Fluid separation device

1. A fluidic separation device comprising:

at least one microchannel extending along a longitudinal axis (X), the microchannel having a cross-section that presents a width measured along a first transverse axis (Y) and a thickness measured along a second transverse axis (Z) perpendicular to the first, the width being greater than the thickness, the microchannel including, along the second transverse axis, bottom and top walls;

at least first, second, and third inlets in fluidic communication with the microchannel, the second inlet being disposed on the second transverse axis (Z) between the first and third inlets; and

at least first and second transverse separation walls respectively separating the first and second inlets and the second and third inlets, the first and second separation walls being arranged in such a manner that the second inlet is separated from each of said bottom and top walls by a non-zero distance measured along the second transverse axis (Z), the second inlet being adjacent to at least one of the separation walls.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the width/thickness ratio of the microchannel is greater than 2.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the microchannel presents a cross-section that is substantially rectangular.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said three inlets presents a width that is not less than the width of the microchannel.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the three inlets opens out in one of the bottom and top walls of the microchannel, and another one of the three inlets opens out in the other one of the bottom and top walls of the microchannel.

6. A device according to claim 5 , wherein the first and third inlets are placed facing each other.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least three inlets all open out either into the bottom wall or into the top wall of the microchannel.

8. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and third inlets are offset relative to each other along the longitudinal axis of the microchannel.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the second inlet opens out into the microchannel parallel to its longitudinal axis (X).

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the second inlet is adjacent to or upstream from at least one of the separation walls.

11. A device according to claim 1 , including at least one feed orifice associated with one of said three inlets, the feed orifice being in fluidic communication with said inlet via a duct, the duct including a diverging portion that diverges from a tip of the duct, the feed orifice opening out into the duct adjacent to said tip, and perpendicularly to the duct.

12. A device according to claim 1 , including at least first and second outlets in fluidic communication with the microchannel, and separated from each other by a transverse separation wall of non-zero height measured along the second transverse axis (Z).

13. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second outlets are offset from each other along the longitudinal axis of the microchannel.

14. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second outlets are disposed facing each other.

15. A device according to claim 12 , further comprising a third outlet, the second outlet being disposed between the first and third outlets along the second transverse axis, the first and second outlets and the second and third outlets being mutually separated by respective transverse separation walls of non-zero height measured along the second transverse axis.

16. A device according to claim 12 , including at least one outlet orifice associated with one of said outlets, said orifice being in fluidic communication with said outlets via a duct, the duct including a portion that converges towards a tip, the outlet orifice opening out into the duct perpendicularly to the duct.

17. A device according to claim 1 , which is arranged to generate within at least a fraction of the microchannel at least one transverse force field, said force field selected from the group consisting of a gravitational, electric, magnetic, or acoustic field.

18. A device according to claim 1 , including at least one sheet of plastics material or of metal forming the microchannel at least in part, the sheet being sandwiched between at least two plates of plastics material.

19. A device according to claim 1 , including an array of parallel microchannels.

20. A fluidic separation device comprising:

at least one microchannel extending along a longitudinal axis (X), the microchannel having a cross-section presenting a width measured along a first transverse axis (Y) and a thickness measured along a second transverse axis (Z) perpendicular to the first, the width being greater than the thickness, the microchannel including along the second transverse axis, bottom and top walls;

at least first and second inlets in fluidic communication with the microchannel; and

at least one transverse separation wall separating the first and second inlets, said separation wall being arranged in such a manner that the second inlet is separated from one of said bottom and top walls by a non-zero distance measured along the second transverse axis (Z), the second inlet being adjacent to the separation wall;

the device including at least one sheet having a cutout forming at least part of a flow channel, said sheet being sandwiched between at least two plates.