Using the actively controllable microreaction chambers in an n-way fluid crossbar
will make combinatorial chemistry in micro-flow systems feasible.[1] Material from each of the five inputs can be brought into contact with each other. The loops shown are used to minimize shear-forces in the fluids.
Different lengths of the channels allow products to be brought into contact at discrete time intervals. The system is made as symmetric as possible to ease the calculation of the networks' delay-properties. The common output channel not only serves to reduce the number of fluid connectors but stabilizes the flow behavior in the device (passive regulation).