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.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

A device for dissolving a gas in a liquid is provided, the device comprising a device body, the device body comprising a liquid inlet; a liquid outlet; a plurality of substantially conical dissolving chambers located between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. The device may comprise a plurality of chamber connectors of or connected with the dissolving chambers. Each of the plurality of conical dissolving chambers may comprise a wider end towards the liquid outlet, the wider end comprising a chamber outlet for flow of liquid out of the dissolving chamber; and a narrower end towards the liquid inlet, the narrower end comprising a chamber inlet for flow of liquid into the dissolving chamber. The plurality of chamber connectors may define a substantially longitudinally straight passage extending through the plurality of dissolving chambers. Also provided is a related method of dissolving a gas in a liquid.

A mixing chamber in which a first liquid comes into contact with a second liquid, and a gas injection device designed to inject a gas into the mixing chamber, wherein the gas injection device includes: a gas source to provide the gas at a predetermined pressure, and a metering unit to limit the gas provided by the gas source to a predetermined flow rate, wherein the metering unit is in contact with the mixing chamber on a gas outlet side of the metering unit, wherein the gas outlet side of the metering unit includes an elongated gap, wherein the gas passes out of the metering unit into the mixing chamber via the elongated gap, and wherein the gas passes out of the metering unit into the mixing chamber.

The present invention relates to multi-bed catalytic reactor with a cylindrical shape comprising a mixing device mounted between two catalyst beds in the reactor, said mixing device comprises connected pipe segments forming mixing section and discharging section.

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.

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.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

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.

The invention describes features that can be used to control flow to an array of microchannels. The invention also describes methods in which a process stream is distributed to plural microchannels.