A microfluidic chip channel and a microfluidic chip

Abstract

This application discloses a microfluidic chip conduit and a microfluidic chip, belonging to the field of microfluidic chip technology. It includes a conduit body, the inner wall of which is divided into a first region and a second region arranged opposite to each other. The first region, along the extension direction of the conduit body, is further divided into a plurality of alternating first surface energy regions and a plurality of second surface energy regions. The second region, along the extension direction of the conduit body, is further divided into a plurality of alternating third surface energy regions and a plurality of fourth surface energy regions. The first and fourth surface energy regions are arranged opposite to each other, as are the second and third surface energy regions. The surface energies of the two oppositely arranged surface energy regions are not equal. This application can improve the mixing degree of liquid and avoid the deposition of the material itself and reaction byproducts on the inner wall of the conduit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of microfluidic chip technology, specifically to a microfluidic chip channel and a microfluidic chip. Background Technology

[0002] "Segmented flow" microfluidic chips effectively address the mixing difficulties caused by laminar flow through the movement of droplets within the droplets and their interaction with the walls. During the movement of the droplets within the microchannels, symmetrical vortices exist. By designing complex chip channel structures to alter the droplet's trajectory, the vortex distribution changes accordingly, achieving excellent mixing results after several cycles. However, in practical applications, we have found that these complex chip channels with numerous bends are prone to material adsorption and accumulation on the channel walls, leading to clogging by impurities over time. Therefore, preventing material deposition on the inner walls has become one of the most pressing problems to be solved in current microfluidic chip technology. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a microfluidic chip channel, which aims to improve the problem of channel blockage caused by material deposition in existing microfluidic chip channels.

[0004] This application embodiment is implemented as follows: a microfluidic chip channel includes a channel body. The inner wall of the channel body is divided into a first region and a second region arranged opposite to each other. The first region is divided along the extension direction of the channel body into a plurality of first surface energy regions and a plurality of second surface energy regions arranged alternately in sequence. The second region is divided along the extension direction of the channel body into a plurality of third surface energy regions and a plurality of fourth surface energy regions arranged alternately in sequence. The first surface energy regions and the fourth surface energy regions are arranged opposite to each other, and the second surface energy regions and the third surface energy regions are arranged opposite to each other. The surface energies of the two oppositely arranged surface energy regions are not equal.

[0005] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the pipeline body includes a straight pipe section; or, the pipeline body includes a straight pipe section and a bend.

[0006] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the cross-section of the pipe body is circular.

[0007] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, when the first surface energy region and the fourth surface energy region are arranged opposite each other, 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the first surface energy region is directly opposite the fourth surface energy region in terms of area, and / or 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the fourth surface energy region is directly opposite the first surface energy region.

[0008] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, when the second surface energy region and the third surface energy region are arranged opposite each other, 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the second surface energy region is directly opposite the third surface energy region, and / or 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the third surface energy region is directly opposite the second surface energy region.

[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the surface energy of at least a portion of the first surface energy region and the surface energy of at least a portion of the third surface energy region are equal, and the surface energy of at least a portion of the second surface energy region and the surface energy of at least a portion of the fourth surface energy region are equal;

[0010] The surface energies of the two opposing surface energy regions are not equal, specifically: the surface energy of the first surface energy region is higher than that of the fourth surface energy region, and the surface energy of the third surface energy region is higher than that of the second surface energy region; or, the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region is higher than that of the first surface energy region, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region is higher than that of the third surface energy region.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the surface energy of at least a portion of the first surface energy region and the surface energy of at least a portion of the third surface energy region are both located in the first energy value range, and the surface energy of at least a portion of the second surface energy region and the surface energy of at least a portion of the fourth surface energy region are both located in the second energy value range.

[0012] The surface energies of the two relatively arranged surface energy regions are not equal, specifically: the first energy value range is higher than the second energy value range; or, the second energy value range is higher than the first energy value range.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, within the first energy value range, the surface energy of all the first surface energy regions is set to increase or decrease sequentially according to their order, and / or, the surface energy of all the third surface energy regions is set to increase or decrease sequentially according to their order.

[0014] Within the second energy value range, the surface energies of all the second surface energy regions are set to increase or decrease sequentially according to their order, and / or, the surface energies of all the fourth surface energy regions are set to increase or decrease sequentially according to their order.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, within the first energy value range, the surface energy of all the first surface energy regions and the surface energy of all the third surface energy regions are mixed and sorted in a sequentially increasing or decreasing manner.

