Cambridge Enterprise Limited

Sphere Fluidics Limited

Wilhelm T S Huck

Chris Abell

Wolfgang Andreas Bauer

Martin Fischlechner

Xin Li

Clive Adrian Smith

Frank F Craig

Christopher Abell

Carol Robinson

Graeme Whyte

Timothy Sharpe

Todd Mize

Daniel Bratton

Luis M Fidalgo

Whyte Graeme

We describe a method of layer-by-layer deposition of a plurality of layers of material onto the wall or walls of a channel of a microfluidic device, the method comprising: loading a tube with a series of segments of solution, a said segment of solution bearing a material to be deposited; coupling said tube to said microfluidic device; and injecting said segments of solution into said microfluidic device such that said segments of solution pass, in turn, through said channel depositing successive layers of material to perform said layer-by-layer deposition onto said wall or walls of said channel. Embodiments of the methods are particularly useful for automated surface modification of plastic, for example PDMS (Poly(dimethylsiloxane)), microchannels. We also describe methods and apparatus for forming double-emulsions.

Coated microfluidic devices and methods of making

Systems that employ microdroplets are used in embodiments for Microdroplet Electrospray Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (ESI MS). Thus, a method of detecting an analyte includes providing an oil composition comprising oil and an aqueous microdroplet comprising the analyte, the oil composition comprising a surfactant to stabilise the aqueous microdroplet in the oil composition; and performing ionisation mass spectrometry analysis of the oil composition.

Microdroplet ionisation mass spectrometry

This invention relates to methods and systems for providing chemical and/or biological materials. Thus we describe a method of providing a chemical or biological material in a quantized form, the method comprising: preparing an emulsion comprising a plurality of microdroplets each holding a controlled amount of said material; storing said chemical or biological material in said microdroplets in said emulsion; transferring a portion of said emulsion microdroplets to a container for transportation; transporting said container to a user of said material, wherein said user receives said material in a quantized form in said microdroplets of said emulsion; and de-emulsifying said received microdroplets containing said material in quantized form to extract said material for subsequent use.

Method of providing a chemical or biological material in quantised form and system therefor

This invention relates to microfluidic systems and more particularly to methods and apparatus for accessing the contents of micro droplets () in an emulsion stream. A method of accessing the contents of a droplet () of an emulsion in a microfluidic system, the method comprising: flowing the emulsion alongside a continuous, non-emulsive stream of second fluid () to provide an interface () between said emulsion and said stream of second fluid (); and in embodiments applying one or both of an electric () and magnetic field across said interface () to alter a trajectory of a said droplet () of said emulsion to cause said droplet to coalesce with said stream of second fluid (); and accessing said contents of said droplet () in said second stream ().

Microfluidic systems

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Wilhelm T S Huck