Microfluidic chip fixture

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of microfluidic technology, and specifically relates to a microfluidic chip fixture, including a pressure cover, a base, an elastic member, a guide mechanism and a locking mechanism, wherein the direction of pressing down and lifting the pressure cover is defined as the guide direction; the pressure cover is provided with a liquid inlet channel and a liquid outlet channel, the liquid inlet channel has a liquid inlet inlet and a liquid inlet outlet, and the liquid outlet channel has a liquid outlet inlet and a liquid outlet outlet; the base is provided with a bearing part for bearing the microfluidic chip; the guide mechanism includes a guide column and a guide sleeve, and the pressure cover moves relative to the base along the guide direction through the guide sleeve or the guide column; the elastic member is arranged on the guide mechanism, located between the pressure cover and the base, and is used to prevent the pressure cover from impacting and damaging the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part; the locking mechanism is arranged on the guide mechanism, and is used to limit the pressure cover from lifting up, so that the pressure cover and the base clamp the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part. The elastic member between the pressure cover and the base has a buffering effect, and can provide sufficient protection for the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of microfluidic technology, and in particular relates to a microfluidic chip fixture. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidic chip is a technology platform that integrates micro devices into a chip with at least one dimension at the micron scale, and combines sample preparation, injection, reaction, separation and detection involved in the fields of chemistry, energy, environment and biomedicine. It has the advantages of controllable liquid flow, low sample consumption, fast analysis speed, high reaction efficiency and small amplification effect.

[0003] When the microfluidic chip is actually used, it needs to be fixed and a fluid connector device needs to be installed to achieve connection with the external pump valve system and pipeline. Currently, the commonly used methods are: (1) directly inserting the pipeline into the sample hole of the elastic polydimethylsiloxane chip; (2) using glue such as AB glue to bond the pipeline to the fluid inlet and outlet of the hard chip; (3) using a chip fixture to achieve fixation and fluid pipeline transfer.

[0004] Methods (1) and (2) have the problems of easy blockage of pipelines during assembly, pollution of the reaction system, and can only be used once. As for method (3), the existing fixture structure is relatively simple, and the chip is easily damaged during disassembly or use. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a microfluidic chip fixture that can fully protect the chip.

[0006] Specifically, the technical solution of the present invention is:

[0007] A microfluidic chip clamp comprises a pressure cover, a base, an elastic member, a guiding mechanism and a locking mechanism, wherein the direction of pressing down and lifting up the pressure cover is defined as the guiding direction; a liquid inlet channel and a liquid outlet channel are provided on the pressure cover, the liquid inlet channel has a liquid inlet inlet and a liquid inlet outlet, and the liquid outlet channel has a liquid outlet inlet and a liquid outlet; a bearing part for bearing the microfluidic chip is provided on the base; the guiding mechanism comprises a guide column and a guide sleeve, and the pressure cover moves relative to the base along the guiding direction through the guide sleeve or the guide column; the elastic member is arranged on the guiding mechanism, located between the pressure cover and the base, and is used to prevent the pressure cover from impacting and damaging the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part; the locking mechanism is arranged on the guiding mechanism, and is used to limit the pressure cover from lifting up, so that the pressure cover and the base clamp the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part.

[0008] Preferably, the locking mechanism includes a nut with an internal thread and a thread arranged on the outer side of the guide column, the liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel are arranged on both sides of the pressure cover along the short side direction, the guide sleeve is arranged at both ends of the pressure cover along the long side direction, the guide column is upright on the upper surface of the base at both ends along the long side direction, and the guide column passes through the elastic member, the guide sleeve and the nut in sequence.

[0009] Preferably, the liquid inlet and outlet are respectively provided with pipeline locking and sealing assemblies for connecting external pipelines; the pipeline locking and sealing assemblies include a pillar with external threads and an internal passage, a nut with internal threads covered on the pillar, and a seal arranged between the nut and the pillar.

[0010] Preferably, the seal includes a front ferrule and a rear ferrule; the front ferrule is a conical structure, and the conical end is inserted downward in the inner passage of the pillar; the rear ferrule is a columnar structure, and is arranged above the front ferrule; a boss is provided on the lower surface of the rear ferrule, and a groove is provided on the upper surface of the front ferrule, and the boss is clamped in the groove.

