A microfluidic control system, method and related device based on audio drive

Abstract

The present invention discloses an audio-driven microfluidic control system, method and related devices, which relate to the field of microfluidic technology and solve the problems of complex structure and high cost of existing microfluidic control peripherals. The technical solution includes: a moving coil for converting an electrical signal into an acoustic signal; and an assembly outer shell box, which cooperates with the moving coil to form an air cavity. A first air path communicating the air cavity and the microfluidic control chip is arranged inside the assembly outer shell box, and the number of branches of the first air path is adapted to the number of flow channels in the microfluidic chip. By combining an audio electrical signal with microfluidic control and adopting the method of assembling and sealing the moving coil and the assembly outer shell box, a special air path structure is formed to realize an audio-driven microfluidic control system, which has a simple structure and low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of microfluidic technology, and more specifically, to a microfluidic control system, method, and related device based on audio drive. Background Art

[0002] As an emerging science and technology, microfluidic technology has been developed for two or three decades and has been applied in many fields such as chemistry, biology, engineering, and physics. It has strong interdisciplinary nature and has made breakthroughs in the precise control of time, space, and analysis objects, and can solve many key problems in life analysis. For example, in the aspect of analysis and detection, microfluidic technology can integrate detection experiments that could only be completed in the laboratory onto a small chip, which not only saves the cost of consumables and time, but more importantly, can integrate multiple detection technologies into one, improving the detection efficiency; in the research of life sciences, the development of organ-on-a-chip technology has attracted more and more attention from scientists because it has broad application prospects in future life science research, including the simulation of the human microenvironment, blood system, and lymphatic immune system, and at the same time provides a more refined experimental platform for the research of the signal pathways of human biomolecules, making the theoretical basis more sufficient and promoting revolutionary progress in human life science research.

[0003] However, although the microfluidic chip itself is small in size, the external devices used for microfluidic control are large, bulky, and expensive, which greatly restricts the application scenarios of microfluidic chips. The existing microfluidic control systems and their problems are as follows: The syringe pump system has high cost, large volume, poor portability, and is not suitable for point-of-care testing environments; the centrifugal drive system has a high chip design threshold, weak flexibility, and is difficult to integrate with a temperature control module; the pressing drive system has low precision and poor automation; the capillary force drive system has a high chip design threshold, low precision, and weak fluid control ability; the piezoelectric drive system requires high voltage and is difficult to be practical.

[0004] Based on this, the present invention provides a microfluidic control system, method, and related device based on audio drive to achieve high-precision, low-cost, and convenient control of microfluidics. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a microfluidic control system, method, and related device based on audio drive to solve the problems of complex structure and high cost of existing microfluidic control peripherals, and to realize a microfluidic control system driven by an audio electrical signal through the cooperation of a moving coil and an assembled outer shell box.

[0006] The first aspect of the present application provides a microfluidic control system based on audio drive, including: a moving coil for converting an electrical signal into an acoustic signal; and an assembly outer shell box, which cooperates with the moving coil to form an air cavity. A first air path communicating the air cavity and the microfluidic control chip is arranged inside the assembly outer shell box, and the number of branches of the first air path is adapted to the number of flow channels in the microfluidic chip. Wherein, the air cavity formed by the cooperation of the assembly outer shell box and the moving coil is used for when the moving coil moves in the first direction, the volume of the air cavity increases, and the fluid in the first air path moves towards the direction close to the air cavity; when the moving coil moves in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the volume of the air cavity decreases, and the fluid in the first air path moves away from the direction of the air cavity.

[0007] Adopting the above technical solution, the moving coil and the assembly outer shell box are assembled and sealed to form a special air path structure, realizing a microfluidic control system based on audio drive. By changing parameters such as the waveform, frequency, and amplitude of the input audio electrical signal, the movement direction and speed of the moving coil are changed, and then the pressure state of the first air path is changed, so as to realize precise control of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip, including the direction, flow rate, and flow volume of the microfluid. High-precision, low-cost, and convenient control of microfluid is realized based on audio drive.

[0008] In a possible implementation manner, a second air path communicating the air cavity and the atmosphere is further arranged inside the assembly outer shell box, which is used for when the moving coil moves in the first direction, the volume of the air cavity increases, and the fluid in the second air path and the fluid in the first air path move towards the direction close to the air cavity together; when the moving coil moves in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the volume of the air cavity decreases, and the fluid in the second air path and the fluid in the first air path move away from the direction of the air cavity together.

