Zhengdong D Cheng

US Patent:

20060163385, Jul 27, 2006

Filed:

Oct 7, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/246911

Inventors:

Darren Link - Guilford CT, US
David Weitz - Bolton MA, US
Manuel Marquez-Sanchez - Lincolnshire IL, US
Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US

International Classification:

B05B 7/06

US Classification:

239424000, 239423000

Abstract:

This invention generally relates to systems and methods for the formation and/or control of fluidic species, and articles produced by such systems and methods. In some cases, the invention involves unique fluid channels, systems, controls, and/or restrictions, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention allows fluidic streams (which can be continuous or discontinuous, i.e., droplets) to be formed and/or combined, at a variety of scales, including microfluidic scales. In one set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be produced from a channel, where a cross-sectional dimension of the fluidic stream is smaller than that of the channel, for example, through the use of structural elements, other fluids, and/or applied external fields, etc. In some cases, a Taylor cone may be produced. In another set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be manipulated in some fashion, for example, to create tubes (which may be hollow or solid), droplets, nested tubes or droplets, arrays of tubes or droplets, meshes of tubes, etc. In some cases, droplets produced using certain embodiments of the invention may be charged or substantially charged, which may allow their further manipulation, for instance, using applied external fields. Non-limiting examples of such manipulations include producing charged droplets, coalescing droplets (especially at the microscale), synchronizing droplet formation, aligning molecules within the droplet, etc. In some cases, the droplets and/or the fluidic streams may include colloids, cells, therapeutic agents, and the like.

US Patent:

20070003442, Jan 4, 2007

Filed:

Feb 23, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/360845

Inventors:

Darren Link - Guilford CT, US
David Weitz - Bolton MA, US
Galder Cristobal-Azkarate - Arrasate-Mondragon, ES
Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US
Keunho Ahn - Boston MA, US

Assignee:

President and Fellows of Harvard College - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

B01L 3/00

US Classification:

422099000

Abstract:

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

US Patent:

20220195275, Jun 23, 2022

Filed:

Mar 4, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/687405

Inventors:

Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US
Roshan Sebastian - Bryan TX, US
Lecheng Zhang - College Station TX, US
Dali Huang - College Station TX, US
Minxiang Zeng - College Station TX, US
Abhijeet Shinde - College Station TX, US
Qingsheng Wang - College Station TX, US

Assignee:

Texas A&M University - College Station TX

International Classification:

C09K 3/32
C08B 37/00
C02F 1/68
E02B 15/08

Abstract:

Provided herein are oil herding agents, for example, a biocompatible non-ionic functionalized polysaccharide konjac glucomannan radiation-induced degraded konjac glucomannan. Also provided is a method for containing the spread of an oil spill on a water surface at a low water temperature utilizing the oil herding agent. In addition there is provided a method for preparing an oil herder, a radiation-induced degraded konjac glucomannan prepared by the method and a method for increasing a slick thickness ratio of an oil slick on a water surface utilizing the prepared oil herder.

US Patent:

20190184398, Jun 20, 2019

Filed:

Feb 26, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/285984

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
Darren Roy Link - Lexington MA, US
Manuel Marquez-Sanchez - Lincolnshire IL, US
Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US

Assignee:

President and Fellows of Harvard College - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

B01L 3/00
B01F 13/00
B01J 2/04
B05B 5/03
B01F 5/06
B05B 7/06

Abstract:

This invention generally relates to systems and methods for the formation and/or control of fluidic species, and articles produced by such systems and methods. In some cases, the invention involves unique fluid channels, systems, controls, and/or restrictions, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention allows fluidic streams (which can be continuous or discontinuous, i.e., droplets) to be formed and/or combined, at a variety of scales, including microfluidic scales. In one set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be produced from a channel, where a cross-sectional dimension of the fluidic stream is smaller than that of the channel, for example, through the use of structural elements, other fluids, and/or applied external fields, etc. In some cases, a Taylor cone may be produced. In another set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be manipulated in some fashion, for example, to create tubes (which may be hollow or solid), droplets, nested tubes or droplets, arrays of tubes or droplets, meshes of tubes, etc. In some cases, droplets produced using certain embodiments of the invention may be charged or substantially charged, which may allow their further manipulation, for instance, using applied external fields. Non-limiting examples of such manipulations include producing charged droplets, coalescing droplets (especially at the microscale), synchronizing droplet formation, aligning molecules within the droplet, etc. In some cases, the droplets and/or the fluidic streams may include colloids, cells, therapeutic agents, and the like.