[0011] Preferably, the liquid inlet and outlet and the liquid outlet are respectively provided with a fault-tolerant groove, the size of the fault-tolerant groove of the liquid inlet is larger than the size of the liquid inlet channel, and the size of the fault-tolerant groove of the liquid outlet is larger than the size of the liquid outlet channel.

[0012] Preferably, the inner diameter of the upper end of the guide sleeve is smaller than that of the lower end, the inner diameter of the upper end matches the size of the guide column, and the inner diameter of the lower end matches the size of the elastic member.

[0013] Preferably, the bearing part includes quartz glass, a first groove opened on the upper surface of the base and a second groove opened on the lower surface of the base; the first groove is larger than the second groove, the first groove and the second groove are connected, and the quartz glass is arranged in the first groove.

[0014] Preferably, the quartz glass is clamped in the first groove, and the upper surface of the quartz glass is flush with the upper surface of the base.

[0015] Preferably, the cross-sections of the quartz glass, the first groove and the second groove are rectangular structures, and the four corners of the first groove are provided with longitudinally penetrating liquid guide grooves.

[0016] Preferably, a sealing buffer pad is provided under the gland, and through holes are respectively provided on the sealing buffer pad corresponding to the liquid inlet and outlet and the liquid outlet.

[0017] After adopting the above scheme, the beneficial effects are:

[0018] The elastic member between the pressure cover and the base has a buffering effect, and can provide sufficient protection for the microfluidic chip carried by the carrying part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view from another angle of embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a microfluidic chip used in conjunction with the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the microfluidic chip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] Embodiment 1:

[0026] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a microfluidic chip fixture includes a pressure cover 1, a base 2, an elastic member 31, a guide mechanism and a locking mechanism. The pressure cover 1 is provided with a liquid inlet channel 11 and a liquid outlet channel 12. The liquid inlet channel 11 has a liquid inlet inlet and a liquid inlet outlet, and the liquid outlet channel 12 has a liquid outlet inlet and a liquid outlet; the liquid inlet is used to connect to an external liquid inlet pipeline 191, and the liquid outlet is used to connect to an external liquid outlet pipeline 192; the liquid inlet outlet is used to connect to the microfluidic chip 4 (see Figure 5 ) of the liquid inlet 41, and the liquid outlet is used to connect to the liquid outlet 42 of the microfluidic chip 4.

[0027] The base 2 is provided with a bearing part for bearing the microfluidic chip 4; the guide mechanism includes a guide column 21 and a guide sleeve 18, and the pressure cover 1 moves relative to the base 2 along the guide direction through the guide sleeve 18 or the guide column 21; the elastic member 31 is arranged on the guide mechanism, located between the pressure cover 1 and the base 2, and is used to prevent the pressure cover 1 from impacting and damaging the microfluidic chip 4 carried by the bearing part. It is easy to understand that the elastic member 31 has a supporting effect on the pressure cover 1, so that the lower surface of the pressure cover 1 and the upper surface of the base 2 maintain a distance greater than the thickness of the microfluidic chip 4 in a natural state. The locking mechanism is arranged on the guiding mechanism, which is used to limit the lifting of the pressure cover 1, so that the pressure cover 1 and the base 2 clamp the microfluidic chip 4 carried by the bearing part.

[0028] The gland 1, the base 2, the guide mechanism and the locking mechanism may be made of metal, stainless steel or high molecular polymer and may be processed by injection molding, casting, laser cutting or precision lathe processing.

[0029] Further, the locking mechanism includes a nut 32 with internal threads and threads provided on the outer side of the guide column 21, the liquid inlet channel 11 and the liquid outlet channel 12 are provided on both sides of the gland 1 along the short side direction, the guide sleeve 18 is provided at both ends of the gland 1 along the long side direction, the guide column 21 is vertically provided at both ends of the upper surface of the base 2 along the long side direction, and the guide column 21 passes through the elastic member 31, the guide sleeve 18 and the nut 32 in sequence. The nut 32 cooperates with the guide column 21, so that the elastic member 31 is compressed by the gland 1 and the base 2, and the size of the gap between the gland 1 and the base 2 is changed to match the microfluidic chip 4 of different thicknesses. Of course, the nut 32 can be replaced by other existing parts with internal threads, such as a nut.