[0009] In a possible implementation manner, the inside of the assembly outer shell box further includes: a solenoid valve connected to each branch of the first air path for turning on and off each branch of the first air path; a slot for plugging in the microfluidic chip is embedded on the surface of the assembly outer shell box, and an air port is arranged at the bottom of the slot, and the air port is communicated with the branch of the first air path.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the assembly housing box includes: a first housing and a second housing that are interconnected and vertically arranged; the surface of the first housing is cooperatively connected with the moving coil to form an air cavity, and a first air passage that communicates with the air cavity and extends into the second housing and a second air passage that communicates the air cavity with the atmosphere are arranged inside the first housing; a slot is recessed and embedded on the surface of the second housing, and when the microfluidic chip is inserted into the slot, the microfluidic chip is parallel to the first housing, an air port is arranged at the bottom of the slot, and the air port communicates with a branch of the first air passage.

[0011] In a possible implementation manner, a fluorescence excitation module, a heating module, and a magnetic bead control module are further arranged on the surface of the first housing close to the microfluidic chip; the fluorescence excitation module is used to emit excitation light to excite a fluorescent compound in the microfluidic chip to generate fluorescence emission light; the temperature control module is used to maintain a set temperature to maintain the sample reaction in the microfluidic chip; the magnetic bead control module is used to control the position of the magnetic beads in the microfluidic chip to achieve sample extraction.

[0012] The second aspect of the present application provides a microfluidic control method based on audio drive, which is applied to a microfluidic control system based on audio drive as described in any one of the above, and includes: inputting an electrical signal, where the electrical signal is any one or a combination of a positive voltage signal, a negative voltage signal, a positive sawtooth wave, a negative sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a sine wave, and a square wave, driving the moving coil to move in a first direction or a second direction, and controlling the movement of the fluid in the microfluidic chip; wherein, when there are multiple flow channels in the microfluidic chip, a single branch of the first air passage is controlled to be conducted through a solenoid valve to control the movement of the fluid in a single flow channel in the microfluidic chip.

[0013] The third aspect of the present application provides a device of a microfluidic control system based on audio drive, including: a microfluidic control system based on audio drive as described in any one of the above and a microfluidic chip; wherein, in the microfluidic control system based on audio drive, the number of branches of the first air passage is 1; the microfluidic chip includes: a sample injection hole, a microreactor, and a connecting pipe that are sequentially communicated, the sample injection hole is used to access a sample to be measured, the microreactor is used to complete various biochemical reactions, and the connecting pipe communicates with the first air passage.

[0014] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a device for an audio-driven microfluidic control system, comprising: the audio-driven microfluidic control system as described in any one of the above and a microfluidic chip; wherein, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on-off of branch A and branch B is controlled by an electromagnetic valve; the microfluidic chip includes: a droplet collection chamber, a T-shaped droplet generator, an oil inlet, a water inlet, a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe, the droplet collection chamber is communicated with the first end of the T-shaped droplet generator, the second end and the third end of the T-shaped droplet generator are respectively communicated with the oil inlet and the water inlet, the oil inlet is communicated with the first connecting pipe, the water inlet is communicated with the second connecting pipe, and the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B.

[0015] The fifth aspect of the present application provides a device for an audio-driven microfluidic control system, comprising: the audio-driven microfluidic control system as described in any one of the above and a microfluidic chip; wherein, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on-off of branch A and branch B is controlled by an electromagnetic valve; the microfluidic chip includes: a detection area, a sample, a lysis solution, a cleaning solution, an elution solution, a microcolumn, a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe, the sample, the lysis solution and the cleaning solution converge to the microcolumn through their respective pipelines, one end of the microcolumn is communicated with the detection area and the second connecting pipe, the other end of the microcolumn is communicated with the first connecting pipe through the elution solution, and the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B.

[0016] The sixth aspect of the present application provides a device for an audio-driven microfluidic control system, comprising: the audio-driven microfluidic control system as described in any one of the above and a microfluidic chip; wherein, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on-off of branch A and branch B is controlled by an electromagnetic valve; the microfluidic chip includes: a culture organ chamber, a first flow pipe, a second flow pipe, a conversion center, a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe, the upper end of the culture organ chamber is communicated with the upper end of the conversion center through the first flow pipe, the lower end of the conversion center is communicated with the lower end of the culture organ chamber through the second flow pipe, and the upper end and the lower end of the conversion center are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B through the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. The present invention provides a microfluidic control system based on audio drive, which assembles and seals a moving coil with an assembly housing box of a special structure to form a special gas path structure, realizing the drive of microfluidics by audio electrical signals at a lower cost. At the same time, it integrates a fluorescence excitation module, a heating module and a magnetic bead control module, and can precisely complete various microfluidic control requirements required by microfluidic technology.

