Micro droplet generation device

Abstract

The present invention provides a micro-droplet generating device, including a control module, an air supply module, a chip moving module and an air pressure regulating module, etc. The air supply module has a gas cylinder, the air pressure regulating module has an air cavity, the gas cylinder is provided with a first pressure sensor for real-time monitoring of the gas pressure in the gas cylinder, the air cavity is provided with a second pressure sensor for real-time monitoring of the gas pressure therein, the gas path output side of the gas cavity is provided with an oil phase solenoid valve and a water phase solenoid valve in parallel, the control module is configured to be able to monitor the pressure value in real time according to the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, and when the pressure value exceeds the preset pressure threshold range, control the deflation valve or the oil phase solenoid valve, the water phase solenoid valve to produce a deflation action. The micro-droplet generating device of the present invention can realize secondary real-time monitoring and voltage stabilization control of the gas pressure in the gas path, prevent excessive fluctuations in the gas pressure, and thus ensure the stability of micro-droplet generation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of microfluidic chips, and in particular relates to a micro-droplet generating device. Background Art

[0002] Droplet-based microfluidics is a technology developed in recent years to manipulate tiny volumes of liquid on microfluidic chips. Droplet technology is a micro-nanotechnology that uses the interaction between flow shear force and surface tension in microscale channels to separate continuous fluids into discrete droplets of nanometers or smaller volumes.

[0003] So far, there are two main types of microdroplets: gas-liquid phase droplets and liquid-liquid phase droplets. Gas-liquid phase droplets are limited in application because they easily evaporate in microchannels and cause cross-contamination. Liquid-liquid phase droplets are divided into water-in-oil (O / W), oil-in-water (W / O), oil-in-water-in-oil (O / W / O) and water-in-oil-in-water (W / O / W) according to the difference between the continuous phase and the dispersed phase. They can overcome the shortcomings of droplet volatilization and cross-contamination, and are therefore the focus of the development of microfluidic droplet technology. Among them, the principle of oil-in-water (W / O) microdroplet generation is as follows: two immiscible liquids, for example, one is an oil phase and the other is a water phase, enter the microchannel at the same time, and under the action of the microchannel, the water phase is dispersed in a tiny volume (10 -15 ~10 -9 L) modules are distributed in the oil phase to form a series of discrete microdroplets. Each droplet acts as a microreactor to complete a set of chemical or biological reactions. Microdroplets have the following advantages for screening:

[0004] 1) The sample consumption is minimal, greatly reducing the screening cost;

[0005] 2) The generated microdroplets have a wide range of sizes, are controllable in size, have good monodispersity, and do not require high wettability of the wall material, thus attracting widespread attention and application;

[0006] 3) The droplets are wrapped in oil and have no material exchange with the outside world. The reaction conditions inside the droplets are stable and the results are reliable.

[0007] Therefore, it has important and broad application prospects in drug screening, micro-nano material synthesis, enzyme reaction analysis, etc.

[0008] For a microfluidic chip, the number, size and uniformity of the microdroplets generated are important parameters for measuring the performance indicators of the microfluidic chip. Existing microfluidic chips mostly use a microinjection pump control method. Due to the limited air pressure control accuracy of the existing microinjection pump, the qualified rate of the generated microdroplets is relatively low. Therefore, the microdroplets generated by controlling the microinjection pump alone can no longer meet the increasingly high experimental requirements. Based on the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0009] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a micro-droplet generating device, in which the gas supply module and the gas cavity are both provided with pressure sensors, which can realize secondary real-time monitoring and voltage stabilization regulation of the gas pressure in the gas path, prevent excessive fluctuations in the gas pressure, and thereby ensure the stability of micro-droplet generation.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a micro-droplet generating device, comprising a control module, an air supply module and a plurality of air pressure regulating modules selectively connected to the air supply module, the air supply module having an air cylinder, the air pressure regulating module having an air cavity, the air cylinder having an air supply pipe connected to an air pump, an air outlet pipe selectively connected to an air path of the air cavity and an air release pipe connected to an air release valve, the air cylinder being provided with a first pressure sensor for real-time monitoring of the gas pressure in the air cylinder, the air cavity being provided with a second pressure sensor for real-time monitoring of the gas pressure therein, the air path output side of the air cavity being provided with an oil phase solenoid valve and a water phase solenoid valve connected in parallel, the control module being configured to be able to monitor the pressure value in real time based on the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, and to control the air release valve or the oil phase solenoid valve and the water phase solenoid valve to produce an air release action when the pressure value exceeds a preset pressure threshold range.

