Patent ID: 7748962

Claim:
A fluid handling apparatus, comprising: a body comprising a fluid handling structure; a flexible membrane attached to the body and formed to interact with a fluid in the fluid handling structure, wherein the membrane contains a first actuation component; a second actuation component, wherein the first and the second actuation component are formed such that the same attract or repel each other in a first positional relationship, in order to actuate the flexible membrane; and in addition to the first and second actuation components, a drive for moving the body relative to the second actuation component, in order to bring the first and the second actuation component from a positional relationship in which same do not attract or repel each other into the first positional relationship and out of the first positional relationship into the positional relationship in which same do not attract or repel each other, wherein the first and second actuation components are formed to actuate the membrane by magnetic or electrostatic attraction or repulsion.