[0016] Within the second energy value range, the surface energies of all second surface energy regions and all fourth surface energy regions are arranged in a mixed order of increasing or decreasing sequentially.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the area of ​​the first region accounts for 40% to 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body, and / or the area of ​​the second region accounts for 40% to 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body.

[0018] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, at least some of the surface energy regions have equal lengths; and / or, at least some of the surface energy regions have lengths greater than or equal to the diameter of the droplets flowing through the pipe body.

[0019] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the surfaces of the first surface energy region and the third surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer or a micro / nano structure; or, the surfaces of the second surface energy region and the fourth surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer or a micro / nano structure.

[0020] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the surfaces of the first surface energy region and the third surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer with a micro-nano structure; or, the surfaces of the second surface energy region and the fourth surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer with a micro-nano structure.

[0021] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the material of the hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer is an organosilicon material or a fluorinated organic material.

[0022] This application also provides a microfluidic chip, including the microfluidic chip channel described above.

[0023] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, a chip carrier and a reaction chamber are further included, wherein the microfluidic chip channel and the reaction chamber are both disposed on the chip carrier, and one end of the microfluidic chip channel is connected to the reaction chamber.

[0024] In this application, a microfluidic chip channel with a differential and specifically distributed surface energy on its inner wall is designed. When a droplet flows within this microfluidic chip channel, the surface energy of the two inner walls in contact with the droplet is inconsistent (the inner wall with lower surface energy has a larger contact angle with the droplet, resulting in greater surface tension, while the inner wall with higher surface energy has a smaller contact angle with the droplet, resulting in less surface tension). This causes the center of the droplet's internal vortex to shift during the flow process (the droplet vortex center shifts towards the side with higher surface energy). As the surface energy of the inner walls on both sides of the channel continuously changes, the vortex center of the droplet also continuously changes. Thus, without adding additional bending structures to the chip channel, it promotes efficient mixing within the droplet while preventing the deposition of the material itself and reaction byproducts on the inner wall of the channel, effectively improving the problem of channel blockage caused by material deposition in existing microfluidic chip channels. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The technical solution and its beneficial effects will become apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of this application, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of droplet flow in a microfluidic chip channel provided by existing technology.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the microfluidic chip pipeline provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of one side of a partial cross-sectional structure of the microfluidic chip channel shown.

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the other side of a partial cross-sectional view of the microfluidic chip channel shown in Figure I.

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows the droplet flow in the microfluidic chip channel.

[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional view of part I of the microfluidic chip channel shown.

[0032] Figure 7 yes Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another cross-sectional view of part I of the microfluidic chip channel shown. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and their technical features can be combined with each other.

[0034] Microfluidics integrates the basic operational units of biological, chemical, and medical analysis processes, such as sample preparation, reaction, separation, and detection, onto a single micrometer-scale chip, automating the entire analytical process. Due to its enormous potential in biology, chemistry, and medicine, it has developed into a new interdisciplinary research field encompassing biology, chemistry, medicine, fluid dynamics, electronics, materials science, and mechanics.

[0035] Microfluidic chips are the primary platform for realizing microfluidic technology. Their main characteristic is that the effective structure for containing fluids (channels, reaction chambers, and other functional components) is at least on the micrometer scale in one dimension. Due to this micrometer-scale structure, fluids exhibit and produce unique properties that differ from those at the macroscopic scale, thus leading to the development of unique analytical capabilities.

[0036] In chemical synthesis, thorough mixing of liquids is a crucial condition for microfluidic technology. A typical characteristic of liquid flow at the microscale is a very low Reynolds number (Re), resulting in laminar flow. In this state, segmented flow easily leads to uneven mixing and heating. To address this, "segmented flow" effectively improves these problems. "Segmented flow" involves introducing an inert gas or heterogeneous solvent into the flowing liquid, using the resulting bubbles or solvent droplets to uniformly separate the liquid. In the field of microfluidic chips, common forms include the mutual distribution of aqueous and oil phases, water or oil distributed in air, and composite droplets containing another droplet.

[0037] In microfluidic chips, a large number of tiny droplets can be generated, which can be used for high-throughput screening and preparation of functional materials. Compared with "continuous flow" microfluidic chips, "segmented flow" fully utilizes the characteristic that surface tension dominates at the microscale. Discrete droplets consume less sample, each droplet can act as an independent reaction unit, and the droplets are independent of each other, enabling a large number of parallel or sequential reactions.

