US 11,986,827 B2
Closed loop control of microfluidic systems
Bradley Scott Thomas, Cary, NC (US); Timothy A. Miller, Durham, NC (US); and David Stafford, Durham, NC (US)
Assigned to Xilis, Inc., Durham, NC (US)
Filed by Xilis, Inc., Durham, NC (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/378,849.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/415,232, filed on Oct. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/415,235, filed on Oct. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/415,228, filed on Oct. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/415,240, filed on Oct. 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0116054 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 15/14 (2024.01); G01N 15/1434 (2024.01)
CPC B01L 3/502784 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502746 (2013.01); G01N 15/1434 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0673 (2013.01); B01L 2300/14 (2013.01); B01L 2300/1805 (2013.01); B01L 2400/082 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1493 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
flowing a first fluid through a first microfluidic channel of a microfluidic apparatus, in which the first fluid comprises biological material and a matrix material;
flowing a second fluid through a second microfluidic channel of the microfluidic apparatus, in which the first fluid is immiscible with the second fluid;
combining the first fluid and the second fluid at a junction between the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel to form droplets of the first fluid dispersed in the second fluid in a third channel of the microfluidic apparatus, the third channel downstream from the junction;
by an imaging device, capturing multiple exposures of a droplet of the first fluid in the third microfluidic channel in a single image captured by the imaging device, the capturing of the multiple exposures comprising:
illuminating, by a light source, a region of the third microfluidic channel with multiple successive illumination pulses during a single frame of the imaging device;
identifying the droplet and determining a velocity and a size of the droplet based on an analysis of the captured exposures;
based on the determined size of the droplet, controlling the flow of the first fluid in the first microfluidic channel to obtain droplets of a target size; and
based on the determined velocity of the droplet, controlling the flow of the second fluid in the second microfluidic channel to obtain droplets flowing in the third microfluidic channel at a target velocity.