[0011] Preferably, the control module is further configured to control the air pump to operate when the pressure value is lower than a preset pressure threshold range, or to control the oil phase solenoid valve and the water phase solenoid valve to connect the air cavity with the chip module located downstream in its air path.

[0012] Preferably, an air filter is provided at the air inlet of the air pump, and / or a one-way valve is provided between the air pump and the air supply pipe of the gas cylinder.

[0013] Preferably, the chip module includes a plurality of chip bodies arranged in parallel, and the chip bodies are constructed with a liquid storage portion, a micro-droplet generating portion, and a collecting portion, wherein the liquid storage portion includes an oil phase liquid storage tank and a water phase liquid storage tank, and the oil phase liquid storage tank and the water phase liquid storage tank are selectively connected to the air cavity through the oil phase solenoid valve and the water phase solenoid valve, respectively. Under the action of the pressurized gas in the air cavity, the oil phase in the oil phase liquid storage tank and the water phase in the water phase liquid storage tank generate micro-droplets at the micro-droplet generating portion and are transported to the collecting portion.

[0014] Preferably, the chip body has an airtight gasket, which is correspondingly arranged around the notches of the oil phase reservoir and the water phase reservoir, so that each of the oil phase reservoir and the water phase reservoir is sealed and independent from each other.

[0015] Preferably, the collecting part comprises a collecting tube and a sealing cover disposed on the collecting tube.

[0016] Preferably, the micro-droplet generating part comprises a cross port, which comprises two oil phase ports corresponding to the oil phase reservoir, a water phase port corresponding to the water phase reservoir, and an output port corresponding to the collecting part, and the output port is connected to the collecting part through a channel.

[0017] Preferably, the micro-droplet generating device further comprises a chip moving module, and the control module is further configured to control the chip moving module to move to a micro-droplet generating position.

[0018] Preferably, the chip moving module comprises a power module and a chip slave module, and the power module drives the chip slave module to generate corresponding movement under the control of the control module.

[0019] Preferably, the air pressure regulating module further comprises an air cavity communicating solenoid valve, and the air cavity communicating solenoid valve is located on the pipeline between the air outlet pipe of the gas cylinder and the air cavity.

[0020] The present invention provides a micro-droplet generating device, which respectively monitors the pressure of the pressure gas in the gas cylinder and the gas cavity in real time through the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, and when the gas pressure at the corresponding position exceeds the corresponding preset threshold range, controls the air release valve to release air in time or controls the oil phase solenoid valve and the water phase solenoid valve to release air, that is, generates an air release action, thereby ensuring that the pressure of the pressure gas in the micro-droplet generating device does not exceed the preset threshold range, and prevents excessive pressure fluctuation of the pressure gas through real-time monitoring and adjustment of the pressure on both sides, thereby accurately controlling the injection rate of the reagent in the micro-droplet generating part, ensuring the stability of micro-droplet generation, realizing high-precision automatic operation, ensuring that each group of micro-droplets to be tested generated are in a state of being discrete from each other, and saving the amount of reagent used. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system structure of a micro-droplet generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the connection structure of the middle air supply module;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a top view of a chip body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the bottom view of the chip body in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the micro-droplet generation process of the chip body in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The reference numerals are:

