Example sensor apparatus for microfluidic devices and related methods are disclosed. In examples disclosed herein, a method of fabricating a sensor apparatus for a microfluidic device includes etching a portion of an intermediate layer to form a sensor chamber in a substrate assembly, where the substrate assembly has a base layer and the intermediate layer, and where the base layer comprises a first material and the intermediate layer comprises a second material different than the first material. The method includes forming a first electrode and a second electrode in the sensor chamber. The method also includes forming a fluidic transport channel in fluid communication with the sensor chamber, where the fluidic transport channel comprises a third material different than the first material and the second material.

A microfluidic sensor comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; a cavity formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the cavity comprising a reservoir portion and a channel portion extending from the reservoir portion; a capacitive element disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the capacitive element being at least partially disposed in the channel portion of the cavity; and a dielectric sensing liquid provided in the reservoir portion. Upon application of a force to the first substrate adjacent the reservoir portion, the reservoir portion is configured to deform and displace the sensing liquid along the channel portion, so as to change the capacitance of the capacitive element within the channel portion.

The present disclosure relates to fluidic systems and devices for processing, extracting, or purifying one or more analytes. These systems and devices can be used for processing samples and extracting nucleic acids, for example by isotachophoresis. In particular, the systems and related methods can allow for extraction of nucleic acids, including non-crosslinked nucleic acids, from samples such as tissue or cells. The systems and devices can also be used for multiplex parallel sample processing.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes an interconnect structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A dielectric structure is disposed over the interconnect structure. A plurality of cavities are disposed in the dielectric structure. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) substrate is disposed over the dielectric structure, where the MEMS substrate comprises a plurality of movable membranes, and where the movable membranes overlie the cavities, respectively. A plurality of fluid communication channels are disposed in the dielectric structure, where each of the fluid communication channels extend laterally between two neighboring cavities of the cavities, such that each of the cavities are in fluid communication with one another.

This fluid handling device has a rotary member that is rotatable around the central axis. In the rotary member, a first protruding part for pressing and closing a valve of a flow channel chip and a recessed part for opening the valve without pressing the valve are disposed on the circumference of a first circle around the central axis. The rotary member further has a second protruding part for, when the recessed part is located at the valve in a state where the rotary member is rotated, pressing the valve so as not to open the valve.

A method of making a portion of a microfluidic channel includes lithographically patterning a first pattern into a first layer of photoresist disposed on a substrate, the first pattern representative of morphology of a reservoir rock; etching the first pattern into the substrate to form a patterned substrate; disposing a second layer of photoresist onto the patterned substrate; lithographically patterning a second pattern into the second layer of photoresist to reveal portions of the patterned substrate; and depositing calcite onto the exposed portions of the patterned substrate.

Various three-dimensional devices that can be formed within the bulk of a semiconductor by photo-controlled selective etching are described herein. With more particularity, semiconductor devices that incorporate three-dimensional electrical vias, waveguides, or fluidic channels that are disposed within a semiconductor are described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, a three-dimensional interposer chip includes an electrical via, a waveguide, and a fluidic channel, wherein the via, the waveguide, and the fluidic channel are disposed within the body of a semiconductor element rather than being deposited on a surface. The three-dimensional interposer is usable to make electrical, optical, or fluidic connections between two or more devices.

A microfluidic apparatus has a microchannel that includes at least one vertically oriented segment with a top section having a relatively wide opening and a bottom section having a relatively narrow opening. The top section is larger in volume relative to the bottom sections, and the middle sections taper down in at least one dimension from the top section to the bottom section. One or tens or hundreds of vertically-oriented segments may be provided, and they are fluidly coupled to each other. Each segment acts as a pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) cell, and the microchannel apparatus may be used to determine a parameter of a fluid containing hydrocarbons such as the dew point of the fluid or the liquid drop-out as a function of pressure.

The present disclosure is drawn to inertial pumps. An inertial pump can include a microfluidic channel, a fluid actuator located in the microfluidic channel, and a check valve located in the microfluidic channel. The check valve can include a moveable valve element, a narrowed channel segment located upstream of the moveable valve element, and a blocking element formed in the microfluidic channel downstream of the moveable valve element. The narrowed channel segment can have a width less than a width of the moveable valve element so that the moveable valve element can block fluid flow through the check valve when the moveable valve element is positioned in the narrowed channel segment. The blocking element can be configured such that the blocking element constrains the moveable valve element within the check valve while also allowing fluid flow when the moveable valve element is positioned against the blocking element.

This liquid handling device includes: a first flow passage through which a first liquid can flow; a second flow passage through which a second liquid can move; a third flow passage through which the second liquid can move; and a droplet generating unit, which is a merging portion of the second flow passage and the third flow passage with respect to the first flow passage, and which is configured in such a way that the first liquid flowing through the first flow passage is divided in the form of droplets by means of the second liquid flowing through the second flow passage and the third flow passage.