Patent ID: 8763641

Claim:
A microfluidic system, comprising: a polymeric microfluidic device, comprising: only a single, non-elastomeric polymer substrate layer having upper and lower surfaces and at least one microchannel disposed in the upper surface, wherein the upper surface is characterized by at least one bonded region and at least one bond-free region, further wherein the at least one microchannel has an end fluidically intersecting the bond-free region; and only a single, non-elastomeric polymer membrane layer of the same material as the substrate layer having a continuous surface, bonded to the at least one bonded region of the upper surface of the substrate layer and entirely covering the at least one bond-free region including the at least one microchannel, the membrane being characterized by a non-actuated state wherein the membrane is in contact with the at least one bond-free region and an actuated state wherein the membrane is not in contact with the at least one bond-free region, characterized by an integrated, monolithic construction so as to form a two-layer device; a reservoir disposed in the substrate, wherein the reservoir is fluidically coupled to at least one of the microfluidic channel and the unbonded region of the membrane; and a controller that is operationally coupled to the device.