[0038] In existing technologies, "segmented flow" microfluidic chips can effectively solve the mixing difficulties caused by laminar flow through the movement inside the droplet and its interaction with the wall, such as... Figure 1As shown, during the movement of droplets within a microchannel, symmetrical vortices exist. By designing complex chip channel structures to alter the droplet's trajectory, the vortex distribution changes accordingly, achieving excellent mixing after several cycles. However, in practical applications, we've found that these complex chip channels with numerous bends easily lead to material adsorption and accumulation on the channel walls, eventually causing blockage by impurities. Therefore, preventing material deposition on the inner wall while ensuring effective droplet mixing has become one of the most pressing problems to be solved in current "segmented flow" microfluidic chip technology.

[0039] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new solution for microfluidic chip channels to improve the technical problem that existing microfluidic chip channels cannot avoid material deposition on the inner wall of the channel while ensuring droplet mixing.

[0040] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment provides a microfluidic chip channel, which includes a channel body 100. The inner wall of the channel body 100 is divided into a first region 110 and a second region 120 arranged opposite to each other. The first region 110 is divided along the extension direction of the channel body 100 into a plurality of first surface energy regions 111 and a plurality of second surface energy regions 112 arranged alternately in sequence. The second region 120 is divided along the extension direction of the channel body 100 into a plurality of third surface energy regions 121 and a plurality of fourth surface energy regions 122 arranged alternately in sequence. Furthermore, the first surface energy region 111 and the fourth surface energy region 122 are arranged opposite each other, and the second surface energy region 112 and the third surface energy region 121 are arranged opposite each other. That is to say, when the first region 110 consists of the first surface energy region 111 and the second surface energy region 112 alternating sequentially, the second region 120 consists of the fourth surface energy region 122 and the third surface energy region 121 alternating sequentially; and when the first region 110 consists of the second surface energy region 112 and the first surface energy region 111 alternating sequentially, the second region 120 consists of the third surface energy region 121 and the fourth surface energy region 122 alternating sequentially. Within the aforementioned pipe body 100, the surface energies of the two oppositely arranged surface energy regions are not equal, that is, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is not equal to the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region 122, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 is not equal to the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121.

[0041] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the main body 100 of the pipe primarily refers to the portion of the microfluidic chip pipe that divides the first region 110 and the second region 120 as described above. Therefore, the main body 100 of the pipe in this example may only include... Figure 1 The straight pipe section shown. This is because... Figure 1The curved section shown can achieve the displacement of the center of the internal vortex of the droplet during flow due to its own structural curvature. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the first surface energy region 111 and the second surface energy region 112 on one side of the curved section and the third surface energy region 121 and the fourth surface energy region 122 on the other side. However, in order to maintain the structural consistency of the entire microfluidic chip channel, it is for those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned channel body 100 may also include straight pipe sections and curved pipe sections. That is, the inner wall of each curved section may also have the first surface energy region 111 and the second surface energy region 112 on one side and the third surface energy region 121 and the fourth surface energy region 122 on the other side. The cross-section of the channel body 100 is mainly circular, consisting of... Figure 1 As shown, apart from the necessary curved sections, the entire microfluidic chip channel is composed of cylindrical capillary channels, which can effectively improve the problem of channel blockage.

[0042] In one embodiment, the surface energies of the two adjacent surface energy regions are not equal, that is, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is not equal to the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112, and the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121 is not equal to the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region 122.

[0043] Furthermore, at least a portion of the surface energies of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 are equal, and at least a portion of the surface energies of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 are equal. In this case, the surface energies of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 are not equal to the surface energies of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. Specifically, in this embodiment, the surface energies of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 are higher than the surface energies of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121. For those skilled in the art, it can also be set that the surface energies of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 are higher than the surface energies of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122, according to actual needs.

[0044] Within the aforementioned pipe body 100, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is not equal to the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region 122, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 is not equal to the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121. Specifically, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 may be lower than that of the fourth surface energy region 122, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 may be higher than that of the third surface energy region 121. For those skilled in the art, it can also be configured, according to actual needs, that the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is higher than that of the second surface energy region 112, the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121 is higher than that of the fourth surface energy region 122, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is higher than that of the fourth surface energy region 122, and the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121 is lower than that of the second surface energy region 112.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is lower than that of the fourth surface energy region 122, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 is higher than that of the third surface energy region 121. When the droplet 2 flows within the microfluidic chip channel, its two sides either simultaneously contact the first surface energy region 111 and the fourth surface energy region 122, or simultaneously contact the second surface energy region 112 and the third surface energy region 121. This ensures that the surface energies of the inner walls on both sides in contact with the droplet 2 remain consistent as the droplet flows within the microfluidic chip channel.

