Automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic bonding device for a thin-film microfluidic chip based on ultrasonic spraying, which includes a thin-film conveying system, a hot-pressing system, a spraying system, and a material conveying system; the thin-film conveying system drives the movement of the thin film through rollers, and a laser for cutting and a heating platform are arranged below the thin film; the material conveying system includes conveyors for respectively conveying the substrate of the microfluidic chip to be bonded and the finished product of the bonded microfluidic chip; the hot-pressing system is arranged above the two conveying systems and includes a rotating heating chuck that can rotate and move vertically up and down under the action of a motor, and the rotating heating chuck is also equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor; the spraying system includes an ultrasonic sprayer, a flow valve, and a storage tank; the ultrasonic sprayer is arranged above the thin film and is used for spraying an adhesive on the surface of the thin film; the ultrasonic sprayer is connected to the storage tank through a pipeline, and a flow valve is arranged on the pipeline connecting the two. The present invention can realize the automation of chip bonding, and the device has high operating efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the manufacture of microfluidic chips in the fields of chemical engineering, medicine, etc., and specifically relates to an automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidic chips have been widely used in the fields of medicine, chemical engineering, biology, etc. Bonding is a key step in the production and processing of microfluidic chips, and among them, thermal compression bonding is one of the most widely used microfluidic chip bonding technologies at present. The thermal compression bonding of microfluidic chips often requires high temperature and pressure. However, high temperature and pressure will affect the overall dimensional accuracy and microchannel dimensional accuracy of the microfluidic chip finished product.

[0003] Regarding the above problems, the solvent-assisted thermal bonding technology has been proposed. By spraying or dropping a suitable solvent on the surface of the microfluidic chip, the temperature and pressure parameters required for bonding the microfluidic chip can be significantly reduced, which is beneficial to maintaining the size of the microfluidic chip finished product. However, due to the complexity of the solvent-assisted thermal bonding process, the current solvent-assisted thermal bonding generally requires manual operation. For the few existing automatic microfluidic chip solvent bonding devices, their bonding efficiency is still low, they cannot achieve assembly-line processing, and the control of uniform solvent coating is insufficient, affecting the industrial production of microfluidic chips and the quality control of finished products. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Aiming at the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides an automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying, which realizes uniform spraying of the adhesive on the surface of the microfluidic chip through ultrasonic spraying; realizes mass automatic production of microfluidic chips through a conveyor belt and a rotary thermal compression device; further reduces the temperature and pressure required for bonding by using a thin-film material as the bottom plate of the microfluidic chip.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] An automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying, comprising a thin-film conveying system, a thermal compression system, a spraying system, and a material conveying system;

[0007] The thin-film conveying system includes rollers, a thin film, a laser, a guide rail, a bonding heater, and a heating platform; the rollers drive the thin film wrapped around them to move; the laser, the guide rail, and the heating platform are all located directly below the thin film, the laser is installed on the guide rail and can slide along the guide rail; the heating platform is electrically connected to the bonding heater to provide a suitable bonding temperature for bonding the thin-film microfluidic chip;

[0008] The material conveying system includes a conveyor belt one and a conveyor belt two. The conveyor belt one is used to convey the microfluidic chip substrate to be bonded, and the conveyor belt two is used to convey the microfluidic chip bonding finished product;

[0009] The hot pressing system is arranged above the film conveying system and the material conveying system, and includes a rotary heating chuck which can perform rotary motion and vertical up-and-down movement under the action of a motor; the rotary heating chuck is also equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor, the heater is used to heat the rotary heating chuck so that the microfluidic chip substrate to be bonded held by it reaches the bonding temperature; the temperature sensor is used to sense the temperature of the rotary heating chuck.

[0010] The spraying system includes an ultrasonic sprayer, a flow valve and a storage tank; the ultrasonic sprayer is arranged above the film and is used to spray adhesive on the surface of the film; the ultrasonic sprayer is communicated with the storage tank through a pipeline; the flow valve is arranged on the pipeline connecting the two and is used to regulate the flow rate of the adhesive conveyed by the pipeline.

[0011] Furthermore, the material conveying system also includes a conveyor belt heater for heating the microfluidic chip substrate to be bonded on the first conveyor belt.

[0012] Furthermore, the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are arranged in parallel and the material conveying directions are opposite; the film conveying direction of the film conveying system is perpendicular to the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt.

[0013] Furthermore, the rotary heating chuck is of a four-jaw type, including four four-jaw chuck jaws and a four-jaw chuck. The four-jaw chuck jaws are fixed to the bottom surface of the rotary heating chuck through the four-jaw chuck, and the four four-jaw chuck jaws are evenly arranged at intervals of 90 degrees.

