Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc. (ISSYS; Ypsilanti, Mich.; www.mems-issys.com) announced that the U.S. Patent Office has granted it a utility patent (US 7,581,429) “Microfluidic Device and Method of Operation.”
According to Dr. Doug Sparks, executive vice-president of ISSYS, this patent describes new designs and methods of compensating and controlling microfluidic devices using resonating micromachined tubes. These sensor chips are used by ISSYS to produce Coriolis mass flowmeters, density- and chemical-concentration sensors, fuel quality, drug infusion systems, fuel cell-concentration sensors, and other devices. It complements other patents owned by ISSYS in the area of flow sensors and MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) devices. It provides new tube shapes and the electrode design enables improved performance. This improvement is important for critical applications like laboratory analysis, aviation fuel quality, fuel custody transfer and drug delivery systems.
Dr. Nader Najafi, ISSYS president and CEO, stated that, "The new patent and associated technology offers improved fluidic sensor and system designs and performance. The basic technology is already seeing use in industrial, chemical processing and biomedical devices, as well as fuel cell systems. This reinforces the other ISSYS’ patents on the design, packaging, fabrication, and application of microtube-based sensors, giving ISSYS comprehensive IP protection and offering a competitive barrier to market entry."
For more on ISSYS and MEMS, see "Strategic partnership for MEMS-based products".
Patent granted on microfluidic device design
| By Dorothy Lozowski