Microfluidic printing with ink volume control

摘要

A microfluidic printing apparatus includes plurality of ink reservoirs containing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, respectively and a plurality of ink mixing chambers each for applying a dot of mixed ink to a receiver and a plurality of microchannels connecting each of the reservoirs to a mixing chamber. The apparatus further includes a plurality of microfluidic pumps each being associated with a single microchannel for supplying a particular ink into a particular mixing chamber and microvalves associated with each channel and moveable between two positions for blocking and permitting the flow of ink from the associated microchannel into its associated mixing chamber to regulate the ink flow into the ink mixing chambers, and controlling the microfluidic pumps and microvalves for causing the correct amount of colored ink to be conveyed into each mixing chamber.