Patent ID: 7201881

Claim:
In combination: a microfluidic device including a substrate, a first surface, and a plurality of fluid pathways, each pathway including at least one deformable portion: a plurality of deforming blades, each deforming blade including a blade tip end and an opposite end: and a pivotable actuator, the pivotable actuator including a presser member capable of pivoting about an axis of rotation to actuate the plurality of deforming blades to contact or separate from contact with to microfluidic device: wherein the plurality of deforming blade tip ends are each spaced a first distance from one or more adjacent blade tip ends, and each of the plurality of deformable portions is spaced the first distance from one or more adjacent deformable portions of one or more adjacent pathways of the plurality of the pathways, wherein the microfluidic device includes a plurality of sample wells in selective fluid communication with the fluid pathways formed in the substrate, and the deformable portion of each pathway is selectively capable upon activation by the at least one of the plurality of deforming blade tip ends of controlling fluid movement through the respective pathway.