General Electric Company

Christian Friedrich Peter Rensch

Victor Donald Samper

Christoph Boeld

Ruben Julian Horvath-Klein

Ruben Julian Salvamoser

Marko Klaus Baller

Philipp Lang

Johan Urban Ingemar Ulin

Xavier Yvon André Franci

Described herein is a system for on-demand synthesis/analysis of compounds and/or diagnostic applications. In general, any application that requires a low-cost binary switch valve array for fast (&#x3c;100 ms) switching of gases or liquids, in a spatially compact format, is compatible with the system described herein.

Compact valve array with actuation system

Fluid transport approaches are described that operate without the need for precise displacement of an actuator and with little or no sensing in the flow path. In certain implementations, a gas phase in a fluid reservoir is compressed by a pressure source such that releasing the pressure, such as by opening a valve to an intermediary conduit, displaces fluid to the intermediary chamber. Closing that fluid path and opening a different fluid path to a chamber at ambient temperature causes the fluid to be displaced to the chamber.

Gas driven fluid transport

A microfluidic device for storing a reagent includes a single unit includes a first portion having a reagent storage chamber configured to hold a reagent. The device also includes a second portion having a reaction chamber configured to support the reagent during a reaction process to form a product. The device also includes a valve configured to isolate the reagent storage compartment from the reaction chamber when the valve is in a closed state.

Systems and methods for reagent storage

Techniques and devices are provided related to a handling system for cassettes for radiolabeled compound synthesis that include a magazine that is unshielded and that is configured to receive a plurality of microfluidic synthesis cassettes. In one embodiment, the plurality of microfluidic synthesis cassettes include nonradioactive reagents to generate a radiolabeled compound when reacted with a radioactive species. In this manner, a cassette handling device may be stored unshielded and may be coupled to a cassette handling platform to allow advancement of the plurality of microfluidic synthesis cassettes into the cassette handling platform and, in turn, a shielded radiosynthesis machine.

Microfluidic handling system

A method includes flowing a liquid into a channel of a microfluidic cassette filled with a gas. The channel includes an inlet section and an outlet section. The method also includes detecting the liquid, the gas, or a combination thereof at a measuring location within the inlet section. The measuring location has a first sensor that may detect a signal indicative of a presence of the liquid, the gas, or a combination thereof. The method also includes compressing the gas, determining a pressure change of the gas within the channel, and determining a volume of the liquid within the channel based on the pressure change of the gas.

Fluid transport in microfluidic applications with sensors for detecting fluid presence and pressure

Techniques and devices are provided related to insert assemblies that may be used in conjunction with microfluidic devices. In one embodiment, the insert assemblies include a functional material, such as a solid stationary phase, that may be coupled to a microfluidic pathway via the insert assembly. In this manner, solid stationary phase materials that may be challenging to directly apply to a microfluidic device may be separately enclosed inside the insert element prior to assembly into a microfluidic device, such as a microfluidic chip.

Insert assembly for a microfluidic device

A microfluidic chip includes a plurality of reagent sources for a feeding a plurality of reagents, each reagent source feeding a corresponding reagent among the plurality of reagents. A macro-chamber receives one or more reagents among the plurality of reagents from the plurality of reagent sources. A microfluidic reactor is coupled to the macro-chamber and the plurality of reagent sources and configured to receive two or more reagents among the plurality of reagents from at least one of the macro-chamber, the plurality of reagent sources, and react the two or more reagents to generate a reaction content.

Microfluidic chip and a related method thereof

A microfluidic device includes a plurality of reagent sources for a feeding a plurality of reagents, each reagent source feeding a corresponding reagent among the plurality of reagents. A macro-chamber receives one or more reagents among the plurality of reagents from the plurality of reagent sources. A microfluidic reactor is coupled to the macro-chamber and the plurality of reagent sources and configured to receive one or more reagents among the plurality of reagents from at least one of the macro-chamber, the plurality of reagent sources, and react the one or more reagents to generate reaction content. The macro-chamber is further configured to receive the reaction content from the microfluidic reactor. A system configured to control at least one of flow of a dry gas in and out of the macro-chamber, surface area of at least one of the one or more reagents, and the reaction content in the macro-chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Germany

Christian Friedrich Peter Rensch