Vanderbilt University

Harvard College

Dmitry A Markov

John P Wikswo

Ronald S Reiserer

Lisa J McCawley

Philip C Samson

David K Schaffer

Frank Emmanuel Block

David Edward Cliffel

Michael Geuy

John A Mclean

Clayton M Britt

Jennifer Robin McKenzie

Joseph R Scherrer

William J Matloff

Phillip C Samson

Erik M Werner

Jennifer R Mckenzie

W Hunter Tidwell

Frank E Block, Jr

Donald Elliot Ingber

Daniel Levner

Christopher David Hinojosa

Geraldine A Hamilton

Kevin Kit Parker

Jeffrey S Chamberlain

Josue A Goss

Sandra J Rosenthal

Anthony Bahinski

Robert Cunningham

Kevin Truett Seale

Charles Wright

Chris Janetopoulos

Frank E Iii Block

Microfluidic systems, pumps, valves and applications of the same are provided. The microfluidic system may be a pump or a valve having a fluidic chip and an actuator controlling the opening and closing of the fluidic channel in the fluidic chip. The actuator may be disposed to tilt from the fluidic chip, forming a tilted-rotor peristaltic pump. Alternatively, the actuator may be a rolling ball actuator, and different fluidic chips may be used in different applications. For example, the fluidic chip may be a spiral pump chip having spiral channels, a rotary peristaltic pump chip having multiple output channels, or a multi-port valve chip having one port interconnected with multiple different ports. An analytical valve chip may switchably interconnect bioreactor and rinse/calibration input channels to sensor and waste output channels. The actuator of a random-access valve can move from one valve position to another without opening or closing intermediate ones.

Microfluidic systems, pumps, valves, fluidic chips thereof, and applications of same

In one aspect of the invention, the fluidic device includes a fluidic chip includes a body having a first surface and an opposite, second surface, one or more channels formed in the body in fluidic communications with input ports and output ports for transferring one or more fluids between the input ports and the output ports, and a fluidic chip registration means formed on the first surface for aligning the fluidic chip with a support structure; and an actuator configured to engage with the one or more channels at the second surface of the body for selectively and individually transferring the one or more fluids through the one or more channels from at least one of the input ports to at least one of the output ports at desired flowrates.

Cartridge systems, capacitive pumps and multi-throw valves and pump-valve systems and applications of same

A push-pull micropump includes one or more pairs of channels configured to transfer one or more fluids, each channel pair having an aspiration channel and an injection channel; and an actuator configured to engage the one or more pairs of channels, wherein the actuator comprises a plurality of rolling members and a driving member configured such that when the driving member rotates, the plurality of rolling members rolls along the one or more pairs of channels to cause individually the one or more fluids to transfer through each channel pair simultaneously at different flowrates or the same flowrate, depending upon actuated lengths of the aspiration and injection channels of each channel pair, wherein an actuated length of a channel is defined by a length of the channel along which the plurality of rolling members rolls during a full rotation of the driving member.

Multichannel pumps and applications of same

The invention relates to a cartridge of a fluidic device. The fluidic device includes a fluidic chip, a body having a first surface and an opposite, second surface, one or more channels formed in the body in fluidic communications with input ports and output ports for transferring one or more fluids between the input ports and the output ports, and a fluidic chip registration means formed on the first surface for aligning the fluidic chip with a support structure; and an actuator configured to engage with the one or more channels at the second surface of the body for selectively and individually transferring the one or more fluids through the one or more channels from at least one of the input ports to at least one of the output ports at desired flowrates.

In certain aspects of the invention, a stackable device includes multiple elements stacked sequentially. A chamber is formed in each of the elements or between adjacent two of the elements, and each chamber is in fluid communication with an input channel and an output channel. The chambers are aligned with each other, and adjacent two chambers are separated from each other by a membrane. In certain aspects of the invention, a system includes at least one stackable device, each stackable device having multiple chambers; and at least one of a perfusion controller, a microformulator, and a microclinical analyzer in fluid communication with the at least one stackable device. In other aspects of the invention, the use of four microformulators, electrodes and an impedance analyzer can measure the impedance spectrum of each barrier in a multi-transwell plate.

Multicompartment layered and stackable microfluidic bioreactors and applications of same

A microclinical analyzer usable for analysis of one or more bio-objects, each bio-object including an organ or a group of cells includes a fluidic network having a plurality of fluidic switches, a plurality of fluidic paths in fluid communication with the plurality of fluidic switches, and one or more on-chip pumps coupled to corresponding fluidic paths; a sensor array coupled to the fluidic network; and a microcontroller for individually controlling the plurality of fluidic switches and the one or more on-chip pumps of the fluidic network as so to operably and selectively deliver an effluent of at least one bio-object to the sensor array for detecting properties of the effluent, or to a predetermined outlet destination.

Integrated organ-on-chip systems and applications of the same

A rotary planar peristaltic micropump (RPPM) includes an actuator having a shaft engaged with a motor such that activation of the motor causes the shaft to rotate, and a bearing assembly engaged with the shaft. The bearing assembly has a bearing cage defining a plurality of spaced-apart openings thereon, and a plurality of rolling-members accommodated in the plurality of spaced-apart openings of the bearing cage, such that when the shaft rotates, the plurality of rolling-members of the bearing assembly rolls along a circular path. The RPPM also includes a fluidic path in fluidic communication with first and second ports. The fluidic path is positioned under the actuator and coincident with the circular path, such that when the shaft of the actuator rotates, the plurality of rolling-members of the bearing assembly rolls along the fluidic path to cause a fluid to transfer between the first and second ports.

Organ on chip integration and applications of the same

In one aspect of the invention, an integrated bio-object microfluidics chip includes a fluidic network having a plurality of inlets for providing a plurality of fluids, a plurality of outlets, a bio-object chamber for accommodating at least one bio-object, a plurality of fluidic switches, and one or more pumps, coupled to each other such that at least one fluidic switch operably and selectively receives one fluid from a corresponding inlet and routes the received fluid, through the one or more pumps, to the bio-object chamber so as to perfuse the at least one bio-object therein, and one of the downstream fluidic switches selectively delivers an effluent of the at least one bio-object responsive to the perfusion to a predetermined outlet destination, or to the at least one fluidic switch for recirculation.

The invention relates to a system of fluidic valves and pumps and associated fluidic channels integratable into a bio-object microfluidics module. The module includes input and output buses; upstream and downstream interconnection bus control valves (CVs) coupled to the input and output buses, respectively. It may include arterial, venous, wash and waste bus lines, each connecting between the upstream and downstream interconnection bus CVs. It may also include an input CV connecting to the arterial bus line, upstream interconnection bus CV, bio-object and inlets, and an output CV connecting to the bio-object, input CV, downstream interconnection bus CV and outlets; and a pump connecting between the input CV and bio-object. The system can be arranged to provide MicroFormulator functionality enabling precise mixtures of drugs, chemicals, or biochemicals to be delivered in a time-dependent fashion to biological entities housed in individual wells or chambers.

Interconnections of multiple perfused engineered tissue constructs and microbioreactors, multi-microformulators and applications of the same

A platform for cultivation, maintenance, and/or analysis of one or more bio-objects includes one or more integrated bio-object microfluidics modules. Each integrated bio-object microfluidics module is configured to cultivate, maintain, analyze and/or mimic functionalities of a respective bio-object, and includes one or more on-chip pumps; a plurality of fluidic switches; and a microfluidic chip in fluid communication with the one or more on-chip pumps and the plurality of fluidic switches, having at least one chamber for accommodating the bio-object and a plurality of fluidic paths connecting the at least one chamber, the one or more on-chip pumps and the plurality of fluidic switches, and a power and control unit adapted for selectively and individually controlling the one or more on-chip pumps and the plurality of fluidic switches for performing bio-object microfluidics functions.

The invention provides integrated Organ-on-Chip microphysiological systems representations of living Organs and support structures for such microphysiological systems.

Integrated human organ-on-chip microphysiological systems

A micro-mirror well. In one embodiment the micro-mirror well includes a plurality of planar mirrors arranged around an axis of symmetry and inclined to form a pyramid well, where each of the plurality of planar mirrors is capable of reflecting light emitting from an object of interest placed inside the pyramid well.

Growing community of inventors

Nashville, TN, United States of America

Dmitry A Markov