Patents by Inventor Hsa-Quan Mao

Hsa-Quan Mao has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Systems and methods for high-throughput microfluidic bead production
    Patent number: 9156189
    Abstract: A system for producing microbeads includes a microfluidic device defining a supply channel and a shearing channel, a microbead precursor material disposed in the supply channel, a carrier fluid disposed in the shearing channel, and a pressure distribution system fluidly connected to each of the supply channel and the shearing channel to control at least relative pressures of the microbead precursor material and the carrier fluid. The supply channel includes a check valve adapted to be subjected to a bias pressure that is sufficient to close the check valve to flow of microbead precursor material when a supply pressure of the microbead precursor material is below a threshold pressure and is open to flow of the microbead precursor material when the supply pressure of the microbead precursor material is greater than the threshold pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Tza-Huei Wang, Weijie Beh, Dara L. Kraitchman, Hsa-Quan Mao
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT MICROFLUIDIC BEAD PRODUCTION
    Publication number: 20130183246
    Abstract: A system for producing microbeads includes a microfluidic device defining a supply channel and a shearing channel, a microbead precursor material disposed in the supply channel, a carrier fluid disposed in the shearing channel, and a pressure distribution system fluidly connected to each of the supply channel and the shearing channel to control at least relative pressures of the microbead precursor material and the carrier fluid. The supply channel includes a check valve adapted to be subjected to a bias pressure that is sufficient to close the check valve to flow of microbead precursor material when a supply pressure of the microbead precursor material is below a threshold pressure and is open to flow of the microbead precursor material when the supply pressure of the microbead precursor material is greater than the threshold pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Tza-Huei Wang, Weijie Beh, Dara L. Kraitchman, Hsa-Quan Mao