Patent ID: 6451264
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: B01L

Abstract:
A capillary pathway having at least one curved portion, the pathway curved portion comprising a base, an inner wall defined by a first radius from a center point and an outer wall generally concentric about the center point and defined by a second radius greater than the first radius, the inner wall and outer wall being fixed to the base and defining lateral boundaries of the capillary pathway, and a lid extending at least from the inner wall to the outer wall covering the capillary pathway, the capillary pathway including apparatus facilitating the transport of a liquid longitudinally through the pathway comprising:a plurality of groups of microstructures fixed to the base in the capillary pathway between the inner and outer walls, the microstructures of each group being spaced from each other on a nearest neighbor basis by less than a first distance that is less than that necessary to achieve capillary flow of liquid, each group being confined to a discrete arcuate segment of the at least one curved portion of the capillary pathway, each group being spaced from any adjacent group by a second distance greater than the first distance defining a longitudinal segment of the capillary pathway.