Patent ID: 8101128

Claim:
A microreactor assembly ( 100 ) comprising a fluidic microstructure ( 10 ) and an injector assembly ( 20 ), wherein: the fluidic microstructure ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of fluidic microchannels ( 12 ) and at least one microchannel input port ( 14 ) and at least one microchannel output port ( 16 ), each in fluid communication with the fluidic microchannels ( 12 ); the injector assembly ( 20 ) comprises a liquid inlet ( 22 ), a gas inlet ( 24 ), a liquid outlet ( 26 ), a gas outlet ( 28 ), a liquid flow portion ( 30 ) extending from the liquid inlet ( 22 ) to the liquid outlet ( 26 ), and a gas flow portion ( 40 ) extending from the gas inlet ( 24 ) to the gas outlet ( 28 ); the injector assembly ( 20 ) defines an injection interface with the microchannel input port ( 14 ) of the fluidic microstructure ( 10 ); the injector assembly ( 20 ) is configured such that the gas outlet ( 28 ) of the gas flow portion ( 40 ) is positioned to inject gas into the liquid flow portion ( 30 ) upstream of the liquid outlet ( 26 ), into the liquid flow portion ( 30 ) at the liquid outlet ( 26 ), or into an extension ( 35 ) of the liquid flow portion ( 30 ) downstream of the liquid outlet ( 26 ); and the injector assembly ( 20 ) is configured such that gas is injected into the liquid flow portion ( 30 ) or the extension thereof as a series of gas bubbles, wherein the injector assembly ( 20 ) is configured such that the liquid flow portion ( 30 ) defines a partially converging cross section and gas is injected substantially directly into a non-converging cross section of the liquid flow portion ( 30 ) substantially directly downstream of the partially converging cross section of the liquid flow portion ( 30 ).