A planar extensible structure in a flat planar flex circuit can be
extended out of the plane of the circuit by a distance of more than the
width of the structure to carry fluids, electrical signals or optical
signals into and out of the circuit. The planar extensible structure may
be an Archimedes spiral, a parabolic spiral, a polygonal spiral, a
non-spiral extensible shape, or other extensible shape. The invention can
be used to siphon fluid samples from each well in a multiple-well
microtiter plate into a microfluidic manifold for utility in chemical and
biochemical analysis. The invention can also be used to allow electrical
interconnect between adjacent circuits or circuit boards, and can allow
signals carried in optical fibers to be transferred between optical
circuits in different planes.