[0030] In other embodiments, the guide sleeve 18 can be arranged on the base 2, and the guide post 21 can be arranged on the gland 1, and the guide post 21 passes through the elastic member 31 and the base 2 in sequence, and is locked by a locking mechanism; compared with this embodiment, the operation is not so convenient. In addition to nuts and threads, the locking mechanism can also be other existing locking mechanisms, such as a quick release head.

[0031] In this embodiment, there are two guide sleeves 18 and two guide posts 21. In other embodiments, more guide sleeves 18 and guide posts 21 may be provided, or the guide sleeves 18 and guide posts 21 may be provided at other positions, but this will inevitably lead to a more complex structure of the microfluidic chip fixture and inconvenient use.

[0032] Furthermore, the elastic member 31 is a compression spring, which has good effect and low cost. In other embodiments, the elastic member 31 can also be other existing elastic parts, such as an elastic rubber sleeve.

[0033] Furthermore, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are respectively provided with pipeline locking and sealing components for connecting external pipelines; the pipeline locking and sealing components include a support 16 with external threads and an internal passage, a nut 15 with internal threads covering the support 16, and a sealing member provided between the nut 15 and the support 16, and have good sealing performance. Figure 3 As shown, the external liquid inlet pipeline 191 and the external liquid outlet pipeline 192 respectively pass through the clearance hole 151 on the nut 15, the seal and the inner passage of the support 16 in sequence to connect the liquid inlet channel 11 and the liquid outlet channel 12. In other embodiments, other structures can also be used to connect the external pipelines.

[0034] Further, the seal comprises a front ferrule 13 and a rear ferrule 14; the front ferrule 13 is a conical structure, and the conical end is inserted downward into the inner passage of the pillar 16; the rear ferrule 14 is a columnar structure, and is arranged above the front ferrule 13; a boss is arranged on the lower surface of the rear ferrule 14, and a groove is arranged on the upper surface of the front ferrule 13, and the boss is clamped in the groove; the rear ferrule 14 fits with the nut 15 and the front ferrule 13, and the conical surface of the front ferrule 13 fits with the inner passage of the pillar 16, further strengthening the seal. In other embodiments, the seal may also be other structures, such as an integrated structure.

[0035] Furthermore, the liquid inlet and outlet and the liquid outlet are respectively provided with fault-tolerant grooves 111 and 121, and the sizes of the fault-tolerant grooves 111 and 121 are much larger than the liquid inlet channel 11 and the liquid outlet channel 12. The positions of the liquid inlet hole 41 and the liquid outlet hole 42 of different microfluidic chips 4 may be different. The provision of fault-tolerant grooves 111 and 112 can make the microfluidic chip fixture more universal; the fault-tolerant grooves 111 and 112 also have the functions of buffering and storing liquid. Preferably, the cross-section of the fault-tolerant grooves 111 and 112 is a circular structure for easy use. In other embodiments, the fault-tolerant grooves 111 and 112 may not be provided.

[0036] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the upper end of the guide sleeve 18 is smaller than that of the lower end, and the inner diameter of the upper end matches the size of the guide column 21, so that the guide column 21 can limit the pressure cover 1 through the guide sleeve 18 to ensure installation accuracy; the inner diameter of the lower end matches the size of the elastic member 31, and limits the elastic member 31 to prevent the elastic member 31 from shifting.

[0037] Furthermore, the bearing part includes a quartz glass 22, a first groove 23 opened on the upper surface of the base 2, and a second groove 24 opened on the lower surface of the base 2; the first groove 23 is slightly larger than the second groove 24, the first groove 23 and the second groove 24 are connected, and the quartz glass 22 is arranged in the first groove 23; the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, and the microfluidic chip 4 can be observed through the bearing part. In other embodiments, the bearing part can also be other structures.

[0038] Furthermore, the quartz glass 22 is clamped in the first groove 23 without leaving a gap therebetween, and the upper surface of the quartz glass 22 is flush with the upper surface of the base 2, making the microfluidic chip fixture more universal and applicable to microfluidic chips 4 of various sizes.