[0027] 1. Control module; 11. Command output module; 12. Air circuit control module; 13. Transmission control module; 2. Air circuit module; 21. Air supply module; 211. Air filter; 212. Air pump; 213. One-way valve; 214. Gas cylinder; 215. Air relief valve; 216. First pressure sensor; 22. Air pressure regulating module; 221. Second pressure sensor; 222. Air cavity; 223. Air cavity connecting solenoid valve; 224. Oil phase solenoid valve; 225. Water phase solenoid valve; 3. Chip moving module; 31. Power module; 32. Chip slave module; 4. Chip module; 41. Chip body; 411. Liquid storage part; 4111. Oil phase liquid storage tank; 4112. Water phase liquid storage tank; 412. Micro droplet generating part; 4121. Cross port; 413. Collecting part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] See also Figures 1 to 5As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a micro-droplet generating device is provided, comprising a control module 1, an air supply module 21, and a plurality of air pressure regulating modules 22 (together forming an air path module 2) which are selectively connected to the air supply module 21, wherein the air supply module 21 has an air cylinder 214, the air pressure regulating module 22 has an air cavity 222, the air cylinder 214 has an air supply pipe connected to the air pump 212, an air outlet pipe selectively connected to the air path of the air cavity 222, and an air release pipe connected to the air release valve 215, and the air cylinder 214 is provided with a control module 1, an air supply module 211, and an air pressure regulating module 22 (together forming an air path module 2) which is selectively connected to the air path of the air cavity 222, and an air release pipe connected to the air release valve 215, and the air cylinder 214 is provided with a control module 1, an air supply module 212, and an air pressure regulating module 22 (together forming an air path module 2) which is selectively connected to the air path of the air cavity 222, and an air release pipe connected to the air release valve 215, and the air cylinder 214 is provided with a control module 1, an air supply module 21 ... pipe A first pressure sensor 216 for monitoring the gas pressure in the bottle 214, a second pressure sensor 221 for real-time monitoring the gas pressure therein is provided on the air cavity 222, and an oil phase solenoid valve 224 and a water phase solenoid valve 225 are provided in parallel on the gas path output side of the air cavity 222. The control module 1 is configured to be able to monitor the pressure value in real time based on the first pressure sensor 216 and the second pressure sensor 221, and when the pressure value exceeds the preset pressure threshold range, control the deflation valve 215 or the oil phase solenoid valve 224, the water phase solenoid valve 225 to produce a deflation action. In this technical solution, the pressure of the pressurized gas in the gas cylinder 214 and the air cavity 222 is respectively monitored in real time by the first pressure sensor 216 and the second pressure sensor 221, and when the gas pressure at the corresponding position exceeds the corresponding preset threshold range, the air release valve 215 is controlled to release air in time or the oil phase solenoid valve 224 and the water phase solenoid valve 225 are controlled to release air, that is, to produce a release action, thereby ensuring that the pressure of the pressurized gas in the micro-droplet generating device does not exceed the preset threshold range, and preventing the pressure of the pressurized gas from fluctuating too much by real-time monitoring and adjustment of the pressure on both sides, thereby accurately controlling the injection rate of the reagent in the micro-droplet generating part, ensuring the stability of micro-droplet generation, realizing high-precision automated operation, and ensuring that each group of micro-droplets to be tested generated are in a discrete state, saving the use of reagents.

[0029] Further, the control module 1 is also configured to control the air pump 212 to operate when the pressure value is lower than the preset threshold range, or control the oil phase solenoid valve 224 and the water phase solenoid valve 225 to connect the air cavity 222 with the chip module 4 located downstream of the gas path. In this technical solution, the pressure value of the pressure gas in the gas cylinder 214 and the air cavity 222 is monitored in real time by the first pressure sensor 216 and the second pressure sensor 221, and when it is lower than the preset threshold range, the air pump 212 is controlled to operate or the oil phase solenoid valve 224 and the water phase solenoid valve 225 are controlled to connect the air cavity 222 with the chip module 4 located downstream of the gas path to ensure that the pressure value of the corresponding part can meet the requirements, which can further ensure the pressure stability of the pressure gas and prevent excessive pressure fluctuations, that is, to ensure that the pressure gas is always within the preset threshold range, thereby further ensuring the stability of the micro-droplet generation, thereby ensuring that the size of the generated micro-droplets is more uniform and not easy to break.

