A microfabricated sheath flow structure for producing a sheath flow includes a primary sheath flow channel for conveying a sheath fluid, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sheath fluid in the primary sheath flow channel, a primary focusing region for focusing the sample within the sheath fluid and a secondary focusing region for providing additional focusing of the sample within the sheath fluid. The secondary focusing region may be formed by a flow channel intersecting the primary sheath flow channel to inject additional sheath fluid into the primary sheath flow channel from a selected direction. A sheath flow system may comprise a plurality of sheath flow structures operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

Parallel uses of microfluidic methods and devices for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid are described. In some aspects, the present invention relates generally to flow-focusing-type technology, and also to microfluidics, and more particularly parallel use of microfluidic systems arranged to control a dispersed phase within a dispersant, and the size, and size distribution, of a dispersed phase in a multi-phase fluid system, and systems for delivery of fluid components to multiple such devices.

Emulsion breaking and phase separation is achieved by droplet adhesion. An emulsion breaking device includes a channel having distinct adjacent zones with distinctly different surface wettability characteristics, namely, solvophilic and solvophobic surfaces. The device is positioned such that the upstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the continuous phase of the emulsion, and the downstream portion of the device is configured to be wetted by the dispersed phase of the emulsion. As the emulsion flows from the upstream zone to the downstream zone, the change in surface wettability characteristics promotes adhesion of the dispersed phase as the dispersed phase wets the surface of the downstream portion of the channel, which results in breaking of the emulsion. Subsequent collection of the broken emulsion in a collection vessel results in separation of the disparate phases to facilitate their recapture and recycling.

Systems and methods for synthesizing chemical products, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, are provided. Certain of the systems and methods described herein are capable of manufacturing multiple chemical products without the need to fluidically connect or disconnect unit operations when switching from one making chemical product to making another chemical product.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods of making quantum dots (QDs) (passivated or unpassivated) using a continuous flow process, systems for making QDs using a continuous flow process, and the like. In one or more embodiments, the QDs produced using embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in solar photovoltaic cells, bio-imaging, IR emitters, or LEDs.

The invention relates to a fluidic purifying device designed to clean a fluid of at least one pollutant, comprising a fluidic purification network, characterized in that the fluidic purification network comprises a plurality of microfluidic channels, each microfluidic channel being defined by one or more fluidttight walls, each microfluidic channel comprising at least one zone on the interior surface of said microfluidic channel that exhibits at least one autonomous purifying agent and each microfluidic channel exhibiting, in such a zone, a height less than 60 m in a direction normal to the main direction of flow of the fluid, the purifying agent or agents, and the sizing of said zones, being configured in such a way as to allow at least 10% of the pollutants to be captured and/or broken down by said zones, for at least one flow rate of the fluid that is to be purified.

A flow reactor system and methods having tubing useful as polymerization chamber. The flow reactor has at least one inlet and at least one mixing chamber, and an outlet. The method includes providing two phases, an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase and forming an emulsion for introduction into the flow reactor.

A channel assembly is disclosed, which may comprise a microfluidic channel. Methods of manufacture are also disclosed as are detectors and detector components which may comprise such a channel assembly. An example is a detection apparatus comprising: a detector for detecting a substance of interest; and a pneumatic system comprising a microfluidic channel assembly comprising a first microfluidic channel for dispensing vapour to the detector, wherein the first microfluidic channel comprises a groove in a surface of a polymer body and a wall of the first channel is provided by a film bonded to the surface of the body over the groove.

A microfabricated sheath flow structure for producing a sheath flow includes a primary sheath flow channel for conveying a sheath fluid, a sample inlet for injecting a sample into the sheath fluid in the primary sheath flow channel, a primary focusing region for focusing the sample within the sheath fluid and a secondary focusing region for providing additional focusing of the sample within the sheath fluid. The secondary focusing region may be formed by a flow channel intersecting the primary sheath flow channel to inject additional sheath fluid into the primary sheath flow channel from a selected direction. A sheath flow system may comprise a plurality of sheath flow structures operating in parallel on a microfluidic chip.

This invention is in the field of surface modification. In particular, the invention relates to the surface modification of microfluidic devices to alter surface hydrophobicity characteristics.