Patent ID: 8672532

Claim:
A method for combining a first liquid and a second liquid in a microfluidic mixing channel comprising: a) providing a device with a first liquid channel and a second liquid channel each fluidically connected to the microfluidic mixing channel, wherein a first diaphragm valve is positioned within the first liquid channel, a second diaphragm valve is positioned within the second liquid channel, and a third diaphragm valve and a fourth diaphragm valve are positioned within the microfluidic mixing channel; and b) using the first, second, third and fourth diaphragm valves to sequentially pump the first liquid and the second liquid into the microfluidic mixing channel to form a plurality of boluses of the first liquid and the second liquid, wherein the first, third, and fourth diaphragm valves are used to pump the first liquid into the microfluidic mixing channel and the second, third, and fourth diaphragm valves are used to pump the second liquid into the microfluidic mixing channel, and wherein the first liquid and the second liquid are different.