[0039] Furthermore, the cross-sections of the quartz glass 22 , the first groove 23 and the second groove 24 are all rectangular structures, adapted to the microfluidic chip 4 , and the four corners of the first groove 23 are provided with longitudinally penetrating liquid guide grooves 231 for preventing liquid accumulation on the surface of the quartz glass 22 .

[0040] Furthermore, a sealing buffer pad 17 is provided below the gland 1, and through holes are provided on the sealing buffer pad 17 corresponding to the liquid inlet and outlet, respectively, for fluid to pass through. The sealing buffer pad 17 has a buffering and sealing function, which can prevent the microfluidic chip 4 from being crushed on the one hand, and can prevent leakage between the gland 1 and the microfluidic chip 4 on the other hand. Specifically, the material of the sealing buffer pad 17 can be nitrile rubber, fluororubber or silicone rubber. In other embodiments, the sealing buffer pad 17 may not be provided.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. It should be noted that any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made by a person skilled in the art within the spirit and principle of the present invention after reading this specification should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip fixture, characterized in that: It includes a pressure cover, a base, an elastic member, a guide mechanism and a locking mechanism, and the direction of pressing down and lifting the pressure cover is defined as the guide direction; the pressure cover is provided with a liquid inlet channel and a liquid outlet channel, the liquid inlet channel has a liquid inlet inlet and a liquid inlet outlet, and the liquid outlet channel has a liquid outlet inlet and a liquid outlet; the base is provided with a bearing part for bearing the microfluidic chip; the guide mechanism includes a guide column and a guide sleeve, and the pressure cover moves relative to the base along the guide direction through the guide sleeve or the guide column; the elastic member is arranged on the guide mechanism, located between the pressure cover and the base, and is used to prevent the pressure cover from impacting and damaging the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part; the locking mechanism is arranged on the guide mechanism, and is used to limit the pressure cover from lifting up, so that the pressure cover and the base clamp the microfluidic chip carried by the bearing part; The locking mechanism includes a nut with an internal thread and a thread arranged on the outer side of the guide column. The liquid inlet channel and the liquid outlet channel are arranged on both sides of the pressure cover along the short side direction. The guide sleeve is arranged at both ends of the pressure cover along the long side direction. The guide column is vertically arranged on the two ends of the upper surface of the base along the long side direction. The guide column passes through the elastic part, the guide sleeve and the nut in sequence.

2. A microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and outlet are respectively provided with pipeline locking and sealing components for connecting external pipelines; the pipeline locking and sealing components include a pillar with external threads and an internal passage, a nut with internal threads covered on the pillar, and a seal arranged between the nut and the pillar.

3. A microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sealing component includes a front ferrule and a rear ferrule; the front ferrule is a conical structure, and the conical end is inserted downward into the inner passage of the pillar; the rear ferrule is a columnar structure, and is arranged above the front ferrule; a boss is provided on the lower surface of the rear ferrule, and a groove is provided on the upper surface of the front ferrule, and the boss is clamped in the groove.

4. The microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet and outlet are respectively provided with fault-tolerant grooves, the size of the fault-tolerant groove of the liquid inlet is larger than the size of the liquid inlet channel, and the size of the fault-tolerant groove of the liquid outlet is larger than the size of the liquid outlet channel.

5. The microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the upper end of the guide sleeve is smaller than that of the lower end, the inner diameter of the upper end matches the size of the guide column, and the inner diameter of the lower end matches the size of the elastic member.

6. The microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing part includes quartz glass, a first groove opened on the upper surface of the base and a second groove opened on the lower surface of the base; the first groove is larger than the second groove, the first groove and the second groove are connected, and the quartz glass is arranged in the first groove.

7. A microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 6, characterized in that: The quartz glass is clamped in the first groove, and the upper surface of the quartz glass is flush with the upper surface of the base.

8. The microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cross sections of the quartz glass, the first groove and the second groove are rectangular structures, and the four corners of the first groove are provided with longitudinally penetrating liquid guide grooves.

9. The microfluidic chip fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing buffer pad is arranged below the gland, and through holes are respectively opened on the sealing buffer pad corresponding to the liquid inlet and outlet and the liquid outlet.

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