5 ms·

A Microfluidic D-subminiature Connector (2013)

55 points by trasz 4y ago

Scene_Cast2 4y ago
I remember microfluidics research being somewhat in vogue a decade ago. Asking as a complete layman - did any practical applications come out of it? Any use in the industry?
- jpopesculian 4y ago
  I recently heard of haptx[0] and I think they use microfluidics for their haptic feedback stuff [0](https://haptx.com/ https://haptx.com/)
- dark-star 4y ago
  As with many of these "laboratory" technologies, there is not much an "end-user" would see of it. Microfluidics is being used in large scales in biological labs for sample analysis etc., so yes, there are practical applications but none that any random household needs or could even make any use of :)
- rubidium 4y ago
  Yes, lots of uses. One of the bigger hits was Berkeley Lights, a big deal in early cell line development for monoclonal antibodies: https://www.berkeleylights.com/technology/ https://www.berkeleylights.com/technology/ But there’s be numerous others. All have advanced state of the art. But as another commenter said, not much for home use. Just industry.
- chris_va 4y ago
  Yes, mRNA vaccine manufacturing (lipid encapsulation) is a nice example
- ros86 4y ago
  There are indeed a few practical applications. Next to Berkely lights, there is e.g. the LabChip from PerkinElmer that separates DNA and proteins. I had hoped that there would be many more examples by now. Most presentations that I see about microfluids still go in a lot of detail on how difficult it is to make. This hasn't really changed over the last decade, which signals to me we still need quite some innovation to make this mainstream. If you want to play around with digital microfluids at home, check out the OpenDrop from gaudi.ch (http://www.gaudi.ch/OpenDrop/ http://www.gaudi.ch/OpenDrop/). I haven't played around with it yet, as I haven't found a practical use of this.
- bglazer 4y ago
  Single cell RNA sequencing is a very useful technique that relies on microfluidics. It allows researchers to isolate individual cells then "read" the RNA content of them. This lets you identify (very approximately) what behaviors a cell is doing in the tissue it came from. Still mostly a research tool, but it's going to move into the clinic in the next 10 years, I'd guess. 10x Genomics (https://www.10xgenomics.com/ https://www.10xgenomics.com/) is the biggest company building the machines for this. They're publicly traded.
- jhallenworld 4y ago
  According to "Asianometry", common test strips are an application of microfluidics. So in one sense they are very common. Aside from these, it sounds like they will become lab tools not the Theranos-style lab replacements. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAESOEjcYfc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAESOEjcYfc
exabrial 4y ago
I could see this being useful for control system monitoring (monitoring a bunch of hydraulic pressures) or in a lab for an automated testing machine (pull in samples at regular intervals)
- Arrath 4y ago
  The 15psi that the connector was tested at is a good ways below the typical working pressures of most hydraulic systems, I'd be curious to see just how high the connector could manage.
palijer 4y ago
Pros: existing tools and knowledge transfer over, d-subs have been field proven and plenty of experience exists for folks who worked with them. Cons: it is now possible to connect microfluidic connections to electrical, or use the wrong sort of couplers, or a bunch of other issues that pose risks to new uses and existing usages of electrical d-sub connections. Like, imagine if they used regular Edison power cables, or HDMI etc. Sometimes there are good reasons not to use existing standards.
- MisterTea 4y ago
  > Edison power cables Edison power cable?
  - dekhn 4y ago
    standard american power cord for 120V
    - MisterTea 4y ago
      Never in my life have I heard them called that. Edison socket for bulbs, yes. Edison had nothing to do with the strait blade plugs we use, it was Hubbell.
- dark-star 4y ago
  I don't think there is any real danger in connecting an "electrical" sub-d to a "fluid" sub-d. You'd just have a non-working connection from both sides. It's similar to many devices having RJ-45 serial console ports, that look like network ports, and if you accidentally connect the wrong cable to it, nothing bad happens. On the other hand, I could really see hybrid connectors as a solution, i.e. have 4 electrical pins and 5 fluid pins. That way you could have some signalling between the devices and not start pushing fluid through the tubes unless a "correct" device is attached.
  - actionfromafar 4y ago
    I think the Borg used that.
kongito 4y ago
If you _really_ want D-sub connectors for fluid pipes, you could better use a proper 17W2 shell with fluid pins in the place of power contacts: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/d-sub-contacts/6659904 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/d-sub-contacts/6659904 https://www.deltron.ch/produkte/d-sub-steckverbinder/combi.html https://www.deltron.ch/produkte/d-sub-steckverbinder/combi.h... https://www.deltron.ch/downloads/dl/file/id/14/d_sub_combi_polbilder.pdf https://www.deltron.ch/downloads/dl/file/id/14/d_sub_combi_p...
- dark-star 4y ago
  I think the "micro" in "microfluidic" is kinda relevant here...
myself248 4y ago
There are gas and liquid "pins" for a number of standard connectors, both the mil-spec circular style and the modular Harting style. They're not so "micro" as this, but very much in use in industry.
ncmncm 4y ago
It is commendable that they did not ignorantly call it a DB-9 connector, but lamentable that they did not identify it as the DE-9 it really is.