[0046] As can be seen, in this embodiment, a microfluidic chip channel with different and distributed surface energies on the inner wall is designed. When the droplet 2 flows in the microfluidic chip channel, the surface energies of the two inner walls in contact with the droplet are inconsistent (the inner wall with lower surface energy has a larger contact angle with the droplet, resulting in greater surface tension, while the inner wall with higher surface energy has a smaller contact angle with the droplet, resulting in less surface tension). As a result, the center of the vortex inside the droplet 2 shifts during the flow (the vortex center shifts towards the side with higher surface energy). With the continuous change of surface energy on both sides of the inner wall, the vortex center of the droplet 2 also changes continuously. Thus, without adding an additional bending structure to the chip channel, it promotes efficient mixing inside the droplet 2 while avoiding the deposition of the material itself and reaction byproducts on the inner wall of the channel, thereby effectively improving the problem of channel blockage caused by material deposition in existing microfluidic chip channels.

[0047] In some examples, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, when the first surface energy region 111 and the fourth surface energy region 122 are arranged opposite each other, in terms of area, 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the first surface energy region 111 is directly opposite the fourth surface energy region 114, and / or 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the fourth surface energy region 122 is directly opposite the first surface energy region 121. That is, the first surface energy region 111 and the fourth surface energy region 122 can be completely opposite each other, or their main parts can be directly opposite each other. When they are completely opposite each other, the final mixing effect of the droplet 2 is optimal. Similarly, when the second surface energy region 112 and the third surface energy region 121 are arranged opposite each other, in terms of area, 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the second surface energy region 112 is directly opposite the third surface energy region 121, and / or 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the third surface energy region 121 is directly opposite the second surface energy region 112. That is, the second surface energy region 112 and the third surface energy region 122 can be completely opposite to each other, or the main body can be directly opposite each other. When they are completely opposite to each other, the final mixing effect of the droplet 2 is the best.

[0048] In some examples, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the surface energies of at least a portion of the first surface energy region 111 and at least a portion of the third surface energy region 121 are both located within the first energy value range, while the surface energies of at least a portion of the second surface energy region 112 and at least a portion of the fourth surface energy region 122 are both located within the second energy value range. That is, the surface energies of at least a portion of the first surface energy region 111 and at least a portion of the third surface energy region 121 can be the same or different within the first energy value range; similarly, the surface energies of at least a portion of the second surface energy region 112 and at least a portion of the fourth surface energy region 122 can also be the same or different within the second energy value range. In this case, the surface energies of the two relatively arranged surface energy regions are not equal. In this example, specifically, the first energy value range can be higher than the second energy value range, i.e., the first energy value range is a high energy value range, and the second energy value range is a low energy value range, with all surface energy values ​​within the first energy value range being higher than all surface energy values ​​within the second energy value range. For those skilled in the art, it is also possible to set the second energy value range higher than the second energy value range according to actual needs.

[0049] In some examples, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, within the aforementioned first energy range, the surface energies of all first surface energy regions 111 are arranged in an increasing or decreasing order according to their respective order, and / or, the surface energies of all third surface energy regions 121 are arranged in an increasing or decreasing order according to their respective order. Within the second energy range, the surface energies of all second surface energy regions 112 are arranged in an increasing or decreasing order according to their respective order, and / or, the surface energies of all fourth surface energy regions 122 are arranged in an increasing or decreasing order according to their respective order. In this example, the surface energies of all first surface energy regions 111 within the first region 110 are unequal and exhibit a gradient change (gradient change on the same side); the surface energies of all third surface energy regions 121 within the second region 120 are unequal and exhibit a gradient change (gradient change on the same side); the surface energies of all second surface energy regions 112 within the first region 110 are unequal and exhibit a gradient change (gradient change on the same side); and the surface energies of all fourth surface energy regions 122 within the second region 120 are unequal and exhibit a gradient change (gradient change on the same side). With this arrangement, the degree of deviation of the vortex center of the droplet 2 from its forward flow continuously changes, thereby further promoting the mixing of the liquid within the droplet 2. For those skilled in the art, the arrangement of this example can also be replaced with the following arrangement that has the same effect: within the first energy value range, the surface energies of all first surface energy regions 111 and all third surface energy regions 121 are arranged in a sequentially increasing or decreasing order along the pipe extension. Within the second energy range, the surface energies of all second surface energy regions 112 and all fourth surface energy regions 122 are arranged in a mixed order, either increasing or decreasing sequentially. That is, this layout uses a mixed ordering of different side regions, causing the surface energies of all first surface energy regions 111 and all third surface energy regions 121 to alternately increase or decrease (i.e., the order is first surface energy region 111, third surface energy region 121, first surface energy region 111, third surface energy region 121…), and the surface energies of all second surface energy regions 112 and all fourth surface energy regions 122 to alternately increase or decrease (i.e., the order is second surface energy region 112, fourth surface energy region 122, second surface energy region 112, fourth surface energy region 122…), and the surface energies of all second surface energy regions 112 and all fourth surface energy regions 122 to alternately increase or decrease sequentially.