[0019] 2. The present invention provides a microfluidic control method based on audio drive. By inputting audio electrical signals of different melodies, the control of the direction, flow rate and flow volume of microfluidics in the chip can be completed, and various functions such as liquid sequential injection, liquid mixing, liquid circulation, quantitative distribution and droplet generation can be realized in cooperation.

[0020] 3. The present invention provides related equipment for the microfluidic control system based on audio drive. Based on the microfluidic control method based on audio drive, a matching gas path structure and microfluidic chip structure are designed, which can be integrated in the chip or become an independent component to be connected with the chip and can be reused. The equipment composed of it has the advantages of intelligence, portability, miniaturization and low cost. Description of the Drawings

[0021] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, form a part of this application, and do not limit the embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 is the front view of the microfluidic control system based on audio drive provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is the top view of the microfluidic control system based on audio drive provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is the side view of the microfluidic control system based on audio drive provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram when the electrical signals in Embodiment 2 of the present invention are positive sawtooth wave and negative sawtooth wave;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram when the electrical signal in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is a sine wave;

[0027] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrical signal driving the microfluidics to retreat in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the electrical signal driving the microfluidics to advance in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the electro-signal controlled flow channel A provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the electro-signal controlled flow channel B provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the audio-driven microfluidic control system integrated in a chip provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the application of the audio-driven microfluidic control system to droplet generation provided by Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the application of the audio-driven microfluidic control system to fully automated nucleic acid extraction and detection provided by Embodiment 5 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the application of the audio-driven microfluidic control system to organ-on-a-chip research provided by Embodiment 6 of the present invention;

[0035] Marks in the drawings and corresponding component names:

[0036] 1. Moving coil; 2. Assembly outer shell box; 21. First housing; 22. Second housing; 23. Air cavity; 24. First air path; 25. Second air path; 26. Solenoid valve; 27. Slot; 3. Microfluidic chip; 4. Fluorescence excitation module; 5. Heating module; 6. Magnetic bead control module; 71. Sampling hole; 72. Microreactor; 73. Connecting tube; 81. Droplet collection cavity; 82. T-shaped droplet generator; 83. Oil inlet; 84. Water inlet; 91. Detection area; 92. Sample; 93. Lysis solution; 94. Cleaning solution; 95. Elution solution; 96. Microcolumn; 101. Cultured organ chamber; 102. First flow tube; 103. Second flow tube; 104. Conversion center. Detailed implementation manners

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer and more understandable, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with embodiments and drawings. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present application are only used to explain the present application and shall not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0038] Embodiment 1 provides an audio-driven microfluidic control system. Please refer to Figures 1-3As shown in the figure, the system includes: a moving coil 1 for converting an electrical signal into a sound signal; and an assembly housing box 2, the assembly housing box 2 cooperating with the moving coil 1 to form an air cavity 23, and a first air path 24 communicating the air cavity 23 and the microfluidic control chip 3 is provided inside the assembly housing box 2, and the number of branches of the first air path 24 is adapted to the number of flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3;

[0039] Among them, the air cavity 23 formed by the cooperation of the assembly housing box 2 and the moving coil 1 is used for when the moving coil 1 moves in the first direction, the volume of the air cavity 23 increases, and the fluid in the first air path 24 moves in the direction close to the air cavity 23; when the moving coil 1 moves in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the volume of the air cavity 23 decreases, and the fluid in the first air path 24 moves in the direction away from the air cavity 23.

