Microfluidic system including a virtual wall fluid interface port for interfacing fluids with the microfluidic system

Abstract

A fluid interface port in a microfluidic system and a method of forming the fluid interface port is provided. The fluid interface port comprises an opening formed in the side wall of a microchannel sized and dimensioned to form a virtual wall when the microchannel is filled with a first liquid. The fluid interface port is utilized to fill the microchannel with a first liquid, to introduce a second liquid into the first liquid and to eject fluid from the microchannel.

1 . A liquid volume injection system for injecting a droplet into a microchannel of a fluidic system, said system comprising: 
 a droplet generator system for generating the droplet; and    a virtual wall formed in a fluid interface port by a fluid disposed in the microchannel for receiving the droplet.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a droplet guiding system for directing the droplet toward the virtual wall.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the droplet generator comprises a nozzle assembly.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the nozzle assembly comprises a breaking off point where the droplet is formed, and the system further comprises a droplet charger comprises a charging circuit and a droplet electrode for charging the droplet at the breaking off point.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the droplet guiding system comprises a droplet charger for charging the droplet and including a droplet electrode.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the droplet charger further comprises a droplet charging circuit connected to the droplet electrode.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the droplet charger further comprises a ground electrode for guiding the charged droplet.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the droplet guiding system comprises one or more electrically controlled deflection plates for establishing an electric field to direct the droplet to the virtual wall.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an array of fluid interfacing ports forming a virtual wall in each said fluid interface port.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the droplet guiding system comprises a channel charging circuit for selectively providing a charge to the microchannel.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the channel charging circuit charges the fluid channel to attract the charged droplet.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the channel charging circuit charges a neighboring fluid channel to repel the charged droplet.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the droplet guiding system comprises a targeting electrode adjacent to the virtual wall for targeting charged droplets towards the virtual wall.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a targeting electrode charging circuit for charging the targeting electrode.