[0050] In some examples, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the area of ​​the first region 110 accounts for 40% to 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body 100, and / or, the area of ​​the second region 120 accounts for 40% to 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body 100. It can be seen that the areas of the first region 110 and the second region 120 can be equal or unequal. When both areas are equal and each accounts for 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body 100, the inner wall of the pipe body 100 can be directly and evenly divided into the oppositely arranged first region 110 and second region 120. In this case, the final mixing effect of the droplets 2 is optimal. However, when both areas are equal and each area is less than 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body 100, the mixing effect can be... Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, a transition region 130 and a transition region 140 are formed between the two sides of the first region 110 and the corresponding two sides of the second region 120. At this time, the inner wall of the pipe body 100 is divided into the first region 110, a transition region 130, the second region 120, and another transition region 140. When the transition region 130 and the other transition region 140 are also arranged opposite each other, and the areas of the transition region 130 and the other transition region 140 are also equal, the final mixing effect of the droplets 2 is optimal.

[0051] In some examples, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, at least some of the surface energy regions (including the first surface energy region 111, the second surface energy region 112, the third surface energy region 113, and the fourth surface energy region 114) have equal lengths. The optimal effect is achieved when all surface energy regions have equal lengths. In this case, the main pipe body 100 can be evenly divided into multiple smaller pipe segments along its extension direction. The inner wall of each smaller pipe is either divided into the first surface energy region 111 and the fourth surface energy region 122, or into the second surface energy region 112 and the third surface energy region 121. A first surface energy region 111 of one smaller pipe is connected to a second surface energy region 112 of an adjacent smaller pipe, and a fourth surface energy region 122 of one smaller pipe is connected to a third surface energy region 121 of an adjacent smaller pipe. Therefore, a balanced arrangement of the first surface energy region 111, the third surface energy region 121, the second surface energy region 112, and the fourth surface energy region 122 can be achieved. Furthermore, the main pipe body 100 can be formed through a segmented design, reducing its production difficulty.

[0052] In some examples, such as Figure 5 As shown, the lengths of at least some of the surface energy regions (including the first surface energy region 111, the second surface energy region 112, the third surface energy region 113, and the fourth surface energy region 114) are greater than or equal to the diameter of the droplet 2 flowing through the pipe body 110, so that the droplet 2 can flow forward more effectively within the pipe body 110.

[0053] In some examples, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the surfaces of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer, such that the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 is lower than that of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. Specifically, the hydrophobic and oleophobic material can be coated onto the surfaces of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 by mask evaporation or sputtering to form a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer on the surfaces of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121. The hydrophobic and oleophobic material is preferably an organosilicon material or a fluorinated organic material. In this way, by utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the organosilicon material or the fluorinated organic material, the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 is greatly reduced compared to the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 without any treatment, thereby making the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 lower than that of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. For those skilled in the art, the aforementioned hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer can also be replaced with a micro / nano structure. In this case, a micro / nano structure can be formed on the surface of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 by etching. By utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the micro / nano structure, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 is greatly reduced compared to the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 without any treatment. As a result, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 is lower than that of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. The aforementioned hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer can also be replaced with a micro / nano-structured hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer. In this case, the hydrophobic and oleophobic material is coated onto the surfaces of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 by mask evaporation or sputtering to obtain the hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer. Then, a micro / nano-structured hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer is formed on the surfaces of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 by etching. Utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the micro / nano-structured hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 is significantly reduced compared to the untreated second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122, resulting in a lower surface energy for the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 than for the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. The hydrophobic and oleophobic material is also preferably an organosilicon material or a fluorinated organic material.

