US 11,896,974 B2
Microfluidic device for size and deformability measurements and applications thereof
Mark A. Burns, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Alyse D. Krausz, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Sarah Elizabeth Mena, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Martin Patrick De Beer, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Kevin R. Ward, Superior Township, MI (US); and Frederick Korley, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/859,400.
Application 17/859,400 is a division of application No. 16/746,408, filed on Jan. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,389,799.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/908,406, filed on Sep. 30, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/793,720, filed on Jan. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0347688 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 33/543 (2006.01); G01N 33/68 (2006.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G01N 1/28 (2006.01); G01N 15/14 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502761 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502707 (2013.01); B01L 3/502715 (2013.01); G01N 1/28 (2013.01); G01N 15/1475 (2013.01); G01N 21/6428 (2013.01); G01N 33/54366 (2013.01); G01N 33/6803 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0668 (2013.01); B01L 2200/12 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0627 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1493 (2013.01); G01N 2021/6439 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microfluidic device system (2) comprising:
a data collection and readout device (4) connected to a visual sensor (8), the visual sensor (8) operatively connected to a microfluidic device (10) for detection within the microfluidic device (10);
an inlet (132) by which a solution enters the microfluidic device (10), wherein the inlet (132) is connected to a supply line (14) that is connected to a container (12);
wherein the microfluidic device (10) further comprises a channel (126) having an entrance (128) and an exit (130), a height (H1) at the entrance (128) being greater than a height (H2) at the exit (130), and a height of the channel between the entrance and the exit has multiple decreases in height along a length of the channel between the entrance and the exit,
wherein:
the channel comprises at least a first length region having a continuously decreasing height, a second length region having a continuously decreasing height, and a step-wise decrease in height as a transition between the first length region and the second length region,
the height of the channel continuously decreases from a first height to a second height along an entire length of the first length region,
the height of the channel continuously decreases from a third height to a fourth height along an entire length of the second length region, and
the step-wise decrease comprises a decrease in the height of the channel from the second height to the third height, wherein the step-wise decrease in height occurs over a length of the channel that is less than one or both of the lengths of the first and second length regions.