A fluid control apparatus includes a valve and a pump. The valve has a valve chamber surrounded by the first main plate, the second main plate, and the side plate. The first main plate has a first aperture, and the second main plate has a second aperture. The valve further includes a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve diaphragm is configured to switch between a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture communicate with each other and a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture do not communicate with each other. The pump includes a vibration unit that has a piezoelectric device and a vibrating plate. The pump has a pump chamber that is defined by the vibration unit and the second main plate. The pump chamber communicates with the valve chamber through the second aperture.

A system is provided to automatically monitor and control the operation of a microfluidic device using machine learning technology. The system receives images of a channel of a microfluidic device collected by a camera during operation of the microfluidic device. Upon receiving an image, the system applies a classifier to the image to classify the operation of the microfluidic device as normal, in which no adjustment to the operation is needed, or as abnormal, in which an adjustment to the operation is needed. When an image is classified as normal, the system may make no adjustment to the microfluidic device. If, however, an image is classified as abnormal, the system may output an indication that the operation is abnormal, output an indication of a needed adjustment, or control the microfluidic device to make the needed adjustment.

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

A sensing and controlling module of airflow for an active aerosol suction device has a tube, a sensing membrane, a sensing coil, a controlling membrane, a controlling coil, and a magnetic unit. The sensing membrane is mounted in the tube. The controlling membrane is disposed at an air inlet of the tube. The sensing membrane and the controlling membrane are capable of bending deformation. The sensing coil is adhered to and spread on the surface of the sensing membrane, and the controlling coil is adhered to and spread on the surface of the controlling membrane. The magnetic unit is disposed at a spaced interval from the sensing membrane and the controlling membrane. With the sensing membrane and the controlling membrane, the sensing and controlling module is capable of sensing and controlling airflow rate.

The present invention provides manipulation of spacing between microdroplets flowing in a microfluidic system. The manipulation includes increasing and/or decreasing spacing between a pair of adjacent droplets of a sample fluid flowing in an immiscible carrier fluid within a main microfluidic channel. The main microfluidic channel includes a region having one or more side branch channels. The spacing between the pair of droplets flowing through the region can be increased or reduced with either the addition of or removal of immiscible carrier fluid between the adjacent droplets via at least one of the side branch channels, wherein the pair of droplets remain intact while flowing through the region and continue to flow within the main microfluidic channel downstream of the region.

The invention relates to a fluid flow regulator device, comprising a valve member and a valve seat arranged to be movable with respect to each other such that a fluid flow surface area defined by the valve member and the valve seat can be changed. Furthermore, sensor means are provided for measuring a capacitance related to at least a measure of the fluid flow surface area. According to the invention, the sensor means are arranged such that the capacitance measured is inversely proportional to the distance between the valve member and the valve seat. In an embodiment, a reference capacitance relating to fluid flow conditions is measured.

A flow rate regulator device is provided, including an upstream chamber, a downstream chamber, a plurality of electrically conductive capillary ducts providing parallel fluid flow connections between the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber, first and second electrical terminals configured to be connected to an electric current source, and at least one electric switch configured to connect one or more of the capillary ducts selectively between the electrical terminals. A system for feeding propellant gas to a space electric thruster is also provided, including at least one such flow rate regulator device to regulate a propellant gas flow rate. And, a flow rate regulation method is provided, using the flow rate regulator device.

A sensing and controlling module of airflow for an active aerosol suction device has a tube, a sensing membrane, a sensing coil, a controlling membrane, a controlling coil, and a magnetic unit. The sensing membrane is mounted in the tube. The controlling membrane is disposed at an air inlet of the tube. The sensing membrane and the controlling membrane are capable of bending deformation. The sensing coil is adhered to and spread on the surface of the sensing membrane, and the controlling coil is adhered to and spread on the surface of the controlling membrane. The magnetic unit is disposed at a spaced interval from the sensing membrane and the controlling membrane. With the sensing membrane and the controlling membrane, the sensing and controlling module is capable of sensing and controlling airflow rate.

Embodiments are related to systems and methods for fluidic assembly, and more particularly to systems and methods for increasing the efficiency of fluidic assembly.

Described embodiments provide devices, systems and methods for sequencing liquid flow in response to a driving force by entrapping and releasing gas between volumes of liquid in a controlled manner. In one particular form, a centrifugal lab on a disk device is provided to drive liquid flow and sequencing by virtue of the centrifugal force and in one particular form a radially inward bend conduit is used in connection with controllably trapping and releasing gas between liquid volumes.