A method for demonstrating the efficacy of using electrical current in an Electrical Improved Oil Recovery (EIOR) application includes circulating fluid through a microfluidics cell having first and second electrodes, applying a voltage across the first and second electrodes, determining the behavior of the fluid under the effect of the applied voltage, and correlating the determined behavior to a reservoir of interest. The method may include deriving operational parameters from the correlation and operating the reservoir of interest in accordance with the operational parameters, and may include visualization and characterization of enlarging pore throat for enhancing permeability and oil mobilization.

A microfluidic device and a method for dissociating and manipulating cells or particles in a microfluidic channel are disclosed. The microfluidic device includes an inlet, an outlet, and a microfluidic channel arranged on a substrate between the inlet and the outlet. The microfluidic device includes a first set of piezoelectric actuators arranged adjacent to the inlet channel and configured to dissociate particles of a fluidic sample in the microfluidic channel. The microfluidic device includes a second set of piezoelectric actuators arranged between the inlet channel and the outlet channel and configured to manipulate the particles of the fluidic sample as the particles move through the microfluidic channel. The microfluidic device includes a third set of piezoelectric actuators arranged above the outlet channel, adjacent to the outlet, and configured to eject a portion of the fluidic sample out of the microfluidic channel via the outlet.

A microscope slide holder comprising a slide support member and at least one acoustic source for introducing acoustic waves to a microscope slide in communication with the slide support member such that one or more fluids present on the surface of the microscope slide are contactlessly mixed.

A microfluidic chip assembly having a plurality of microfluidic flow channels is provided. Each channel has a switching region. The microfluidic chip may further include at least one surface acoustic wave generator configured to generate a pressure pulse in the switching regions of the channels to selectively deflect particles in the flow. Attenuation elements and/or channel configurations may be used to prevent acoustic signals from interfering with neighboring switching regions. Alternatively, a microfluidic particle processing system may include a microfluidic chip assembly, a particle processing instrument, and a coupling element. The surface acoustic wave generator may be provided on the particle processing instrument. The microfluidic chip assembly may be configured for operative engagement, via the coupling element, with the particle processing instrument. The coupling element may transmit acoustic energy from the surface acoustic wave generator to the switching regions and/or to focusing regions of the flow channels.

A liquid jet discharge device includes: a narrow tube having a tube shaped body that is open at both ends, and in which a discharge liquid being disposed therein, the discharge liquid contacting at least at an inner face of the narrow tube at a contact angle of less than 90 degrees; a container in which a transmission medium being disposed at a base side thereof where one end of the narrow tube is disposed, so as to enable pressure to be transmitted to the discharge liquid; an adjustment mechanism that causes a liquid surface of the discharge liquid inside the narrow tube and an interface of the transmission medium outside the narrow tube and inside the container to be staggered in position along an axial direction of the narrow tube; and a generation mechanism that generates a pressure wave in the transmission medium such that a liquid jet is discharged from the discharge liquid inside the narrow tube.

The current invention relates to the method and apparatus to separate biological entities from a fluid sample. The claimed methods separate biological entities based on size of entities by using acoustic pressure nodes in a microfluidic device. The claimed methods further separate biological entities with magnetic labels and by using a magnetic device. The claimed methods further include combination of microfluidic devices and magnetic devices to separate biological entities from a fluid sample.

A micropump that pumps liquid using electrothermally-induced flow is described, along with a corresponding self-regulating pump and infusion pump. The micropump has applications in microfluidic systems, such as biochips. The self-regulating infusion pump is useful for administration of large and small volumes of liquids such as drugs to patients and can be designed for a wide range of flow rates by combining multiple micropumps in one infusion pump system. The micropump uses electrode sequences on opposing surfaces of a flow chamber that are staggered with respect to each other. The opposing surfaces include staggered electrodes that have the same phase and same electrode sequence. As such electrodes with the same phase are staggered and not eclipsed.

Devices, systems, and their methods of use, for generating droplets are provided. One or more geometric parameters of a microfluidic channel can be selected to generate droplets of a desired and predictable droplet size.

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.

A method of using a fluidics apparatus for lysing a cell. In the method, the cell is placed in a fluid sample contacting a substrate surface. The method further includes providing surface acoustic waves (SAWs) at the substrate surface, causing cell lyses.