[0014] Furthermore, the hot pressing system also includes a temperature controller which is electrically connected to the temperature sensor and is used to control and adjust the temperature of the rotary heating chuck.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] The present invention adopts an ultrasonic spraying device combined with a conveyor belt to realize continuous and automatic spraying of adhesive on the cover plate of the microfluidic chip, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity of solvent coating on the surface without affecting the overall processing efficiency.

[0017] The designs such as the rotary chuck adopted by the present invention realize the separation of steps such as preheating, solvent spraying, pressurization and cooling, avoid the repeated heating and cooling of the device, and significantly improve the overall operation efficiency of the equipment.

[0018] The present invention uses a thin film as the cover plate of the microfluidic chip. This method can effectively reduce the temperature and pressure required for bonding the microfluidic chip, which is beneficial to preventing deformation of the overall size and microchannel size of the microfluidic chip. The required size is cut from the continuous thin film by laser cutting, which is universal for the bonding process of chips with different sizes. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall device of the automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the rotary heating chuck.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the material conveying system.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the device working flow chart.

[0023] In the figure, 1 - thin film conveying system, 1 - 1 - pre - heatable roller, 1 - 2 - thin film, 1 - 3 - laser, 1 - 4 - roller, 1 - 5 - guide rail, 1 - 6 - bonding heater, 1 - 7, heating platform; 2 - hot pressing system, 2 - 1 - four - jaw chuck jaw, 2 - 2 - four - jaw chuck, 2 - 3 - rotary chuck, 2 - 4 - chuck heater, 2 - 5 - rotary motor, 2 - 6 - lifting motor, 2 - 7 - temperature sensor, 2 - 8 - temperature controller; 3 - spraying system, 3 - 1 - ultrasonic sprayer, 3 - 2 - flow valve, 3 - 3 - storage tank; 4 - material conveying system, 4 - 1 - conveyor belt 1, 4 - 2 - conveyor belt heater, 4 - 3 - conveyor belt 2; 5 - substrate of the microfluidic chip to be bonded, 6 - finished product of the bonded microfluidic chip. Detailed Embodiments

[0024] The present invention will be described in detail below according to the drawings and preferred embodiments. The purpose and effects of the present invention will become more apparent. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0025] As Figure 1 shown, the automatic bonding device for thin - film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a thin film conveying system 1, a hot pressing system 2, a spraying system 3, and a material conveying system 4.

[0026] Among them, the film conveying system 1 includes a pre-heatable roller 1-1, a film 1-2, a laser 1-3, a roller 1-4, a guide rail 1-5, a bonding heater 1-6, and a heating platform 1-7. The pre-heatable roller 1-1 rotates to drive the film 1-2 wrapped around it to move. The laser 1-3, the roller 1-4, the guide rail 1-5, and the heating platform 1-7 are all located directly below the film 1-2. The laser 1-3 is installed on the guide rail 1-5 through a roller and can slide along the guide rail 1-5 to adjust the laser cutting position, thereby realizing the bonding of microfluidic chips of different sizes. The heating platform 1-7 is connected to the bonding heater 1-6 and is used to heat the film during bonding.

[0027] As Figure 3 shown, the material conveying system 4 includes a conveyor belt 4-1, a conveyor belt heater 4-2, and a conveyor belt 4-3. The conveyor belt 4-1 and the conveyor belt 4-3 are arranged in parallel, and the material conveying directions of the conveyor belt 4-1 and the conveyor belt 4-3 are perpendicular to the film movement direction of the film conveying system 1. The conveyor belt 4-1 is used to convey the microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded, and the conveyor belt heater 4-2 is used to preheat the microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded. The conveyor belt 4-3 is used to convey the microfluidic chip bonding finished product 6.

[0028] As Figure 3 shown, the hot pressing system 2 is arranged above the film conveying system 1 and the material conveying system 4, and includes a four-jaw chuck jaw 2-1, a four-jaw chuck 2-2, a rotary heating chuck 2-3, a heater 2-4, a rotary motor 2-5, a lifting motor 2-6, a temperature sensor 2-7, and a temperature controller 2-8. As Figure 2 shown, there are four four-jaw chuck jaws 2-1, which are evenly arranged at 90-degree intervals on the lower surface of the four-jaw chuck 2-2. Both the four-jaw chuck 2-2 and the heater 2-4 are fixed on the rotary heating chuck 2-3, and the heater 2-4 is used to heat the rotary heating chuck 2-3. Above the rotary heating chuck 2-3, the rotary motor 2-5 and the lifting motor 2-6 are fixedly connected in sequence, which are respectively used to drive the rotary heating chuck 2-3 to perform rotary motion and vertical movement, and then drive the four-jaw chuck 2-2 and the four-jaw chuck jaw 2-1 to automatically grasp and release the microfluidic chip. The temperature sensor 2-7 is arranged on the rotary heating chuck 2-3 and is connected to the temperature controller 2-8, and the temperature controller 2-8 adjusts and controls the rotary heating chuck 2-3 to reach the temperature required for bonding.

