Invention:
This invention significantly improves the resistance of pneumatic valves in microfluidic arrays to >500 GΩ (an order of magnitude improvement) with fast opening and reasonable closing times as well as good stability. The result is greatly improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) resulting in higher analytical throughput at lower cost.
Background:
Microfluidic arrays are used for electrophysiological recordings in a variety of research and diagnostic analyses, particularly drug screening. Improvements in microfluidic array operations lead to increased speed and lower cost in testing and research and development applications.
Applications:
- Lab-on-a-chip
- Drug development, cellular, DNA and proteomic research
- Tunable microlens arrays and optofluidic microscopes
- Fuel cells
Advantages:
- Improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
- Higher throughput analytics leading to lower costs
Status: issued U.S. patent #11,247,205
