Patent ID: 8812163
Filing Date: 2014-08-19
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
1. An electrically-operated multi-channel chemical transport bus system, the system comprising: a plurality of microfluidic flow lines, each flow line connected to a respective flow port; a plurality of microfluidic bus lines, each bus line connecting to at least two flow lines selected from the plurality of flow lines, wherein each bus line is only connected to a flow port through a flow line selected from the plurality of flow lines; a plurality of electrically operated connecting valves connecting each of the flow lines to each of the bus lines, wherein each connecting valve is connected to one flow line and one bus at associated taps; at least one sensor associated with at least one of the flow lines, wherein the at least one sensor is located along a bus line segment between the associated tap and the associated flow port; and a controller connected to the at least one sensor, wherein the controller selectively operates each of the plurality of connecting valves, wherein the controller controls the connecting valves to selectively enable communication between a first flow port and a second flow port and disable communication between a third flow port and both of the first and second flow ports in a first configuration, and wherein the controller controls the connecting valves to selectively enable communication between a third flow port and the first flow port and disable communication between the second flow port and both of the first flow port and the third flow port.