[0040] Specifically, the moving coil 1 is used to convert an audio electrical signal into a vibrating sound signal. For example, existing devices such as speakers and horns can be used, or other self-made structures capable of converting an audio electrical signal into a vibrating sound signal can be used; the assembly housing box 2 is a housing structure, and air paths and various devices can be provided inside it; the assembly housing box 2 and the moving coil 1 are assembled together, and a cavity is formed between the two, which is called the air cavity 23. To ensure the airtightness at the connection between the assembly housing box 2 and the moving coil 1, sealing methods such as compression gaskets, sealants, and O-rings can be used to prevent fluid from leaking out from the connection and construct a closed air cavity 23 environment. Further, in order to realize the driving of microfluid by an electrical signal, a first air path 24 connecting the air cavity 23 and the microfluidic control chip is provided in this system; the microfluidic chip 3 can be a common microfluidic chip 3 controlled by air pressure, which contains flow channels, and the openings of the flow channels are connected to the first air path 24 to realize the connection between the first air path 24 and the flow channels. The purpose of this system is to control the movement of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3. Specifically, the movement of the air pressure in the air cavity 23 is changed by the movement of the moving coil 1, and the movement of the fluid in the microfluidic chip 3 is adjusted through the first air path 24.

[0041] Please refer to Figures 6-7 As shown in the figure. The principle of driving microfluid by an audio electrical signal in this system is: the audio electrical signal drives the moving coil 1 to vibrate, the pressure state in the air cavity 23 is changed by the vibration of the moving coil 1, and the pressure state in the first air path 24 changes accordingly, thereby controlling the movement of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3 connected to it. Taking the system placed horizontally as an example, affected by the audio electrical signal, the moving coil 1 may move upward or downward. When the moving coil 1 moves upward, the volume of the air cavity 23 increases, and a pressure moving towards the air cavity 23 is generated in the first air path 24, thereby realizing the movement of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3 towards the opening direction of the flow channel. When the moving coil 1 moves downward, the volume of the air cavity 23 decreases, and a pressure moving away from the air cavity 23 is generated in the first air path 24, thereby realizing the movement of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3 away from the opening direction of the flow channel.

[0042] It should be noted that the present invention combines an audio electrical signal with microfluidic control. The moving coil 1 is assembled and sealed with the assembly housing box 2 to form a special gas path structure, realizing a microfluidic control system based on audio drive. By changing parameters such as the waveform, frequency, and amplitude of the input audio electrical signal, the movement direction and speed of the moving coil 1 are changed, and then the pressure state of the first gas path 24 is changed, thereby realizing precise control of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3, including the direction, flow rate, and flow volume of the microfluid. The microfluidic control can be achieved through the moving coil 1 and the assembly housing box 2. The overall structure is portable, low-cost, and has high control precision, and can be widely applied to the microfluidic chip 3 controlled by air pressure to realize functions such as sequential liquid injection, liquid mixing, liquid circulation, quantitative dispensing, and droplet generation required by the microfluidic chip 3.

[0043] In a possible implementation manner, a second gas path 25 communicating the gas chamber 23 with the atmosphere is further provided inside the assembly housing box 2. When the moving coil 1 moves in the first direction, the volume of the gas chamber 23 increases, and the fluid in the second gas path 25 and the fluid in the first gas path 24 move together in the direction close to the gas chamber 23; when the moving coil 1 moves in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the volume of the gas chamber 23 decreases, and the fluid in the second gas path 25 and the fluid in the first gas path 24 move together in the direction away from the gas chamber 23.

[0044] The reason for setting the second gas path 25 is that when using a sawtooth wave for fluid control, the second gas path can be used for exhaust. When using a square wave or a sine wave for fluid control, the second gas path can be blocked, and only the first gas path is used to control the fluid movement in the microfluidic chip.

[0045] In a possible implementation manner, the inside of the assembly housing box 2 further includes: a solenoid valve 26, and the solenoid valve 26 is connected to each branch of the first gas path 24 for turning on and off each branch of the first gas path 24.

[0046] Specifically, when there are multiple flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3 and it is necessary to separately control the microfluid in the multiple flow channels, the first gas path 24 needs to have branches corresponding to the number of flow channels, and each branch is controlled and selected through the solenoid valve 26. For example, when the microfluidic chip 3 includes two flow channels and has two flow channel openings, two branches need to be provided in the first gas path 24 in the system, and the two branches are correspondingly connected to the two flow channel openings to realize the corresponding communication between the two branches and the two flow channels; when it is necessary to control the microfluid in flow channel A, the solenoid valve 26 corresponding to branch A is opened.

[0047] Preferably, the first gas path 24 in the present system can adopt a branched structure to achieve the control of multiple flow channels, that is, one end of the first gas path 24 close to the gas chamber 23 is the main path, and the end close to the microfluidic chip 3 is split into multiple branches according to the number of flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3, and each branch is controlled and selected through the solenoid valve 26.