[0029] The spray system 3 includes an ultrasonic nebulizer 3-1, a flow valve 3-2, and a storage tank 3-3. The ultrasonic nebulizer 3-1 and the storage tank 3-3 are connected through a pipeline. The flow valve 3-2 is arranged on the pipeline connecting the two to regulate the flow rate of the adhesive conveyed through the pipeline. The storage tank 3-3 stores the adhesive required for spraying. The ultrasonic nebulizer 3-1 is arranged above the thin film 1-2, and the adhesive is evenly sprayed on the surface of the thin film 1-2 through the ultrasonic nebulizer 3-1.

[0030] As Figure 4 shown, the working process of the automatic bonding device for the thin film microfluidic chip based on ultrasonic spraying in this embodiment is as follows:

[0031] The microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded is conveyed by the first conveyor belt 4-1 to the lower part of the four-jaw chuck 2-2 of the hot pressing system 2, and is preheated by the conveyor belt heater 4-2 during the conveying process. The rotating heating chuck 2-3 and the four-jaw chuck 2-2 descend under the action of the lifting motor 2-6, and the four four-jaw chuck jaws 2-1 are controlled to perform grasping or releasing operations respectively. Among them, the two four-jaw chuck jaws 2-1 located above the first conveyor belt 4-1 and the thin film 1-2 perform grasping operations, grasping the microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded and the bonded microfluidic chip finished product 6 respectively. Then, the lifting motor 2-6 drives the four-jaw chuck 2-2 to move upward, and the rotating motor 2-5 drives the four-jaw chuck 2-2 to rotate counterclockwise by 90 degrees, and then the lifting motor 2-6 drives the four-jaw chuck 2-2 to move downward again, so as to release the microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded at the thin film position, release the bonded microfluidic chip finished product 6 on the second conveyor belt 4-3, and at this time, the four-jaw chuck jaw 2-1 located above the first conveyor belt 4-1 performs a grasping operation to grasp a new microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded. When the microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded is released at the thin film position, the laser 1-3 cuts the thin film 1-2 that has been sprayed with adhesive, and under the action of the heating platform 1-7, it is bonded to the microfluidic chip substrate 5 to be bonded, thus completing the bonding process.

[0032] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the above are only preferred examples of the invention and are not used to limit the invention. Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, for those skilled in the art, they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing examples, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features. All modifications, equivalent replacements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the invention shall be included in the protection scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying, characterized in that, it includes a thin-film conveying system, a hot-pressing system, a spraying system and a material conveying system; The thin-film conveying system includes rollers, a thin film, a laser, a guide rail, a bonding heater and a heating platform; the rollers drive the thin film wrapped around them to move; the laser, the guide rail and the heating platform are all located directly below the thin film, and the laser is installed on the guide rail and can slide along the guide rail; the heating platform is electrically connected to the bonding heater to provide a suitable bonding temperature for the bonding of thin-film microfluidic chips; The material conveying system includes a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt. The first conveyor belt is used to convey the microfluidic chip substrate to be bonded, and the second conveyor belt is used to convey the finished microfluidic chip after bonding; The hot-pressing system is arranged above the thin-film conveying system and the material conveying system, and includes a rotary heating chuck. The rotary heating chuck can achieve rotary motion and vertical up-and-down movement under the action of a motor; the rotary heating chuck is also equipped with a heater and a temperature sensor. The heater is used to heat the rotary heating chuck to make the microfluidic chip substrate to be bonded clamped reach the bonding temperature; the temperature sensor is used to sense the temperature of the rotary heating chuck; The spraying system includes an ultrasonic sprayer, a flow valve and a storage tank; the ultrasonic sprayer is arranged above the thin film and is used to spray adhesive on the surface of the thin film; the ultrasonic sprayer is connected to the storage tank through a pipeline; the flow valve is arranged on the pipeline connecting the two to regulate the flow of the adhesive conveyed by the pipeline.

2. The automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying according to claim 1, characterized in that, the material conveying system further includes a conveyor belt heater for heating the microfluidic chip substrate to be bonded on the first conveyor belt.

3. The automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are arranged in parallel and the material conveying directions are opposite; the thin-film conveying direction of the thin-film conveying system is perpendicular to the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt.

4. The automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying according to claim 3, characterized in that, the rotary heating chuck is of a four-jaw type, including four four-jaw chuck jaws and a four-jaw chuck. The four-jaw chuck jaws are fixed to the bottom surface of the rotary heating chuck through the four-jaw chuck, and the four four-jaw chuck jaws are evenly arranged at intervals of 90 degrees.

5. The automatic bonding device for thin-film microfluidic chips based on ultrasonic spraying according to claim 1, characterized in that, the hot-pressing system further includes a temperature controller, and the temperature controller is electrically connected to the temperature sensor for controlling and regulating the temperature of the rotary heating chuck.

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