Patent ID: 11925933
Assignee: PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 18:
19. An apparatus for collecting microfluidic entities in a collection chamber, comprising:
a first microfluidic channel and a second microfluidic channel, each of the channels being a channel that fluidly connects a first location and a second location, wherein the first location is a first intersection of the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel, and the second location is a second intersection of the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel, the second intersection being different from the first intersection,
wherein the first microfluidic channel comprises the collection chamber having an inlet and two or more outlets, each of the inlet and the two or more outlets having a cross-sectional width, the cross-sectional width of the inlet being larger than each of the cross-sectional widths of each of the two or more outlets, wherein the collection chamber is constructed and arranged to collect microfluidic entities,
wherein the two or more outlets are spaced at a distance that is between 75% and 125% of the width of the inlet,
wherein the first microfluidic channel has a first width, a first height, and a first length defining a first flow resistance, and the second microfluidic channel has a second width, a second height, and a second length defining a second flow resistance, wherein the first flow resistance is lower than the second flow resistance, and
wherein the first microfluidic channel further comprises an actuation channel such that, when fluid flows through the actuation channel, the fluid is able to cause entities within the collection chamber to exit the collection chamber via the inlet.