[0030] Specifically, Figure 1 As shown, the control module 1 includes an instruction output module 11, an air path control module 12 and a transmission control module 13, wherein the instruction output module 11 outputs corresponding control instructions and then realizes on-off control of each solenoid valve in the micro-droplet generating device and position control of the chip moving module 3 through the air path control module 12 and the transmission control module 13.

[0031] Preferably, the air inlet of the air pump 212 is provided with an air filter 211 to filter impurities in the air entering the air pump 212, and / or a one-way valve 213 is provided between the air pump 212 and the air supply pipe of the gas cylinder 214 to prevent the pressurized gas in the air pump 212 from flowing back and leaking.

[0032] As a specific implementation of the chip module 4, Figure 3-5As shown, the chip module 4 includes a plurality of chip bodies 41 arranged in parallel, and the chip body 41 is constructed with a liquid storage portion 411, a micro-droplet generating portion 412, and a collecting portion 413, wherein the liquid storage portion 411 includes an oil phase liquid storage tank 4111 and a water phase liquid storage tank 4112, and the oil phase liquid storage tank 4111 and the water phase liquid storage tank 4112 are selectively connected with the air cavity 222 through the oil phase solenoid valve 224 and the water phase solenoid valve 225 respectively, and under the action of the pressurized gas in the air cavity 222, the oil phase in the oil phase liquid storage tank 4111 and the water phase in the water phase liquid storage tank 4112 generate micro-droplets at the micro-droplet generating portion 412 and are transported to the collecting portion 413. The oil phase liquid storage tank 4111 and the water phase liquid storage tank 4112 are simultaneously arranged on the chip body, and are connected to the oil phase solenoid valve 224 and the water phase solenoid valve 225 accordingly, thereby realizing the fully automated operation of the micro-droplet generation process.

[0033] Furthermore, the chip body 41 has an airtight gasket, which is correspondingly arranged around the notches of the oil phase reservoir 4111 and the water phase reservoir 4112, so that each of the oil phase reservoir 4111 and the water phase reservoir 4112 are sealed and independent of each other; further, the collecting part 413 includes a collecting tube and a sealing cover provided on the collecting tube, and the micro-droplet generating part 412 includes a cross port 4121, and the cross port 4121 includes two oil phase ports corresponding to the oil phase reservoir 4111, a water phase port corresponding to the water phase reservoir 4112, and an output port corresponding to the collecting part 413, and the output port is connected to the collecting part 413 through a channel (located inside the chip body 41, which can be formed by gluing and thus also has sealing properties). In this way, the micro-droplet generation process is ensured to be in a relatively closed space, and the sample reagent works in a closed environment from the liquid storage part 411 to the micro-droplet generation part 412 to generate droplets, and then to the collection part 413, which effectively avoids problems such as droplet volatility and cross contamination.

[0034] Preferably, the micro-droplet generating device further comprises a chip moving module 3, and the control module 1 is further configured to control the chip moving module 3 to move to the micro-droplet generating position. Specifically, the chip moving module 3 comprises a power module 31 and a chip slave module 32, and the power module 31 drives the chip slave module 32 to generate corresponding movement under the control of the control module 1. For example, the control module 1 controls the motor of the power module 31 to move according to the feedback of the next step of the chip module 4, and the chip slave module 32 moves to the corresponding position. In this process, the closing and disconnection of the liquid storage part 411 and the oil phase solenoid valve 224 and the water phase solenoid valve 225 can be controlled. The movement process has high precision and strong adjustment adaptability, and multiple can be quickly integrated to meet different demand scenarios.

