The practical implementation of microfluidic devices hinges on the ability to effectively interface the devices themselves to the macroscopic world.  Most of the current benchtop solutions rely on individual connections to fluidic input-output ports, supplied by larger, off-chip fluid reservoirs.  The scale-up to 10’s and 100’s of connection points, required in higher throughput experiments, becomes difficult for such interfacing schemes.  Further, if sterility is required, the whole fluidic path has to be sterilized or replaced between experiments.

Fluxion’s proprietary solution to this problem is based on incorporating the fluid source reservoirs directly to the disposable FluxPlate consumables.  The microfluidic cartridge is integrated with standard well plates, which provide the necessary fluid reservoirs. Media and reagents are dispensed directly into the FluxPlate wells and the interface tubing is never in contact with the fluid. This provides significant benefits in setup time, ease of use, and experimental throughput.

The removable interface is used to apply pressure to the air-fluid interface in each well. This pressure application is used to control flow throughout the FluxPlate’s microfluidic channels. Electrical connectivity can be provided by electrodes submerged in each well. Incorporating all of the connectivity requirements into a single interface provides tremendous ease of use and throughput benefits to life science and drug discovery researchers.