Ttp Ventus Limited

Kci Licensing, Inc.

The Technology Partnership, Plc.

The Technology Partners, Pic.

Stuart Andrew Hatfield

Jonathan Paul Jaeb

James Samuel Bumby

Justin Rorke Buckland

James Edward McCrone

Andrew Victor Polijanczuk

Peter James Brown

Richard Janse Van Rensburg

David Martin Pooley

Justin Rorke Bukland

Stephanie April Weichert

A valve for controlling a flow of a fluid comprises: a sealing plate comprising a plurality of ports for passage of the fluid through the sealing plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sealing plate; and a plurality of valve members, each valve member comprising at least one anchor portion arranged in fixed relationship with the sealing plate and a closure portion which is contiguous with the anchor portion and in movable relationship with the sealing plate under a differential pressure of the fluid across the valve, the closure portion being movable away from the sealing plate under a first differential pressure direction to open at least one of the ports and toward the sealing plate under a second and opposite differential pressure direction to close said at least one of the ports. The anchor portions of the plurality of valve members partition the closure portions from each other such as to define a plurality of valve cells, each valve cell comprising one of the valve members and at least one associated port.

Valve for controlling a flow of a fluid

A pump for a microfluidic device is disclosed. The pump comprises an actuator and a resilient isolator which is a planar, layered structure. The resilient isolator may comprise a support layer and optionally other layers for strengthening against tensile stress imposed by bending. Alternatively or in addition, the resilient isolator may comprise a plurality of annular regions, layers of the resilient isolator being configured such that at least one of the plurality of annular regions is less resistant than another one of the plurality of annular regions to bending. The actuator may comprise a piezoelectric disc including a surface which comprises electrode regions for electrical connection with respective conductive regions of a conductive layer of the resilient isolator, and an alignment feature for rotational alignment of the piezoelectric disc to ensure the electrical connection between the electrode regions and the respective conductive regions.

Pump for a microfluidic device

A valve includes a first plate, a second plate, a spacer disposed between the first plate and the second plate, and a flap movably disposed between the first plate and the second plate. The first plate includes a plurality of first apertures extending through said first plate and the second plate includes a plurality of second apertures extending through said second plate. The second apertures are substantially offset from the first apertures. The spacer forms a cavity between the first plate and the second plate and is in fluid communication with the first apertures and the second apertures. The flap has apertures substantially offset from the first apertures and substantially aligned with the second apertures, and the flap is operable to be motivated between said first and second plates in response to a change in direction of the differential pressure of the fluid across the valve.

Valve

A valve includes a first plate, a second plate, a spacer disposed between the first plate and the second plate, and a flap movably disposed between the first plate and the second plate. The first plate includes a plurality of first holes extending through said first plate and the second plate includes a plurality of second holes extending through said second plate. The second holes are substantially offset from the first holes. The spacer forms a cavity between the first plate and the second plate and is in fluid communication with the first holes and the second holes. The flap has holes substantially offset from the first holes and substantially aligned with the second holes, and the flap is operable to be motivated between said first and second plates in response to a change in direction of the differential pressure of the fluid across the valve.

A fluid pump includes a pump body having upper and lower parts, each comprising a substantially cylindrical side wall closed at one end by a substantially circular end wall and partially closed at the opposite end by an actuator disposed in a plane substantially parallel to and between the end walls. A single cavity is thereby formed having upper and lower portions. The cavity encloses the actuator and is bounded by the end walls and side walls of the pump body and the surfaces of the actuator. A substantially open actuator support structure connects the actuator to the pump body and enables free flow of fluid between the upper and lower cavity portions. At least two apertures are provided through the pump body walls, at least one of which is a valved aperture. All of the apertures located substantially at the centres of the end walls are valved apertures. In use, the actuator oscillates in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the end walls causing an acoustic wrapped standing wave to exist in the cavity and thereby causing fluid flow through said apertures.

Acoustic-resonance fluid pump

A method and apparatus for the singulation of valve plates and/or assembled valves from a lead-frame are described. The method and apparatus utilizes an electric current to fuse tabs which join the valve plate and/or the assembled valve to the lead-frame. The valve comprises a first and second valve plate with offsetting apertures and a flap disposed and movable between the first and second plates.

Singulation of valves

A liquid management system for supplying or receiving liquid at a controlled pressure, comprising: a closed reservoir having an inlet for receiving liquid from a first remote location and an outlet for supplying liquid to a second remote location; and a pumped outlet disposed in the reservoir and arranged to remove liquid and gas contained within the reservoir, the pumped outlet being disposed such that the level of liquid in the reservoir can be maintained at a constant height.

Liquid management system

A valve for controlling the flow of fluid having first () and second () plates with offsetting apertures and a sidewall () disposed between the plates around the perimeter of the plates to form a cavity () in fluid communication with the apertures is disclosed. The valve further comprises a flap () disposed and moveable between the first and second plates and having apertures () substantially offset from the apertures () of one plate () and substantially aligned with the apertures () of the other plate (). The flap is motivated between the two plates in response to a change in direction of the differential pressure of fluid across the valve.

A pump having a substantially cylindrical shape and defining a cavity formed by a side wall closed at both ends by end walls wherein the cavity contains a fluid is disclosed. The pump further comprises an actuator operatively associated with at least one of the end walls to cause an oscillatory motion of the driven end wall to generate displacement oscillations of the driven end wall within the cavity. The pump further comprises an isolator operatively associated with a peripheral portion of the driven end wall to reduce dampening of the displacement oscillations. The pump further comprises a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the valve. The valve has first and second plates with offsetting apertures and a sidewall disposed between the plates around the perimeter of the plates to form a cavity in fluid communication with the apertures. The valve further comprises a flap disposed and moveable between the first and second plates and having apertures substantially offset from the apertures of one plate and substantially aligned with the apertures of the other plate. The flap is motivated between the two plates in response to a change in direction of the differential pressure of fluid across the valve.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Stuart Andrew Hatfield