Patent ID: 8173413

Claim:
A microfluidic device for separating a biological object from a fluid, the device comprising: an input port; and a microfabricated substrate in fluidic communication with the input port, the microfabricated substrate comprising an inlet channel in fluidic communication with a plurality of channels, wherein at least one channel of the plurality of channels includes an aperture configured to exclude an object from a fluid while allowing passage of the fluid through the at least one channel, wherein the aperture is configured such that the object covers about 75% or less of a cross-sectional area of the aperture, wherein the configuration of the aperture reduces the fluid pressure applied to the object, wherein the microfabricated substrate is sealed to a substrate that is capable of transmitting light and forms a surface of the inlet channel and the at least one channel, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the at least one channel of the plurality of channels is oriented in a different direction than a main axis of flow in the inlet channel.