Patent ID: 6737026
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: B01F,B01J,B01L,C01B,C07C,C40B,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A chemical processing microsystem comprisingfour or more microcomponents formed in a plurality of adjacent laminae, each of the four or more microcomponents comprising a surface defining a cavity having a volume of not more than about 3 ml for carrying out a chemical process of interest, an inlet port in fluid communication with the cavity, and optionally an outlet port in fluid communication with the cavity, and a microfluidic distribution system for supplying one or more fluids from one or more external fluid sources to the inlet port of each of the four or more microcomponents and optionally for discharging an effluent from the outlet port of each of the four or more microcomponents to one or more external effluent sinks, at least one of the plurality of laminae being a material-containing laminate that forms a portion of the cavity-defining surface of the four or more microcomponents, the material-containing laminate comprising a substrate for containing at least four materials arranged on the substrate such that they are individually resident in the cavities of the four or more microcomponents, the material-containing laminate having an essential absence of fluid distribution components, the four or more microcomponents being accessible for loading the material-containing laminate prior to carrying out the chemical process of interest, and for unloading the material containing laminate after the chemical process of interest.