[0035] Preferably, the air pressure regulating module 22 also has an air cavity connecting solenoid valve 223, and the air cavity connecting solenoid valve 223 is located on the pipeline between the air outlet pipe of the gas cylinder 214 and the air cavity 222, so as to realize the connection control of the gas cylinder 214 and the air cavity 222 by the control module 1, and the corresponding air cavity connecting solenoid valve 223 is respectively arranged in each of the air pressure regulating modules 22 to ensure the separate control of each air pressure regulating module 22.

[0036] It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that, under the premise of no conflict, the above-mentioned advantageous methods can be freely combined and superimposed.

[0037] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and variations can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and variations should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A micro-droplet generating device, comprising a control module (1), an air supply module (21), and a plurality of air pressure regulating modules (22) selectively connected to the air supply module (21), characterized in that: The gas supply module (21) comprises a gas cylinder (214), the gas pressure regulating module (22) comprises a gas cavity (222), the gas cylinder (214) comprises a gas supply pipe connected to the gas pump (212), a gas outlet pipe selectively connected to the gas path of the gas cavity (222), and a gas relief pipe connected to the gas relief valve (215), the gas cylinder (214) is provided with a first pressure sensor (216) for real-time monitoring of the gas pressure in the gas cylinder (214), the gas cavity (222) is provided with a second pressure sensor (221) for real-time monitoring of the gas pressure therein, and the gas path output side of the gas cavity (222) is provided with an oil phase solenoid valve connected in parallel (224) and a water phase solenoid valve (225), the control module (1) being configured to be able to control the air release valve (215) or the oil phase solenoid valve (224) and the water phase solenoid valve (225) to produce an air release action based on the pressure value monitored in real time by the first pressure sensor (216) and the second pressure sensor (221), and when the pressure value exceeds a preset pressure threshold range; the control module (1) is also configured to control the air pump (212) to operate when the pressure value is lower than a preset pressure threshold range; and also includes a chip moving module (3), and the air pressure regulating module (22) also has an air cavity communicating solenoid valve (223).

2. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air filter (211) is provided at the air inlet of the air pump (212), and / or a one-way valve (213) is provided between the air pump (212) and the air supply pipe of the gas cylinder (214).

3. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also comprises a chip module (4) composed of a plurality of chip bodies (41) arranged in parallel, wherein the chip body (41) is provided with a liquid storage portion (411), a micro-droplet generating portion (412), and a collecting portion (413), wherein the liquid storage portion (411) comprises an oil phase liquid storage tank (4111) and a water phase liquid storage tank (4112), wherein the oil phase liquid storage tank (4111) and the water phase liquid storage tank (4112) are selectively connected to the air cavity (222) via the oil phase solenoid valve (224) and the water phase solenoid valve (225), respectively, and under the action of the pressurized gas in the air cavity (222), the oil phase in the oil phase liquid storage tank (4111) and the water phase in the water phase liquid storage tank (4112) generate micro-droplets at the micro-droplet generating portion (412) and transport them to the collecting portion (413).

4. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The chip body (41) is provided with an airtight gasket, which is arranged around the notches of the oil phase liquid storage tank (4111) and the water phase liquid storage tank (4112) so that each of the oil phase liquid storage tank (4111) and the water phase liquid storage tank (4112) is sealed and independent from each other.

5. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The collecting portion (413) comprises a collecting tube and a sealing cover arranged on the collecting tube.

6. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The micro-droplet generating section (412) comprises a cross port (4121), wherein the cross port (4121) comprises two oil phase ports corresponding to the oil phase storage tank (4111), a water phase port corresponding to the water phase storage tank (4112), and an output port corresponding to the collecting section (413), wherein the output port is connected to the collecting section (413) via a channel.

7. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control module (1) is also configured to control the chip moving module (3) to move to a micro-droplet generation position.

8. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The chip moving module (3) comprises a power module (31) and a chip slave module (32); the power module (31) drives the chip slave module (32) to generate corresponding movement under the control of the control module (1).

9. The micro-droplet generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air cavity communicating electromagnetic valve (223) is located on the pipeline between the air outlet pipe of the gas cylinder (214) and the air cavity (222).

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