Patent ID: 7794136

Claim:
A micromixer for enforced mass exchange, comprising: at least one fluid inlet; at least one mixing chamber extending in a longitudinal direction, succeeding to and connected to said at least one fluid inlet; and accepting at least two fluids, wherein said fluids have a substantially low Reynolds number, wherein said mixing chamber comprises at least one flow channel; at least one groove structure for passing fluid therethrough, said groove structure located on at least one wall of said mixing chamber; at least one barrier structure, located on at least one wall of said mixing chamber opposite from said groove structure, said barrier structure intersecting said fluid flow through said groove structure, said barrier structure extending in alternating displacement directions about said longitudinal direction of said mixing chamber; and at least one fluid outlet, succeeding to and connected to said mixing chamber; wherein said alternating displacement causes creation of at least one set of twin vortices of mixed fluid flow; said vortices having uni-directional fluid flow in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction of said mixing chamber; said twin vortices comprising at least two bulbs, wherein said bulbs alternately exchange fluid mass one with the other, as said at least two fluids flow through said mixing chamber; said alternate exchange of fluid mass corresponding to said alternating displacement directions of said barrier structures.