Patent Document ID: 6068751
Application ID: 08768303
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A first microfluidic valve for controlling a flow of a fluid through an elongated capillary that is enclosed along at least one surface by a layer of a malleable material, the capillary having an inlet port and an outlet port, the microfluidic valve comprising: a valve housing adapted to be pressed firmly against the layer of malleable material; an actuator secured within said valve housing for producing movement toward or away from the layer of malleable material upon application of a control signal to the actuator; and a blade coupled to the actuator and shaped so that movement produced by the actuator toward the layer of malleable material presses the blade against the layer of malleable material thereby occluding the capillary and barring fluid from flowing from the inlet port to the outlet port, and whereby, upon retracting the blade away from the layer of malleable material, fluid introduced into the inlet port of the capillary may flow through the capillary to exit the capillary through the outlet port.