Sandia Corporation

Ab Sciex LLC

Other

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Dh Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.

Sandia National Laboratories

Kenneth R Hencken

Don Wesley Arnold

Phillip Harris Paul

David W Neyer

Joseph S Schoeniger

David J Rakestraw

Jason E Rehm

Douglas Robert Cyr

William L Flower

Patrick Pak-Ho Leung

Sammy S Datwani

Ronald P Manginell

Gregory Charles Frye-Mason

David W Hahn

James C Wang

Michael C Oborny

Daniel A Tichenor

George B Sartor

Howard A Johnsen

In a linear displacement pump, liquid is discharged by driving a piston along at least part of a stroke length. While discharging the liquid, a linear position of the piston is sensed at a plurality of positions along the stroke length, and a plurality of output signals is produced. Based on one or more of the output signals, an operational state of the pump is determined.

Linear displacement pump with position sensing and related systems and methods

A junction is made between a first microfluidic substrate () having an elongate component () protruding from it and a second microfluidic substrate () having a corresponding conduit (). Each of the substrates has a pair of alignment features, for example planar orthogonal surfaces () or grooves () in opposite sides of the substrate. The substrates are placed on an alignment jighaving location features () corresponding to the alignment features. The elongate component can be surrounded by a compressible gasket). The substrates are pushed towards each other so that the elongate component enters the conduit and the gasket, if any, is compressed. A fluid-tight junction results so long as the substrates are maintained in the necessary position, either by permanent means, or, if a junction which can be disassembled is needed, by maintaining pressure between the substrates. Novel apparatus and novel microfluidic assemblies, including microfluidic chips having grooves in their sides, are described.

Microfluidic connections

An electrokinetic pump in which the porous dielectric medium of conventional electrokinetic pumps is replaced by a patterned microstructure. The patterned microstructure is fabricated by lithographic patterning and etching of a substrate and is formed by features arranged so as to create an array of microchannels. The microchannels have dimensions on the order of the pore spacing in a conventional porous dielectric medium. Embedded unitary electrodes are vapor deposited on either end of the channel structure to provide the electric field necessary for electroosmotic flow.

Electrokinetic pump

An electrokinetic high pressure hydraulic pump for manipulating fluids in capillary-based system. The pump uses electro-osmotic flow to provide a high pressure hydraulic system, having no moving mechanical parts, for pumping and/or compressing fluids, for providing valve means and means for opening and closing valves, for controlling fluid flow rate, and manipulating fluid flow generally and in capillary-based systems (microsystems), in particular. The compact nature of the inventive high pressure hydraulic pump provides the ability to construct a micro-scale or capillary-based HPLC system that fulfills the desire for small sample quantity, low solvent consumption, improved efficiency, the ability to run samples in parallel, and field portability. Control of pressure and solvent flow rate is achieved by controlling the voltage applied to an electrokinetic pump.

Electrokinetic high pressure hydraulic system

An electrokinetic high pressure hydraulic pump for manipulating fluids in capillary-based systems. The pump uses electro-osmotic flow to provide a high pressure hydraulic system, having no moving mechanical parts, for pumping and/or compressing fluids, for providing valve means and means for opening and closing valves, for controlling fluid flow rate, and manipulating fluid flow generally and in capillary-based systems (Microsystems), in particular. The compact nature of the inventive high pressure hydraulic pump provides the ability to construct a micro-scale or capillary-based HPLC system that fulfills the desire for small sample quantity, low solvent consumption, improved efficiency, the ability to run samples in parallel, and field portability. Control of pressure and solvent flow rate is achieved by controlling the voltage applied to an electrokinetic pump.

A valve for controlling fluid flows. This valve, which includes both an actuation device and a valve body provides: the ability to incorporate both the actuation device and valve into a unitary structure that can be placed onto a microchip, the ability to generate higher actuation pressures and thus control higher fluid pressures than conventional microvalves, and a device that draws only microwatts of power. An electrokinetic pump that converts electric potential to hydraulic force is used to operate, or actuate, the valve.

Valve for fluid control

This invention pertains generally to a method for improving the accuracy of particle analysis under conditions of discrete particle loading and particularly to a method for improving signal-to-noise ratio and instrument response in laser spark spectroscopic analysis of particulate emissions. Under conditions of low particle density loading (particles/m.sup.3) resulting from low overall metal concentrations and/or large particle size uniform sampling can not be guaranteed. The present invention discloses a technique for separating laser sparks that arise from sample particles from those that do not; that is, a process for systematically 'gating' the instrument response arising from 'sampled' particles from those responses which do not, is dislosed as a solution to his problem. The disclosed approach is based on random sampling combined with a conditional analysis of each pulse. A threshold value is determined for the ratio of the intensity of a spectral line for a given element to a baseline region. If the threshold value is exceeded, the pulse is classified as a 'hit' and that data is collected and an average spectrum is generated from an arithmetic average of 'hits'. The true metal concentration is determined from the averaged spectrum.

Method for improving instrument response

A compact optical probe is disclosed particularly useful for analysis of emissions in industrial environments. The instant invention provides a geometry for optically-based measurements that allows all optical components (source, detector, rely optics, etc.) to be located in proximity to one another. The geometry of the probe disclosed herein provides a means for making optical measurements in environments where it is difficult and/or expensive to gain access to the vicinity of a flow stream to be measured. Significantly, the lens geometry of the optical probe allows the analysis location within a flow stream being monitored to be moved while maintaining optical alignment of all components even when the optical probe is focused on a plurality of different analysis points within the flow stream.

Optical probe

A method for in situ measurement of particle size is described. The size information is obtained by scanning an image of the particle across a double-slit mask and observing the transmitted light. This method is useful when the particle size of primary interest is 3 .mu.m and larger. The technique is well suited to applications in which the particles are non-spherical and have unknown refractive index. It is particularly well suited to high temperature environments in which the particle incandescence provides the light source.

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Kenneth R Hencken