Patent ID: 8153079
Filing Date: 2012-04-10
Classification: B01J,B01L,B81B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising a microfluidic chip comprising a first substrate member having at least one first microfluidic channel passing through the first substrate member along a first direction; a second substrate member having at least one second microfluidic channel, passing through the second substrate member along a second direction; wherein a portion of the second microfluidic channel passes beneath a portion of the first microfluidic channel to form a crosschannel area; and at least one porous membrane disposed and sandwiched between the first and second substrate members proximate to the cross-channel area to form a semi-permeable barrier between the first and second microfluidic channels, wherein the at least one porous membrane is disposed in a recess formed in either the first substrate member or the second substrate member and wherein the porous membrane comprises porous nanocrystalline silicon or porous polysilicon, wherein the porous membrane exhibits sensing characteristics causing a change in an electrical characteristic of the porous membrane in response to exposure to a targeted fluid or reaction, wherein the porous membrane is integrated into the microfluidic chip, and wherein at least the first substrate member comprises electronic instrumentation configured to determine the change in the electrical characteristic.