55 points by trasz 4y ago

I remember microfluidics research being somewhat in vogue a decade ago. Asking as a complete layman - did any practical applications come out of it? Any use in the industry?

jpopesculian 4y ago
I recently heard of haptx[0] and I think they use microfluidics for their haptic feedback stuff [0](https://haptx.com/ https://haptx.com/)
dark-star 4y ago
As with many of these "laboratory" technologies, there is not much an "end-user" would see of it. Microfluidics is being used in large scales in biological labs for sample analysis etc., so yes, there are practical applications but none that any random household needs or could even make any use of :)
rubidium 4y ago
Yes, lots of uses. One of the bigger hits was Berkeley Lights, a big deal in early cell line development for monoclonal antibodies: https://www.berkeleylights.com/technology/ https://www.berkeleylights.com/technology/ But there’s be numerous others. All have advanced state of the art. But as another commenter said, not much for home use. Just industry.
chris_va 4y ago
Yes, mRNA vaccine manufacturing (lipid encapsulation) is a nice example
ros86 4y ago
There are indeed a few practical applications. Next to Berkely lights, there is e.g. the LabChip from PerkinElmer that separates DNA and proteins. I had hoped that there would be many more examples by now. Most presentations that I see about microfluids still go in a lot of detail on how difficult it is to make. This hasn't really changed over the last decade, which signals to me we still need quite some innovation to make this mainstream. If you want to play around with digital microfluids at home, check out the OpenDrop from gaudi.ch (http://www.gaudi.ch/OpenDrop/ http://www.gaudi.ch/OpenDrop/). I haven't played around with it yet, as I haven't found a practical use of this.
bglazer 4y ago
Single cell RNA sequencing is a very useful technique that relies on microfluidics. It allows researchers to isolate individual cells then "read" the RNA content of them. This lets you identify (very approximately) what behaviors a cell is doing in the tissue it came from. Still mostly a research tool, but it's going to move into the clinic in the next 10 years, I'd guess. 10x Genomics (https://www.10xgenomics.com/ https://www.10xgenomics.com/) is the biggest company building the machines for this. They're publicly traded.
jhallenworld 4y ago
According to "Asianometry", common test strips are an application of microfluidics. So in one sense they are very common. Aside from these, it sounds like they will become lab tools not the Theranos-style lab replacements. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAESOEjcYfc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAESOEjcYfc

exabrial 4y ago

I could see this being useful for control system monitoring (monitoring a bunch of hydraulic pressures) or in a lab for an automated testing machine (pull in samples at regular intervals)

Arrath 4y ago
The 15psi that the connector was tested at is a good ways below the typical working pressures of most hydraulic systems, I'd be curious to see just how high the connector could manage.

palijer 4y ago

Pros: existing tools and knowledge transfer over, d-subs have been field proven and plenty of experience exists for folks who worked with them. Cons: it is now possible to connect microfluidic connections to electrical, or use the wrong sort of couplers, or a bunch of other issues that pose risks to new uses and existing usages of electrical d-sub connections. Like, imagine if they used regular Edison power cables, or HDMI etc. Sometimes there are good reasons not to use existing standards.

MisterTea 4y ago
> Edison power cables Edison power cable?
- dekhn 4y ago
  standard american power cord for 120V
  - MisterTea 4y ago
    Never in my life have I heard them called that. Edison socket for bulbs, yes. Edison had nothing to do with the strait blade plugs we use, it was Hubbell.
dark-star 4y ago
I don't think there is any real danger in connecting an "electrical" sub-d to a "fluid" sub-d. You'd just have a non-working connection from both sides. It's similar to many devices having RJ-45 serial console ports, that look like network ports, and if you accidentally connect the wrong cable to it, nothing bad happens. On the other hand, I could really see hybrid connectors as a solution, i.e. have 4 electrical pins and 5 fluid pins. That way you could have some signalling between the devices and not start pushing fluid through the tubes unless a "correct" device is attached.
- actionfromafar 4y ago
  I think the Borg used that.

kongito 4y ago

If you _really_ want D-sub connectors for fluid pipes, you could better use a proper 17W2 shell with fluid pins in the place of power contacts: https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/d-sub-contacts/6659904 https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/d-sub-contacts/6659904 https://www.deltron.ch/produkte/d-sub-steckverbinder/combi.html https://www.deltron.ch/produkte/d-sub-steckverbinder/combi.h... https://www.deltron.ch/downloads/dl/file/id/14/d_sub_combi_polbilder.pdf https://www.deltron.ch/downloads/dl/file/id/14/d_sub_combi_p...

dark-star 4y ago
I think the "micro" in "microfluidic" is kinda relevant here...

myself248 4y ago

There are gas and liquid "pins" for a number of standard connectors, both the mil-spec circular style and the modular Harting style. They're not so "micro" as this, but very much in use in industry.

ncmncm 4y ago

It is commendable that they did not ignorantly call it a DB-9 connector, but lamentable that they did not identify it as the DE-9 it really is.