Microfluidic device for fluid mixture

Abstract

Examples include microfluidic devices. Example microfluidic devices comprise a first microfluidic channel, a second microfluidic channel, and microfluidic output channel fluidly coupled to the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel via a fluid junction. The example device comprises a first fluid actuator disposed in the first microfluidic channel to actuate to thereby pump a first fluid into the microfluidic output channel, and the example device comprises a second fluid actuator disposed in the second microfluidic channel to actuate to pump a second fluid into the microfluidic output channel. The first fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator are to actuate to thereby pump a fluid mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid into the microfluidic output channel.

1 . A microfluidic device comprising:
 a first microfluidic channel;   a second microfluidic channel;   a microfluidic output channel fluidly coupled to the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel at a fluid junction;   a first fluid actuator disposed in the first microfluidic channel, the first fluid actuator to actuate to thereby pump a first fluid into the microfluidic output channel; and   a second fluid actuator disposed in the second microfluidic channel, the second fluid actuator to actuate to thereby pump a second fluid into the microfluidic output channel, and the first fluid actuator and second fluid actuator to actuate to thereby pump a fluid mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid into the microfluidic output channel.   
     
     
         2 . The microfluidic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first fluid input fluidly coupled to the first microfluidic channel to input the first fluid;   a second fluid input fluidly coupled to the second microfluidic channel to input the second fluid; and   a microfluidic chamber fluidly coupled to the microfluidic output channel to store the fluid mixture.   
     
     
         3 . The microfluidic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid and the second fluid have at least one different fluid characteristic, the at least one different fluid characteristic comprising at least one of: vapor pressure, temperature, viscosity, surface tension, and heat of vaporization, and
 the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel have at least one different microfluidic channel characteristic, the at least one different microfluidic channel characteristic comprising at least one of: channel width, microfluidic channel cross-sectional area, microfluidic channel geometry, microfluidic channel length, channel surface roughness.   
     
     
         4 . The microfluidic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller coupled to the first fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator, the controller to:
 selectively actuate the first fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator. 
   
     
     
         5 . The microfluidic device of  claim 4 , wherein the controller to selectively actuate the first fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator comprises the controller to:
 actuate the first fluid actuator according to first actuation characteristics; and   actuate the second fluid actuator according to second actuation characteristics,   wherein the first actuation characteristics and the second actuation characteristics differ with respect to at least one of frequency of actuation, duration of actuation, number of pulses of actuation, phase offset of actuation, and intensity of actuation.   
     
     
         6 . The microfluidic device of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is to selectively actuate the first fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator asynchronously such that the fluid mixture comprises a first concentration of the first fluid and a second concentration of the second fluid. 
     
     
         7 . The microfluidic device of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 at least one fluid sensor,   wherein the controller is further to:
 detect a flow rate with the at least one fluid sensor, 
 wherein the controller is to selectively actuate at least one of the first fluid actuator and the second fluid actuator based at least in part on the flow rate. 
   
     
     
         8 . The microfluidic device of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one fluid sensor comprises at least one of:
 a first fluid sensor disposed in the first microfluidic channel,   a second fluid sensor disposed in the second microfluidic channel, and   a third fluid sensor disposed in the microfluidic output channel.   
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The microfluidic device of  claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic output channel is fluidly coupled to at least one of: a microfluidic reaction chamber, an ejection chamber; a chromatography column, and an optical detection chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The microfluidic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid actuator is to pump the first fluid towards the fluid junction at a first flow rate, the microfluidic device further comprising:
 a third fluid actuator disposed in the first microfluidic channel to actuate to thereby pump the first fluid towards the fluid junction at a second flow rate.   
     
     
         12 . The microfluidic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid actuator corresponds to a first inertial pump disposed in the first microfluidic channel, the second fluid actuator corresponds to a second inertial pump disposed in the second microfluidic channel, and each of the first fluid actuator of the first inertial pump and the second fluid actuator of the second inertial pump are thermal resistors. 
     
     
         13 . A microfluidic device comprising:
 a first microfluidic channel;   a second microfluidic channel;   a microfluidic output channel that is fluidly coupled to the first microfluidic channel and the second microfluidic channel at a fluid junction;   a first at least one fluid actuator disposed in the first microfluidic channel, the first at least one fluid actuator to actuate to thereby pump a first fluid into the microfluidic output channel;   a second at least one fluid actuator disposed in the second microfluidic channel, the second at least one fluid actuator to actuate to thereby pump a second fluid into the microfluidic output channel, and the first at least one fluid actuator and the second at least one fluid actuator to asynchronously actuate to thereby pump fluid into the microfluidic output channel to thereby pump a fluid mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid into the microfluidic output channel.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The microfluidic device of  claim 13 , wherein the first at least one fluid actuator comprises a first set of fluid actuators, the microfluidic device further comprising:
 a controller coupled to each fluid actuator of the first set of fluid actuators, the controller to:   actuate a particular fluid actuator of the first set of fluid actuators to cause the particular fluid actuator to pump a first volume of the first fluid into the microfluidic output channel; and   actuate the particular fluid actuator and at least one other fluid actuator of the first set of fluid actuators synchronously to cause the particular fluid actuator and the at least one other fluid actuator to pump a second volume of the first fluid into the microfluidic output channel.   
     
     
         16 . The microfluidic device of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a third microfluidic channel that is fluidly coupled to the microfluidic output channel at the fluid junction;   a third at least one fluid actuator to actuate to thereby pump a third fluid into the microfluidic output channel, the third at least one fluid actuator to asynchronously actuate with the first at least one fluid actuator and the second at least one fluid actuator, the third at least one fluid actuator to pump the third fluid into the microfluidic output channel such that the fluid mixture includes the third fluid.   
     
     
         17 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of a microfluidic device comprising:
 pumping a fluid mixture including a first fluid and a second fluid into a microfluidic output channel by:
 pumping, with a first fluid actuator disposed in a first microfluidic channel, the first fluid in the first microfluidic channel into the microfluidic output channel via a fluid junction that fluidly couples the first microfluidic channel and the microfluidic output channel; and 
 pumping, asynchronous with pumping the first fluid with the first fluid actuator, pumping and with a second fluid actuator disposed in a second microfluidic channel, the second fluid in the second microfluidic channel into the microfluidic output channel via the fluid junction that fluidly couples the second microfluidic channel and the microfluidic output channel. 
   
     
     
         24 - 26 . (canceled)