Patent ID: 7955836

Claim:
A microfluidic apparatus, comprising: a) a microfluidic cartridge comprising: i) a first bellows pump with a pump cavity bisected in coronal plane by a first elastomeric diaphragm, said first diaphragm dividing said pump cavity of said first bellows pump into a first half-chamber and a second half-chamber; ii) a second bellows pump with a pump cavity bisected in coronal plane by a second elastomeric diaphragm, said second diaphragm dividing said pump cavity of said second bellows pump into a first half-chamber and a second half-chamber; iii) a flow-restricting aperture fluidly interconnecting said first half-chamber of said first bellows pump with said first half-chamber of said second bellow pump, said flow-restricting aperture having a depth, width and length such that fluid flow within the flow-restricting aperture is laminar; iv) an inlet fluidly connected to said first half-chamber of said first bellows pump, wherein said inlet is comprised of a microfluidic channel with valve; and v) a pneumatic member pneumatically connected to said second half-chamber of said first bellows pump, wherein said pneumatic member is a microchannel; and vi) a pneumatic member pneumatically connected to said second half-chamber of said second bellows pump, wherein said pneumatic member is selected from the group consisting of a microchannel and a vent, wherein said cartridge is configured to receive pneumatic pulses from a pneumatic pulse generator programmed to actuate the first diaphragm with pneumatic pulses such that fluid flow within the flow-restricting aperture is laminar, but transitions to turbulent flow upon exiting said flow-restricting aperture and into said first half-chambers of said first and second bellows pumps; and (b) an automated workstation for receiving said microfluidic cartridge, said automated workstation comprising said pneumatic pulse generator for generating pneumatic pulses and a pneumatic distribution manifold for distributing said pneumatic pulses to said pneumatic members of said microfluidic cartridge.