Method and apparatus for gradient generation

• Main Authors: CHOI INSUNG S, DERTINGER STEPHAN K. W, CHIU DANIEL T, WHITESIDES GEORGE M, JEON NOO LI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2008
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; CLEANING OR DEGREASING OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY CHEMICALMETHODS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; CONVEYING; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ENZYMOLOGY; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGINGARTICLES OR MATERIALS; MEASURING; MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUIDLEVEL; METALLURGY; METERING BY VOLUME; MICROBIOLOGY; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; SEPARATION; SPIRITS; STORING; TESTING; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; UNPACKING; VINEGAR; WINE

A method and apparatus for treating a fluid. A method for treating a fluid may include combining two or more separate streams into a common stream and then splitting the common stream into a new set of separate streams wherein the separate streams may possess different properties. The separate streams may be combined to produce a gradient, such as a concentration gradient or shear gradient. The apparatus of the invention may provide a network of fluidic channels that may be used to manipulate a fluid to produce, for example, a gradient or a series of solutions containing a substance at varying concentrations.