[0054] Furthermore, based on the above, within the pipe body 100, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is not equal to the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112, the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121 is not equal to the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region 122, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 is not equal to the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region 122, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 is not equal to the surface energy of the third surface energy region 121. Alternatively, depending on actual needs, the surface energies of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 can be set higher than the surface energies of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. In this case, a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer can be provided on the surface of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122, so that the surface energies of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 are lower than the surface energies of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121. Preferably, a hydrophobic and oleophobic material is coated onto the surfaces of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 by mask evaporation or sputtering to form a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer on the surfaces of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. For those skilled in the art, the aforementioned hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer can also be replaced with a micro / nano structure. In this case, the micro / nano structure can be formed on the surfaces of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 by etching. Utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the micro / nano structure, the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 is significantly reduced compared to the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 without any treatment, thereby making the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 higher than that of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. The aforementioned hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer can also be replaced with a micro / nano-structured hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer. In this case, the hydrophobic and oleophobic material is coated onto the surfaces of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 by mask evaporation or sputtering to obtain the hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer. Then, a micro / nano-structured hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer is formed on the surfaces of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 by etching. Utilizing the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of the micro / nano-structured hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer, the surface energy of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122 is significantly reduced compared to the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 without any treatment. Consequently, the surface energy of the first surface energy region 111 and the third surface energy region 121 is higher than that of the second surface energy region 112 and the fourth surface energy region 122. The hydrophobic and oleophobic material is also preferably an organosilicon material or a fluorinated organic material.

[0055] In some examples, such as Figure 2As shown, the microfluidic chip channel in this embodiment also includes several inlet channels 200 and an outlet channel 300. The several inlet channels 200 are simultaneously connected to one end of the channel body 100 to allow different droplets to flow into the microfluidic chip channel. The outlet channel 300 is connected to the other end of the channel body 100 to allow the efficiently mixed droplets to flow out of the microfluidic chip channel.

[0056] In one embodiment, this embodiment provides a microfluidic chip, which, in addition to the microfluidic chip channel described in the above embodiment, also includes a chip carrier and a reaction chamber. Both the microfluidic chip channel and the reaction chamber are disposed on the chip carrier. One end of the microfluidic chip channel is connected to the reaction chamber. Specifically, the outlet channel 300 of the microfluidic chip channel is connected to the reaction chamber. That is, the liquid 2 is fully mixed when flowing through the microfluidic chip channel and then flows into the reaction chamber to complete the corresponding chemical reaction in the reaction chamber.

[0057] In this embodiment, the microfluidic chip is designed with a microfluidic chip channel in which the surface energy of the inner wall of the channel is different and distributed in a specific form. When the droplet 2 flows in the microfluidic chip channel, the surface energy of the two inner walls in contact with the droplet is different (the inner wall with lower surface energy has a larger contact angle with the droplet, resulting in greater surface tension, while the inner wall with higher surface energy has a smaller contact angle with the droplet, resulting in less surface tension). As a result, the center of the vortex inside the droplet 2 will shift during the flow (the center of the droplet vortex shifts to the side with higher surface energy). With the continuous change of surface energy of the inner walls on both sides of the channel, the center of the vortex of the droplet 2 will also change continuously. Thus, without adding an additional bending structure to the chip channel, it promotes efficient mixing inside the droplet 2 while avoiding the deposition of the material itself and reaction byproducts on the inner wall of the channel, thereby effectively reducing the problem of channel blockage.

[0058] Although this application has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art based on a reading and understanding of this specification and the accompanying drawings. This application includes all such modifications and variations and is limited only by the scope of the appended claims. In particular, with respect to the various functions performed by the aforementioned components, the terminology used to describe such components is intended to correspond to any component (unless otherwise indicated) that performs the specified function of said component (e.g., is functionally equivalent to it), even if structurally not equivalent to the disclosed structure performing the functions in the exemplary implementations of this specification shown herein.

