Liquid flow control

Inventors

Reis, Nuno Alexandre Esteves • Tenreiro, Tania Moura Pires De Andrade • Barreiros, Miguel Joao Marques

Assignees

Biosurfit SA

Abstract

A liquid handling device having an axis of rotation about which the device can be rotated to drive liquid flow. The device includes a vented upstream chamber having an outlet port and an unvented chamber including an inlet port to receive liquid from the outlet port of the upstream chamber and an outlet port radially outward the inlet port. The device further includes a vented downstream chamber having an inlet port to receive liquid from the outlet port of the unvented chamber. A downstream conduit connects the outlet port of the unvented chamber to the inlet port of the downstream chamber and includes a bend radially inward of the outlet port of the unvented chamber. An upstream conduit connects the outlet port of the upstream chamber to the inlet port of the unvented chamber.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a centrifugal liquid-handling device having an axis of rotation to drive liquid flow. The device includes a vented upstream chamber with an outlet port, an unvented chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port, and a vented downstream chamber with an inlet port that receives liquid from the unvented chamber. The inlet port of the unvented chamber is radially inward of a radially outer side of the unvented chamber, with upstream and downstream conduits arranged so that the unvented chamber operates with a trapped-gas pressure response.

An upstream conduit connects the outlet port of the upstream chamber to the inlet port of the unvented chamber and includes a bend that is radially outward of the inlet port. The upstream conduit extends radially outward to the bend and radially inward from the bend. A downstream conduit connects the outlet port of the unvented chamber to the inlet port of the downstream chamber and includes a bend that is radially inward of the outlet port, where the downstream conduit extends radially inwards from the outlet port to a crest of the bend and radially outwards from the crest to the inlet port of the downstream chamber.

The device is configured such that when the inlet port and outlet port are filled with liquid, any difference in a respective liquid flow rate into or out of the unvented chamber causes a pressure change within the unvented chamber. The disclosed operation uses pressure balancing between centrifugal pressure and trapped gas pressure, together with radial geometry and conduit bend crest positions, to control siphon effect and priming behavior. Further disclosed embodiments include sequencing multiple liquid flow-control units at different priming speeds, microfluidic centrifugal disc implementation, integrated sedimentation/phase separation with a sediment trap, and reagent-containing configurations in the unvented chamber using metering and overflow portions.

Claims Coverage

The independent claim is directed to a centrifugal liquid handling device with vented upstream and downstream chambers and an unvented intermediate chamber, where specific radial conduit/port geometry creates a pressure change in the unvented chamber when liquid flow-rate differences occur. Inventive features include the three-chamber venting arrangement, the radial placement of unvented chamber ports, the upstream and downstream conduit bend geometry, and the trapped-gas pressure/flow-rate driven pressure-change behavior.

Across the independent claim and identified refinements, the core coverage is the vented/unvented three-chamber centrifugal architecture with specific radial port and conduit-bend placement that creates a trapped-gas pressure response based on liquid flow-rate differences when the unvented chamber ports are filled. Dependent refinements further constrain relative flow rates, define radial volume and filling of a liquid-containing portion, narrow liquid-level behavior relative to conduit bends, add sediment trapping by radial extension, and optionally place reagents within a first portion of the unvented chamber.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications