Sundstrand Data Control, Inc.

Micronics, Inc.

Sundstrand Corporation

Jeffrey F Tonn

Bernhard Hans Weigl

Jon W Hayenga

Rex B Peters

Ronald L Bardell

Christy A Lancaster

Wayne L Breidford

Victor B Corey

Arnold Malametz

Brian L Norling

Jerome M Paros

Charles K Lee

Richard B Wearn, Jr

Aleksandar M Gogic

Richard A Hilliker

An integrated heat exchange system on a microfluidic card. According to one aspect of the invention, the portable microfluidic card has a heating, cooling and heat cycling system on-board such that the card can be used portably. The microfluidic card includes one or more reservoirs containing exothermic or endothermic material. Once the chemical process of the reservoir material is activated, the reservoir provides heat or cooling to specific locations of the microfluidic card. Multiple reservoirs may be included on a single card to provide varying temperatures. The assay chemicals can be moved to the various reservoirs to create a thermal cycle useful in many biological reactions, for example, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or rtPCR. According to another aspect of the invention, the integrated heat exchanger is an adjacent microfluidic circuit containing fluid that is either independently heated or cooled, or is an exothermic or endothermic material, such that the fluid in the adjacent circuit imparts a change in temperature to the assay fluid in an independent circuit. According to yet another aspect of the invention, a thermal electric cooler (TEC) is used for thermocycling the amplification chamber of a disposable microfluidic card.

System and method for heating, cooling and heat cycling on microfluidic device

The mounting system of the present invention is adapted to support a precision transducer (14) in spaced alignment with a supporting case (12). The mounting system comprises a plurality of mounting elements (30), each mounting element having one end (34), an opposite end (32) and a resilient intermediate portion (36). One end is adapted to be connected to the transducer, and the opposite end is adapted to be connected to the case. Adjacent mounting elements are joined to one another by bridge sections (38) to form a continuous mounting ring (16) and to define a plurality of gaps (56). At least the end connected to the transducer and bridge sections is composed of a substance that has a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the transducer. Each intermediate portion is configured to provide a low resistance to relative movement between the transducer and case in a radial direction, and a high resistance to relative movement in other directions.

Mounting system for an accelerometer

Prior mounting systems for tuning fork temperature sensors have resulted in unpredictable activity dips within the sensor operating ranges. This problem is eliminated by the mounting and isolation system (32) of the present invention that is adapted to mount temperature sensitive tuning fork (20) to a support structure. The mounting system comprises a mounting member (34) adapted for rigid connection to the support structure, and support means (36) connecting the tuning fork base to the mounting member such that the tuning fork is supported solely by the support means. The support means comprises a low pass mechanical filter that transmits only vibration frequencies that are less than the operating range of frequencies of the tuning fork.

Mounting and isolation system for tuning fork temperature sensor

An accelerometer includes a hinged proof mass constrained from movement by a beam resonator force transducer. To afford greater movement of the proof mass and greater latitude in positioning mechanical stops, one end of the force transducer is connected with the accelerometer base through a compliant mount. The other end of the force transducer is connected with the proof mass at the center of percussion of the proof mass. Adjacent surfaces of the proof mass and base provide squeeze film viscous gas damping. A pair of proof mass-force transducer systems are mounted on a carrier in opposite positions with the sensitive axes of the proof masses aligned and the proof mass hinge axes parallel and opposed to each other.

Accelerometer with beam resonator force transducer

An accelerometer has two proof masses each constrained from movement by a beam resonant force transducer. The proof mass-force transducer systems are mounted with the sensitive axes of the proof masses aligned and the force transducers arranged so that their resonant frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 vary oppositely with a change in acceleration. The acceleration is determined in accordance with the relation

Method for determining acceleration

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Tacoma, WA, United States of America

Jeffrey F Tonn