US 12,434,241 B2
Microfluidic device for analyzing a membrane
Hossein Eslami Amirabadi, Utrecht (NL); Evita Van De Steeg, Elspeet (NL); Lida Joanne Stevens, Leiden (NL); Tim Leonardus Petrus Donkers, Eindhoven (NL); and Bastiaan Leonardus Joseph Ingenhut, Eindhoven (NL)
Assigned to Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO, 's-Gravenhage (NL)
Appl. No. 17/794,240
Filed by Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO, 's-Gravenhage (NL)
PCT Filed Jan. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/NL2021/050040
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/150113, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 29, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20153565 (EP), filed on Jan. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0076661 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502753 (2013.01) [B01L 2200/0621 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0681 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0874 (2013.01); B01L 2300/088 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0487 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microfluidic device for analyzing permeability of substances through a membrane, wherein the substances are disposed in a first fluid flow and second fluid flow, the microfluidic device comprising:
a housing;
a first flow channel for passing the first fluid flow, through the housing, between a first input connector and a first output connector;
a second flow channel for passing the second fluid flow, through the housing, between a second input connector and a second output connector;
an access cavity extending, from outside the housing, into the housing through the first flow channel and into the second flow channel for accessing an inside of the housing to place the membrane over a cavity opening forming an exclusive fluid interconnection between overlapping areas of the first flow channel and the second flow channel; and
a clamping ring comprising a connection structure configured to engage a connection structure of the housing inside the access cavity for holding the membrane in place over the cavity opening while the membrane is, in use, exposed to the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow through the first flow channel and the second flow channel, respectively, on either side of the membrane,
wherein the cavity opening on one side of the membrane and a ring opening through the clamping ring on another side of the membrane are configured to expose the membrane to the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow in the first flow channel and the second flow channel, respectively, and
wherein the clamping ring is configured to form a portion of the first flow channel, such that the portion of the first flow channel is configured to be exposed to the first fluid flow.