The valve plate (1) with free micro-balls allows a fluid (2) to flow from an upstream volume (3) to a downstream volume (4) and not in the reverse direction, and comprises a circulation plate (5) crossed through by a circulation orifice (6) terminated by a micro-ball seat (7), a permeable guide plate (9) parallel to said plate (5) being crossed through by a guide cylindrical orifice (10) which houses a micro-ball (8) which rests on said seat (7) so as to close said orifice (6) or rests on a permeable micro-ball stop abutment (11), a spacer (12) being interposed between said plate (9) and said plate (5), a discharge passageway (13) crossing through said plate (9) to allow the fluid (2) to flow when the micro-ball (8) does not rest on said seat (7).

A micro pump is disclosed and includes a fluid-converging plate, a valve membrane, a fluid-outlet plate and a pump core module. The fluid-converging plate includes an inner recess, a protruding portion and a fluid-converging aperture. The protruding portion is disposed at a center of the inner recess. The valve membrane includes a valve aperture. The protruding portion of the fluid-converging plate abuts against the valve aperture. A fluid-converging chamber is formed between the valve membrane and the fluid-converging plate. The fluid-outlet plate in a ring shape includes a fluid-outlet channel. The valve aperture is in fluid communication with the fluid-outlet channel. When the fluid is inhaled into the pump core module, the fluid flows to the fluid-converging chamber through the fluid-converging aperture and then pushes out the valve membrane to flow into the fluid-outlet channel of the fluid-outlet plate through the valve aperture. Thereby the fluid transportation is achieved.

Disclosed is a bi-directional exhalation valve useful for many applications such as in CPAP devices. The exhalation valve includes a valve body having a center chamber, side chambers, and bidirectional ports coupled to the center chamber via passages and a mechanism that provides fluid ingress into the bi-directional valve in a first mode of operation or fluid egress from the bi-directional valve in a second mode of operation. Unidirectional ports are coupled to the plurality of bidirectional ports to provide providing fluid egress from the valve in the second mode of operation, and a unidirectional port provides fluid ingress into the bi-directional valve in the first mode of operation. A mechanism including a center paddle, side paddles, and a shaft are arranged in an elongated compartment of the valve body, such that the shaft is pivots and the central and side paddles open and close corresponding ones of the input and output ports.

A microfabricated valve with no moving parts. In one embodiment, the valve includes a reservoir of a liquid that is in fluid communication with an outlet channel having a throat that is less than 100 microns wide. Preferably, the channel is an elongated slit. The configuration of channel is adapted and configured such that surface tension of the liquid prevents flow out of the channel. A heater increases the temperature of the meniscus of the fluid, until a portion of the fluid is ejected from the channel. The ejection of the fluid creates both a thrusting effect and a cooling effect.

A valve includes a first plate, a second plate, a spacer disposed between the first plate and the second plate, and a flap movably disposed between the first plate and the second plate. The first plate includes a plurality of first apertures extending through said first plate and the second plate includes a plurality of second apertures extending through said second plate. The second apertures are substantially offset from the first apertures. The spacer forms a cavity between the first plate and the second plate and is in fluid communication with the first apertures and the second apertures. The flap has apertures substantially offset from the first apertures and substantially aligned with the second apertures, and the flap is operable to be motivated between said first and second plates in response to a change in direction of the differential pressure of the fluid across the valve.

Pneumatic devices for implementing finite state machines are provided. In some implementations, the pneumatic device comprises a state register component configured to hold one of a set of possible states. The pneumatic device also comprises a next-state logic block component configured to determine a next state for the state register component based at least in part on a current state of the state register component. A pneumatic programmable logic array (PLA) implementing a next state logic block of a finite state machine is also provided. The pneumatic PLA comprises an elastomeric membrane containing a pattern of holes and disposed between two channel layers of a pneumatic device. The PLA receives one or more input values representing a current state of a state register and one or more input values representing a user input and calculates one or more output values representing a next state for the state register.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of magnetically controlled valve and pump systems that can be used to control and facilitate fluid flow in fluidic devices. Various types of magnetically controlled valves and pumps are described as well as methods of magnetically-controlling such valves and pumps.

The present disclosure relates to method, system for microfluidic control. One or more embodiments of the disclosure relate to pneumatically actuated “lifting gate” microvalves and pumps. In some embodiments, a microfluidic control module is provided, which comprises a plurality of pneumatic channels and a plurality of lifting gate valves configured to be detachably affixed to a substrate. The plurality of lifting gate valves are aligned with at least one fluidic channel on the substrate when affixed to the substrate. Each of the valves comprises: a pneumatic layer, a fluidic layer, and a pneumatic displacement chamber between the pneumatic layer and the fluidic layer. The fluidic layer has a first side facing the pneumatic layer and a second side facing away from the pneumatic layer, wherein the second side has a protruding gate configured to obstruct a flow of the fluidic channel when the fluidic layer is at a resting state.

A micro pump having noise-reduced pressure-releasing structure includes a convergence plate, a valve sheet, a chamber plate, and a micro pump. The convergence plate has a convergence outlet and a discharge outlet. The valve sheet has a valve hole and a discharge recessed portion. The chamber plate has a recessed hole, a fluid determine hole, fluid through holes, and a receiving trough. The micro pump is in the receiving trough. During operation of the micro pump, the fluid is firstly transmitted to the fluid through hole and the fluid determine hole to push the valve sheet, and the fluid determine hole pushes the discharge recessed portion to block the discharge outlet. Then, since the pressure of the fluid at the fluid through hole pushes the valve sheet, the fluid flows through the valve hole so as to be discharged out from the convergence outlet.

Microfluidic oscillator circuits and pumps for microfluidic devices are provided. The microfluidic pump may include a plurality of fluid valves and a microfluidic oscillator circuit having an oscillation frequency. The fluid valves may be configured to move fluids. Each fluid valve may be connected to a node of the microfluidic oscillator circuit. The pumps may be driven by the oscillator circuits such that fluid movement is accomplished entirely by circuits on a microfluidic chip, without the need for off-chip controls.