US Patent 7556776 Microfluidic manipulation of fluids and reactions

The present invention relates generally to microfluidic structures, and more specifically, to microfluidic structures and methods including microreactors for manipulating fluids and reactions. In some embodiments, structures and methods for manipulating many (e.g., 1000) fluid samples, i.e., in the form of droplets, are described. Processes such as diffusion, evaporation, dilution, and precipitation can be controlled in each fluid sample. These methods also enable conditions within the fluid samples (e.g., concentration) to be controlled. Manipulation of fluid samples can be useful for a variety of applications, including testing for reaction conditions, e.g., in crystallization, chemical, and biological assays.