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 of the rotor corresponding to a pump intake phase, and arranged to overlap at least partially the outlet (14) over a rotational angle of the rotor corresponding to a pump expel phase.

A microfluidic device is provided for managing fluid flow in disposable assay devices, which provides constant flow even at very low flow rates. Pumps utilizing the microfluidic device, as well as methods for manufacture and performing a microfluidic process are also provided.

A microfluidic device including: (a) top plate, including: a top substrate; a first layer of hydrophobic material coupled to a surface of the top substrate; a continuous electrode between the first layer of hydrophobic material and the top substrate; (b) a bottom plate, comprising: a bottom substrate; a plurality of electrodes coupled to the bottom substrate; a second layer of hydrophobic material coupled to the second substrate and atop the plurality of electrodes. The top plate and the bottom plate are placed in a spaced relationship, thereby defining a gap between the first and second layers of hydrophobic material to permit droplet motion within the gap under application of propulsion voltages. At least one of the top substrate, the first layer of hydrophobic material, the second layer of hydrophobic material, the bottom substrate, and the plurality of electrodes have a non-uniform thickness, and the gap has a plurality of heights.

An electromechanical actuator includes a base part and an oscillation resonator having the shape of a rod. The electromechanical actuator further includes amount for mounting the oscillation resonator to the base part. The mount is configured to bear the oscillation resonator so as to be rotatable around an axis of the oscillation resonator rod relative to the base part. A driver member is mechanically coupled to the oscillation resonator. A slider or a rotator is configured to be moved by the driver member when the oscillation resonator is excited.

A method of driving an active matrix electro-wetting on dielectric (AM-EWOD) device comprises (i) setting a reference electrode to a first reference voltage; (ii) writing a set of data to array element electrodes of array elements of the device; and (iii) either (a) maintaining the voltages written to the array element electrodes until a time t.sub.0 or (b) re-writing the set of data N1 times (where N2). The reference electrode is then set to a second reference voltage different from the first reference voltage, and features (i) to (iii) are repeated. When the data are first written, there is a delay between the time when the voltage on the reference electrode is transitioned and the time when a given array element is next written with data. Feature (iii) allows the time for which the correct data values are held to be increased relative to the time for which incorrect data values may possibly be held, so that the time for which an element may be in an incorrect state can be made insignificant in terms of its effect on unwantedly perturbing droplet operations.

The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic control system and a microfluidic control method using the same. The microfluidic control system includes: a microfluidic chip including a storage chamber for storing a reaction solution and a receiving chamber communicating with the storage chamber; and a microfluidic control device for controlling the reaction solution inside the microfluidic chip, wherein the microfluidic control device includes: a first roller which is in contact with the microfluidic chip and rotates together with the movement of the microfluidic chip; and a pressurizing protrusion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first roller, wherein the pressurizing protrusion has a shape corresponding to the storage chamber.

A fluid ejection device may include a first channel having a first end and a second end, a first drop ejector along the first channel, a second channel having a first end and a second end, a second drop ejector along the second channel, a third channel extending between and connecting the first end of the first channel and the first end of the second channel, a fourth channel extending between and connecting the second end of the first channel and the second end of the second channel and a fifth channel extending between and connecting the third channel and the fourth channel.

The present invention relates to a fluid conduit system and manufacture thereof, for the propulsion of fluids. The micro- or millifluidic system is useful within LOC, POC diagnostics digital ELISA, drug delivery applications or sampling. The system includes a capillary pump and a fluid conduit operationally connected to the pump, and a gas-permeable liquid-sealed unit with a vent hole gas-permeable to the outside. The fluid conduit includes a first conduit zone prefilled or pre-Tillable with a first volume of trigger liquid, upstream of the unit with the vent hole, a third conduit zone with a further volume, upstream of the capillary pump, and a second conduit zone pre-filled or pre-Tillable with a working liquid between the first and third conduit zones, connected to both, and directly connected to the first conduit zone. The first volume is proportionally larger than or equal to the volume of the third conduit zone.

A manufacturing method of micro channel structure is disclosed and includes steps of: providing a substrate; depositing and etching to form a first insulation layer; depositing and etching to form a supporting layer; depositing and etching to form a valve layer; depositing and etching to form a second insulation layer; depositing and etching to form a vibration layer, a lower electrode layer and a piezoelectric actuating layer; providing a photoresist layer and depositing and etching to form a plurality of bonding pads; depositing and etching to from a mask layer; etching to form a first chamber; and etching to form a second chamber.

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for using an ionizing fluidic accelerator that may encompass the use of an ionizing fluidic accelerator including a substrate, an electron emitter having a negative bias and being formed on the substrate, an anode having a positive bias and being formed on the substrate, and an attractor having a negative bias and being formed on the substrate. The electron emitter and the anode may be separated in a first direction and the negative bias of the electron emitter and the positive bias of the anode may produce a first electric field in the first direction. The anode and the attractor may be separated in a second direction, the positive bias of the anode and the negative bias of the attractor may produce a second electric field in the second direction, and the second direction may be orthogonal to the first direction.