US Patent 7420659 Flow control system of a cartridge

An apparatus having a disposable cytometer cartridge containing pumps, pressure chambers, reservoirs, flow sensors, flow channels, and microfluidic circuits with fluid operations on the cartridge. The circuits may include mesopumps and mesovalves embedded in the chip, card or cartridge. The apparatus may have multiple detecting, analyzing and identification capabilities of blood or other fluids of interest. The sample to be tested may be entered in the disposable microfluidic cartridge which in turn is insertable in a hand-holdable or portable cytometer instrument. This apparatus may have significant application in biological warfare agent detection, water analyses, environmental checks, hematology, and other clinical and research fields.