an open position; a pump chamber (8) formed between the rotor and stator and between the first valve seal and second valve seal, and a cam system comprising a cam track (22, 22′) on one of the rotor or stator and a cam follower (36, 36′) on the other of the rotor or stator for axially displacing the rotor relative to the stator as a function of the rotation of the rotor, the cam track comprising a valves-closed chamber-full section (28), a valves-closed chamber-empty section (30), an intake section (32) and an expel section (34). The expel section comprises an expel hold position (34b) defining an intermediate axial position between the valves-closed chamber-full section and valves-closed chamber-empty section for partial delivery of a pump cycle volume during the expel phase.

Aspects of the instant disclosure relate to electronic cigarettes with an active delivery system for transporting a liquid solution from a tank to an atomizer; and more particularly to oscillating diaphragm pumps that facilitate flow of the liquid solution from the tank and onto a heating coil of an atomizer for vaporization.

A pump comprising a side wall closed at each end by an end wall forming a cavity for, in use, containing a fluid, one or more actuators each operatively associated with one or more of the end walls to cause an oscillatory motion of the associated end wall(s) whereby, in use, these axial oscillations of the end wall(s) drive substantially radial oscillations of the fluid pressure in the cavity, two or more apertures in the cavity, a valve disposed in at least one of the apertures, wherein the actuator(s) is arranged to be non-axisymmetric in use such that, in use, a pressure oscillation with at least one nodal diameter is generated within the cavity.

Fluidic multiwell bioreactors are provided as a microphysiological platform for in vitro investigation of multi-organ crosstalks for an extended period of time of at least weeks and months. The disclosed platform is featured with one or more improvements over existing bioreactors, including on-board pumping for pneumatically driven fluid flow, a redesigned spillway for self-leveling from source to sink, a non-contact built-in fluid level sensing device, precise control on fluid flow profile and partitioning, and facile reconfigurations such as daisy chaining and multilayer stacking. The platform supports the culture of multiple organs in a microphysiological, interacted systems, suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications including systemic toxicity studies and physiology-based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic predictions. A process to fabricate the disclosed bioreactors is also provided.

A pump (2) comprising a stator (4) and a rotor (6) axially and rotatably movable relative to the stator, the stator comprising a rotor shaft receiving cavity (18), an inlet (14) and an outlet (16) fluidly connected to the rotor shaft receiving cavity (18), the rotor comprising a shaft (24) received in the rotor shaft receiving cavity (18). The rotor shaft (24) comprises a cavity (39) receiving a piston portion (12) of the stator therein to form a piston chamber (42), a seal (44) mounted between the piston portion (12) and inner sidewall of the cavity (39) to sealingly close an end of the piston chamber (42). The rotor further comprises a port (38) fluidly connecting the piston chamber (42) to an outer surface (60) of the rotor shaft (24), the port (38) arranged to overlap at least partially the inlet (14) over a rotational angle α of the rotor corresponding to a pump intake phase, and arranged to overlap at least partially the outlet (14) over a rotational angle β of the rotor corresponding to a pump expel phase.

An object focuser may include a substrate, a sample fluid passage supported by the substrate, a first inertial pump supported by the substrate to pump a sample fluid entraining an object through the sample fluid passage, a first sheath fluid passage, a second inertial pump supported by the substrate to pump a first sheath fluid through the first sheath fluid passage, a second sheath fluid passage and a second inertial pump supported by the substrate to pump a second sheath fluid through the second sheath fluid passage. The first sheath fluid passage and the second sheath fluid passage are connected to the sample fluid passage at a convergence on opposite sides of the sample fluid passage.

An aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion, a vaporizer, and a pump. The liquid storage portion may be configured to store a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The vaporizer may be configured to volatilize the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The pump may be configured to pump air into the liquid storage portion so as to push out a volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion and to supply the volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the vaporizer. A method for generating an aerosol may be performed with the system.

A fluidic device comprises a first channel conduit, a valve apparatus, and an additional element adjacent to the first channel conduit. The first channel conduit transports fluid from a first fluid entrance to a fluid exit. In one embodiment, the additional element is a pump chamber that receives fluid from a second fluid entrance and pumps fluid into the first channel conduit in accordance with fluid pressure. Alternatively, the additional elements include a second channel conduit and a neck of the first channel conduit. The first channel conduit and the second channel conduit share a common wall. Fluid pressure in the first channel conduit controls a valve apparatus. The value apparatus controls a rate of fluid flow in the first channel conduit by deforming the common wall to change a cross-sectional area of the neck, which changes a rate of fluid flow in the second channel conduit.

The present invention relates to a system and method for moving samples, such as fluid, within a microfluidic system using a plurality of gas actuators for applying pressure at different locations within the microfluidic. The system includes a substrate which forms a fluid network through which fluid flows, and a plurality of gas actuators integral with the substrate. One such gas actuator is coupled to the network at a first location for providing gas pressure to move a microfluidic sample within the network. Another gas actuator is coupled to the network at a second location for providing gas pressure to further move at least a portion of the microfluidic sample within the network. A valve is coupled to the microfluidic network so that, when the valve is closed, it substantially isolates the second gas actuator from the first gas actuator.

A liquid ejection head includes a pair of electrodes disposed on a first surface of a substrate forming part of a flow path for a liquid. The electrodes of the pair of electrodes are adjacent to each other in a transverse direction of the electrodes, and the liquid moves in the transverse direction upon application of a voltage across the electrodes. The electrodes each include a ridge portion disposed on the first surface and an electrode wiring line connected to a power source for applying the voltage. The electrode wiring line covers an upper surface of the ridge portion and side surfaces of the ridge portion and extends from parts covering the side surfaces of the ridge portion to a downstream side and an upstream side with respect to a direction in which the liquid moves, so as to cover the first surface.