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Inventions Utilizing Microfluidics and Colloidal ParticlesSeveral related inventions pertain to families of devices that utilize microfluidics and/or colloidal particles to obtain useful physical effects. The families of devices can be summarized as follows: (1) Microfluidic pumps and/or valves wherein colloidal-size particles driven by electrical, magnetic, or optical fields serve as the principal moving parts that propel and/or direct the affected flows. (2) Devices that are similar to the aforementioned pumps and/or valves except that they are used to manipulate light instead of fluids. The colloidal particles in these devices are substantially constrained to move in a plane and are driven to spatially order them into arrays that function, variously, as waveguides, filters, or switches for optical signals. (3) Devices wherein the ultra-laminar nature of microfluidic flows is exploited to effect separation, sorting, or filtering of colloidal particles or biological cells in suspension. (4) Devices wherein a combination of confinement and applied electrical and/or optical fields forces the colloidal particles to become arranged into three-dimensional crystal lattices. Control of the colloidal crystalline structures could be exploited to control diffraction of light. (5) Microfluidic devices, incorporating fluid waveguides, wherein switching of flows among different paths would be accompanied by switching of optical signals.
Document ID
20090041768
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Other - NASA Tech Brief
Authors
Marr, David W.
(Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO, United States)
Gong, Tieying
(Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO, United States)
Oakey, John
(Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO, United States)
Terray, Alexander V.
(Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO, United States)
Wu, David T.
(Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2009
Publication Information
Publication: NASA Tech Briefs, December 2009
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Thermodynamics
Report/Patent Number
MSC-24160-1/1-1/2-1/3-1
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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