The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.

A planar flow reactor includes a straight planar process channel, a flow generator, and a plurality of static mixing elements disposed within the process channel. The flow generator is configured to generate a pulsatile flow within the process channel, and the static mixing elements are configured to locally split and recombine the flow. The straight planar process channel enables the generation of a flow pattern that is largely independent of the width of the process channel, meaning that the throughput may be increased by increasing the width without significantly affecting the residence time distribution or the flow behavior. Furthermore, by creating a pulsatile flow within the process channel, turbulence and/or chaotic fluid flows may be generated even at low net flow rates, i.e. low net Reynolds numbers.

Disclosed herein is a device and method for changing the conditions of a solution flowing in a serial path. In particular, disclosed herein is a device that includes a chemical reactor, a first system, and a second system that are each serial to one another. Each of the first system and the second system include a mixing chamber, a solvent reservoir, a solvent pump, and one or more detectors. Also disclosed herein is a method for changing the condition of a solution that includes flowing a liquid sample in a path, serially mixing the sample with at least two discrete solvents while it flows through the path, and detecting the condition of the sample after it is mixed with each solvent.

The present invention provides a micro-reactor (1) adapted to host chemical reactions having at least one microfluidic layer, said micro-reactor (1) comprising a fluid inlet (2) and a fluid outlet (3); a plurality of micro-reaction chambers (10) arranged in rows (7) and columns (6), each micro-reaction chamber comprising a chamber inlet (10a) and a chamber outlet (10b); a plurality of supply channels (4) for supplying fluid to from said fluid inlet (2) to said micro-reaction chambers (10) and further arranged for draining said micro-reaction chambers (10) to said fluid outlet (3), said supply channels (10) extending in a first direction (D1) along the columns (6) of micro-reaction chambers (10) and arranged such that there is one supply channel (4) between adjacent columns (6). The micro-reaction chambers (10) in the columns (6) are arranged such that the chamber inlets (10a) of a column are in fluid contact with the same supply channel (4) and the chamber outlets (10b) are in fluid contact with the supply channel (4) adjacent to the supply channel (4) arranged in fluidic contact with the chamber inlets (10a). Further, the plurality of supply channels (4) comprises a first end supply channel (4a) arranged for supplying fluid to a first end column (6a) of the micro-reaction chambers (10) and a second end supply channel (4b) arranged for draining fluid from the second, opposite, end column (6b) of said micro-reaction chambers (10); and wherein the micro-reactor (1) further comprises at least one reagent inlet (8) in fluid contact with the first end supply channel 4a and a reagent outlet (9) in fluid contact with the second end supply channel such that reagents introduced to the at least one reagent inlet (8) fill the plurality of micro-reaction chambers (10) in a second direction (D2) along the rows (7) of micro-reaction chambers (10) to the reagent outlet (9).

The present invention generally relates to microfluidics, and, in particular, to systems and methods for coalescing or fusing droplets. In certain aspects, two or more droplets within a microfluidic channel are brought together and caused to coalesce without using electric fields or charges. For example, in certain embodiments, droplets stabilized with a surfactant may be disrupted, e.g., by exposing the droplets to a solvent able to alter the surfactant, which may partially destabilize the droplets and allow them to coalesce. In some instances, the droplets may also be physically disrupted to facilitate coalesce. In addition, in some cases, the positions of one or more droplets may be controlled within a channel using a groove in a wall of the channel. For example, a droplet may at least partially enter the groove such that the position of the droplet is at least partially controlled by the groove.

Apparatus for producing fine particles having a particle formation mechanism and a particle-outlet micro-channel may include a unit-structure including first and second portions adjacent to each other; and a first inlet defined in the first portion at a first height. A continuous phase solution is injected into the first inlet; and a second inlet is defined in the first portion at a second height different from the second height. A dispersed phase solution is injected into the second inlet. A merging volume is defined in the second portion and is defined at third height equal to either the first height and the second height, or has a value therebetween. The continuous phase solution and the dispersed phase solution are merged in the merging volume, wherein fine particles are formed. A first micro-channel and a second micro-channel branching from the merging volume communicates with the first inlet and the second inlet, respectively.

The disclosure relates to microchemical (or microfluidic) apparatus as well as related methods for making the same. The methods generally include partial sintering of sintering powder (e.g., binderless or otherwise free-flowing sintering powder) that encloses a fugitive phase material having a shape corresponding to a desired cavity structure in the formed apparatus. Partial sintering removes the fugitive phase and produces a porous compact, which can then be machined if desired and then further fully sintered to form the final apparatus. The process can produce apparatus with small, controllable cavities shaped as desired for various microchemical or microfluidic unit operations, with a generally smooth interior cavity finish, and with materials (e.g., ceramics) able to withstand harsh environments for such unit operations.

The present disclosure is directed towards improved systems and methods for large-scale production of nanoparticles used for delivery of therapeutic material. The apparatus can be used to manufacture a wide array of nanoparticles containing therapeutic material including, but not limited to, lipid nanoparticles and polymer nanoparticles. In certain embodiments, continuous flow operation and parallelization of microfluidic mixers contribute to increased nanoparticle production volume.

The present disclosure provides a differential hydrogenation reaction apparatus. The apparatus comprises a mixing vessel, a plurality of microreactors and a raw material conveying device, and the mixing vessel is provided with reaction product inlets; each microreactor is used as a hydrogenation reaction place and is provided with a liquid phase reaction raw material inlet and a reaction product outlet, each reaction product outlet is connected with the corresponding reaction product inlet, the plurality of microreactors are divided into one group or a plurality of groups which are arranged in parallel, and each group comprises at least one microreactor arranged in parallel; and the raw material conveying device is arranged on a feeding pipeline of the liquid phase reaction raw material inlet. The problems of high pressure unsafety and non-equilibrium in the hydrogenation reaction process can be effectively solved by adopting the reaction apparatus.

The invention discloses a reactor for preparing a formulation. The reactor comprises at least two apertures, a base and at least one sidewall extending flush therefrom, wherein the base and the sidewall together define a mixing chamber with a height h.sub.M and at least one axis of symmetry arranged substantially perpendicular to the base and at least one distance r from the sidewall. A first aperture is arranged within the base or adjacent to the base in the sidewall of the mixing chamber at a height h.sub.A ranging from 0.6 to 0.0 h.sub.M in order to introduce free-flowing materials and/or mixtures to the mixing chamber. The first aperture is configured with a non-return valve disposed therein or adjacent thereto, the non-return valve permitting the introduction of free-flowing materials to the mixing chamber through the aperture, but preventing outflow of free-flowing materials from the mixing chamber through the aperture. The first aperture is formed with an aperture area extending in a range between a minimum and a maximum, the minimum area being 0.05 mm.sup.2 and the maximum area being determined by a value resulting from Volume.sub.mixing chamber [cm.sup.3]/Area.sub.first aperture [cm.sup.2]≈5500.