US Patent:

20180117585, May 3, 2018

Filed:

Dec 1, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/829371

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
Darren Roy Link - Lexington MA, US
Galder Cristobal-Azkarate - Bordeaux, FR
Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US
Keunho Ahn - San Diego CA, US

International Classification:

B01L 3/00
B01J 19/00
G01N 15/14
G01N 15/10
B01F 5/06
B01F 13/00
B01L 3/02
B01F 5/02

Abstract:

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

US Patent:

20170361318, Dec 21, 2017

Filed:

Sep 5, 2017

Appl. No.:

15/695184

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
Darren Roy Link - Lexington MA, US
Galder Cristobal-Azkarate - Bordeaux, FR
Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US
Keunho Ahn - San Diego CA, US

International Classification:

B01L 3/00
G01N 15/14
B01F 5/06
B01F 13/00
B01J 19/00
G01N 15/10
B01F 5/02
B01L 3/02

Abstract:

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In some cases, the droplets may each have a substantially uniform number of entities therein. For example, 95% or more of the droplets may each contain the same number of entities of a particular species. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. In some cases, the fusion of the droplets may initiate or determine a reaction. In a related aspect of the invention, systems and methods for allowing fluid mixing within droplets to occur are also provided. In still another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for sorting droplets, e.g., by causing droplets to move to certain regions within a fluidic system. Examples include using electrical interactions (e.g., charges, dipoles, etc.) or mechanical systems (e.g., fluid displacement) to sort the droplets. In some cases, the fluidic droplets can be sorted at relatively high rates, e.g., at about 10 droplets per second or more. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

US Patent:

20150299240, Oct 22, 2015

Filed:

Feb 18, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/624974

Inventors:

Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US
Andres F. MEJIA - College Station TX, US
Agustin DIAZ - College Station TX, US
Abraham CLEARFIELD - College Station TX, US
Mahboobul S. MANNAN - College Station TX, US
Ya-Wen CHANG - College Station TX, US

Assignee:

The Texas A&M University System - College Station TX

International Classification:

C07F 19/00

Abstract:

In some embodiments, the present invention provides amphiphilic nanosheets that comprise lamellar crystals with at least two regions: a first hydrophilic region, and a second hydrophobic region. In some embodiments, the amphiphilic nanosheets of the present invention also comprise a plurality of functional groups that are appended to the lamellar crystals. In some embodiments, the functional groups are hydrophobic functional groups that are appended to the second region of the lamellar crystals. In some embodiments, the lamellar crystals comprise α-zirconium phosphates. Additional embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods of making the aforementioned amphiphilic nanosheets. Such methods generally comprise appending one or more functional groups to a stack of lamellar crystals; and exfoliating the stack of lamellar crystals for form the amphiphilic nanosheets.

US Patent:

20150283546, Oct 8, 2015

Filed:

Mar 19, 2015

Appl. No.:

14/662668

Inventors:

- Cambridge MA, US
David A. Weitz - Bolton MA, US
Manuel Marquez-Sanchez - Lincolnshire IL, US
Zhengdong Cheng - College Station TX, US

International Classification:

B01L 3/00

Abstract:

This invention generally relates to systems and methods for the formation and/or control of fluidic species, and articles produced by such systems and methods. In some cases, the invention involves unique fluid channels, systems, controls, and/or restrictions, and combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention allows fluidic streams (which can be continuous or discontinuous, i.e., droplets) to be formed and/or combined, at a variety of scales, including microfluidic scales. In one set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be produced from a channel, where a cross-sectional dimension of the fluidic stream is smaller than that of the channel, for example, through the use of structural elements, other fluids, and/or applied external fields, etc. In some cases, a Taylor cone may be produced. In another set of embodiments, a fluidic stream may be manipulated in some fashion, for example, to create tubes (which may be hollow or solid), droplets, nested tubes or droplets, arrays of tubes or droplets, meshes of tubes, etc. In some cases, droplets produced using certain embodiments of the invention may be charged or substantially charged, which may allow their further manipulation, for instance, using applied external fields. Non-limiting examples of such manipulations include producing charged droplets, coalescing droplets (especially at the microscale), synchronizing droplet formation, aligning molecules within the droplet, etc. In some cases, the droplets and/or the fluidic streams may include colloids, cells, therapeutic agents, and the like.