Patent ID: 8941826
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: B01F,B01L,G01N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, the apparatus being a planar microfluidic device, the apparatus comprising: a substrate; a sample flow inlet, configured to receive a sample flow; a first flow inlet, configured to receive a first sheath flow; a curved channel, the curved channel configured to receive the sample flow adjacent to the first sheath flow, the sample flow inlet, the first flow inlet, and the curved channel being supported by the substrate, the curved channel having a bend angle, the curved channel being configured to provide vertical hydrodynamic focusing of the sample flow when the sample flow and first sheath flow pass together through the curved channel, the sample flow being compressed along a direction normal to the substrate to form a horizontal sample flow sandwiched between split vertical focusing sheath flows; at least one inlet for an in-plane hydrodynamic focusing sheath flow; and an output channel, receiving the sample flow, the first sheath flow, and the in-plane hydrodynamic focusing sheath flow, the first sheath flow and the in-plane hydrodynamic focusing sheath flow together providing three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing of the sample flow within the output channel, the sample flow, the first sheath flow, and the in-plane hydrodynamic focusing sheath flows being co-planar.