[0059] That is, the above description is only an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural changes made using the content of this application’s specification and drawings, such as the combination of technical features between different embodiments, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

[0060] Furthermore, it should be understood that in the description of this application, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Additionally, for structural elements with the same or similar characteristics, this application may use the same or different reference numerals for identification. Moreover, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0061] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. This application has been provided above to enable any person skilled in the art to implement and use it. Various details have been set forth in the above description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be implemented without using these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and processes will not be described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip channel, characterized in that, The system includes a pipe body, the inner wall of which is divided into a first region and a second region arranged opposite to each other. The first region is divided along the extension direction of the pipe body into a plurality of first surface energy regions and a plurality of second surface energy regions arranged alternately in sequence. The second region is divided along the extension direction of the pipe body into a plurality of third surface energy regions and a plurality of fourth surface energy regions arranged alternately in sequence. The first surface energy regions and the fourth surface energy regions are arranged opposite to each other, and the second surface energy regions and the third surface energy regions are arranged opposite to each other. The surface energies of the two opposite surface energy regions are not equal.

2. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the pipeline includes a straight pipe section; or, the main body of the pipeline includes a straight pipe section and a bend pipe section.

3. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-section of the main body of the pipe is circular.

4. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first surface energy region and the fourth surface energy region are arranged opposite each other, in terms of area, 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the first surface energy region is directly opposite the fourth surface energy region, and / or 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the fourth surface energy region is directly opposite the first surface energy region.

5. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the second surface energy region and the third surface energy region are arranged opposite each other, in terms of area, 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the second surface energy region is directly opposite the third surface energy region, and / or 80% to 100% of the area of ​​the third surface energy region is directly opposite the second surface energy region.

6. The microfluidic chip channel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The surface energy of at least a portion of the first surface energy region and the surface energy of at least a portion of the third surface energy region are equal, and the surface energy of at least a portion of the second surface energy region and the surface energy of at least a portion of the fourth surface energy region are equal; The surface energies of the two opposing surface energy regions are not equal, specifically: the surface energy of the first surface energy region is higher than that of the fourth surface energy region, and the surface energy of the third surface energy region is higher than that of the second surface energy region; or, the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region is higher than that of the first surface energy region, and the surface energy of the second surface energy region is higher than that of the third surface energy region.

7. The microfluidic chip channel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, At least a portion of the surface energy of the first surface energy region and at least a portion of the surface energy of the third surface energy region are located in the first energy value range, and at least a portion of the surface energy of the second surface energy region and at least a portion of the surface energy of the fourth surface energy region are located in the second energy value range. The surface energies of the two relatively arranged surface energy regions are not equal, specifically: the first energy value range is higher than the second energy value range; or, the second energy value range is higher than the first energy value range.

8. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 7, characterized in that, Within the first energy value range, the surface energies of all the first surface energy regions are arranged in an increasing or decreasing order according to their order, and / or, the surface energies of all the third surface energy regions are arranged in an increasing or decreasing order according to their order. Within the second energy value range, the surface energies of all the second surface energy regions are set to increase or decrease sequentially according to their order, and / or, the surface energies of all the fourth surface energy regions are set to increase or decrease sequentially according to their order.

9. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 7, characterized in that, Within the first energy value range, the surface energies of all first surface energy regions and all third surface energy regions are arranged in a mixed order of either increasing or decreasing sequentially. Within the second energy value range, the surface energies of all second surface energy regions and all fourth surface energy regions are arranged in a mixed order of increasing or decreasing sequentially.

10. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area of ​​the first region accounts for 40% to 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body, and / or the area of ​​the second region accounts for 40% to 50% of the area of ​​the inner wall of the pipe body.

11. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least some of the surface energy regions have equal lengths; and / or, at least some of the surface energy regions have lengths greater than or equal to the diameter of the droplets flowing through the main body of the pipe.

12. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surfaces of the first surface energy region and the third surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer or a micro / nano structure; or, the surfaces of the second surface energy region and the fourth surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer or a micro / nano structure.

13. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surfaces of the first surface energy region and the third surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer with a micro-nano structure; or, the surfaces of the second surface energy region and the fourth surface energy region are provided with a hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer with a micro-nano structure.

14. The microfluidic chip channel according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The hydrophobic and oleophobic material layer is made of organosilicon or fluorine-containing organic materials.

15. A microfluidic chip, characterized in that, Including the microfluidic chip channel as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The microfluidic chip according to claim 15, characterized in that, It also includes a chip carrier and a reaction chamber. The microfluidic chip channel and the reaction chamber are both disposed on the chip carrier, and one end of the microfluidic chip channel is connected to the reaction chamber.

Images