The present invention is a method and apparatus for acoustic focusing hardware and implementations.

A method of processing a sample in a receptacle comprising a plurality of chambers. Each of the chambers is connected to at least one other chamber by a portal and at least a first one of the chambers is formed of a flexible material. The method includes the steps of causing gas bubbles contained in the first chamber to accumulate in a portion of the first chamber, applying a compressive external force to the first chamber to cause some or all of the liquid contents of the first chamber to flow into an interconnected second chamber through a portal connecting the first and second chambers; and preventing the gas bubbles accumulated in a portion of the first chamber from flowing through the portal into the second chamber.

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the control of fluids and, in some cases, to systems and methods for flowing a fluid into and/or out of other fluids. As examples, fluid may be injected into a droplet contained within a fluidic channel, or a fluid may be injected into a fluidic channel to create a droplet. In some embodiments, electrodes may be used to apply an electric field to one or more fluidic channels, e.g., proximate an intersection of at least two fluidic channels. For instance, a first fluid may be urged into and/or out of a second fluid, facilitated by the electric field. The electric field, in some cases, may disrupt an interface between a first fluid and at least one other fluid. Properties such as the volume, flow rate, etc. of a first fluid being urged into and/or out of a second fluid can be controlled by controlling various properties of the fluid and/or a fluidic droplet, for example curvature of the fluidic droplet, and/or controlling the applied electric field.

A device for reducing friction of a viscous fluid flow in a conduit is disclosed. The device comprises a body positionable to define at least a segment of a flow path for the viscous fluid in or contiguous with the conduit, a cavity in the body for retaining lubricating fluid, and at least one port in the body for delivering lubricating fluid to the cavity. A fluid outlet arrangement from said cavity delivers lubricating fluid to the flow path to form a downstream lubricating film at the conduit surface. The fluid outlet arrangement comprises a substantially continuous opening or ring of close spaced openings, effective collectively to reduce the pressure variation and therefore velocity variation of the delivered lubricating fluid along said outlet arrangement.

A fluid delivery device is provided. The fluid delivery device includes a melter having a loading chamber and a hopper disposed in communication with the loading chamber, the loading chamber having one or more heating elements. The hopper includes a second heating element. The melter also includes a container handling system for lifting a container a predetermined height and moving the container from a position remote of the melter to a position within the loading chamber. The container includes contents stored within. The heating elements heat the contents so that the contents may be received in the hopper. The hopper may continue to heat the contents to provide a fluid. The fluid may be discharged from the hopper by way of a pump assembly. A pressure of fluid may be regulated at the pump assembly.

A valve having a body having a first section and a second section; an extended flange attached to the second section of the body or disposed as an integral part of the second section of the body; an elongate bore extending through the body and having a proximal end and a distal end; a longitudinally displaceable plunger disposed in and extending along the bore, the plunger having a proximal end and a distal end and having a first position displaced toward the distal end of the bore and a second position displaced toward the proximal end of the bore; a diaphragm seal attached to the proximal end of the plunger and sealing the bore at the proximal end thereof; a gland seal sealing the bore at a location intermediate the diaphragm seal and the distal end of the bore; the plunger extending through and being sealingly secured to the gland seal; a fluid transfer opening in the bore between the diaphragm seal and the gland seal; longitudinal displacement of the plunger moving the diaphragm seal to open the bore, the gland seal stretching to accommodate the displacement of and maintain a seal about the plunger, a fluid flow path being established between the open proximal end of the bore and the fluid transfer opening, wherein longitudinal displacement of the plunger towards its first position moves the diaphragm to open the bore. The valve further comprises an extended flange having a surface that is approximately coplanar with a surface of the second position when the plunger is displaced toward the proximal end of the bore, creating a zero dead leg position

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the control of fluids and, in some cases, to systems and methods for flowing a fluid into and/or out of other fluids. As examples, fluid may be injected into a droplet contained within a fluidic channel, or a fluid may be injected into a fluidic channel to create a droplet. In some embodiments, electrodes may be used to apply an electric field to one or more fluidic channels, e.g., proximate an intersection of at least two fluidic channels. For instance, a first fluid may be urged into and/or out of a second fluid, facilitated by the electric field. The electric field, in some cases, may disrupt an interface between a first fluid and at least one other fluid. Properties such as the volume, flow rate, etc. of a first fluid being urged into and/or out of a second fluid can be controlled by controlling various properties of the fluid and/or a fluidic droplet, for example curvature of the fluidic droplet, and/or controlling the applied electric field.

A mixing valve includes a mixing chamber, a first flow control valve having a first flow control opening, and a second flow control valve having a second flow control opening. The first and second flow control openings each have a diameter of approximately six millimeters and the mixing valve has a flow coefficient of approximately 2.5 when both flow control valves are in a mid-open position.

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the control of fluids and, in some cases, to systems and methods for flowing a fluid into and/or out of other fluids. As examples, fluid may be injected into a droplet contained within a fluidic channel, or a fluid may be injected into a fluidic channel to create a droplet. In some embodiments, electrodes may be used to apply an electric field to one or more fluidic channels, e.g., proximate an intersection of at least two fluidic channels. For instance, a first fluid may be urged into and/or out of a second fluid, facilitated by the electric field. The electric field, in some cases, may disrupt an interface between a first fluid and at least one other fluid. Properties such as the volume, flow rate, etc. of a first fluid being urged into and/or out of a second fluid can be controlled by controlling various properties of the fluid and/or a fluidic droplet, for example curvature of the fluidic droplet, and/or controlling the applied electric field.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one set of embodiments, droplets may be sorted using surface acoustic waves. The droplets may contain cells or other species. In some cases, the surface acoustic waves may be created using a surface acoustic wave generator such as an interdigitated transducer, and/or a material such as a piezoelectric substrate. The piezoelectric substrate may be isolated from the microfluidic substrate except at or proximate the location where the droplets are sorted, e.g., into first or second microfluidic channels. At such locations, the microfluidic substrate may be coupled to the piezoelectric substrate (or other material) by one or more coupling regions. In some cases, relatively high sorting rates may be achieved, e.g., at rates of at least about 1,000 Hz, at least about 10,000 Hz, or at least about 100,000 Hz, and in some embodiments, with high cell viability after sorting.