[0048] Optionally, a plurality of first gas paths 24 are provided, and the number thereof is determined according to the number of flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3. One ends of the plurality of first gas paths 24 are connected to the gas chamber 23, and the other ends are connected to the corresponding flow channel openings of the microfluidic chip 3 to realize the connection between the gas chamber 23 and the flow channels. Each first gas path 24 is controlled and selected through the solenoid valve 26.

[0049] It should be noted that the solenoid valve 26 can adopt a single solenoid valve 26 integrating multiple channels or multiple independent solenoid valves 26.

[0050] Furthermore, a slot 27 for plugging the microfluidic chip 3 is embedded on the surface of the assembly outer casing 2, an air port is provided at the bottom of the slot 27, and the air port is communicated with the branch of the first gas path 24.

[0051] Specifically, in order to fix the microfluidic chip 3 and ensure the connection between the flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3 and the first gas path 24 of the system, a slot 27 is embedded on the surface of the assembly outer casing 2, and an air port communicated with the branch of the first gas path 24 is provided at the bottom of the slot 27.

[0052] In a possible implementation manner, the assembly outer casing 2 includes: a first housing 21 and a second housing 22 that are connected and perpendicular to each other; the surface of the first housing 21 is cooperatively connected with the moving coil 1 to form a gas chamber 23, a second gas path 25 communicating the gas chamber 23 and the atmosphere is provided inside the first housing 21, and a first gas path 24 communicating the gas chamber 23 and extending into the second housing 22 is provided; a slot 27 is recessed and embedded on the surface of the second housing 22. When the microfluidic chip 3 is plugged into the slot 27, the microfluidic chip 3 is parallel to the first housing 21, an air port is provided at the bottom of the slot 27, and the air port is communicated with the branch of the first gas path 24.

[0053] Specifically, this embodiment exemplarily gives a possible implementation structure of the assembly outer casing 2, such as Figure 3 shown, including a first housing 21 and a second housing 22 that are connected and perpendicular to each other. Figure 3 Among them, the first housing 21 is horizontally arranged, the moving coil 1 is connected thereto, the second housing 22 is vertically arranged, a slot 27 is recessed on the side wall, and when the microfluidic chip 3 is plugged into the slot 27, the microfluidic chip 3 is parallel to the first housing 21. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0054] It should be noted that when the moving coil 1 isFigure 3 When the conical-like structure shown is considered, since there is a certain space inside the conical-like structure itself, it can be directly connected to the horizontally arranged first housing 21, and the air cavity 23 is naturally formed. If the moving coil 1 itself does not have space or the space is too small, a part of the surface of the first housing 21 can be recessed inward, and the air cavity 23 is formed by the cooperation of the recessed part and the moving coil 1.

[0055] In a possible implementation manner, a fluorescence excitation module 4, a heating module 5, and a magnetic bead control module 6 are further arranged on the surface of the first housing 21 close to the microfluidic chip 3; the fluorescence excitation module 4 is used to emit excitation light to excite the fluorescent compound in the microfluidic chip 3 to generate fluorescence emission light; the temperature control module is used to maintain a set temperature to maintain the reaction of the sample 92 in the microfluidic chip 3; the magnetic bead control module 6 is used to control the position of the magnetic beads in the microfluidic chip 3 to realize the extraction of the sample 92.

[0056] Specifically, in order to expand the application scenarios of the system, a fluorescence excitation module 4, a heating module 5, and a magnetic bead control module 6 can be arranged on the surface of the first housing 21 close to the microfluidic chip 3. The fluorescence excitation module 4 is used to emit excitation light, and the excitation light causes the fluorescent compound to be detected to emit fluorescence emission light; the temperature control module can maintain the temperature at a specific value to cause the sample 92 to undergo a corresponding reaction, such as nucleic acid amplification; the magnetic bead control module 6 can fix the magnetic beads to extract the nucleic acid.

[0057] It should be noted that the above content is only an exemplary expansion and does not constitute a limitation to the present system. The present system can add, delete, or modify some existing modules according to actual usage needs to meet the common functions of microfluidic technology.

[0058] It can be understood that the microfluidic control system based on music driving provided in this example has the characteristics of being portable, low-cost, and high control accuracy. At the same time, it integrates a fluorescence excitation module 4, a heating module 5, and a magnetic bead control module 6, and can accurately complete various microfluidic control requirements required by microfluidic technology, including fluid direction, flow rate, and flow volume, etc., to realize functions such as sequential liquid injection, quantitative distribution of the sample 92, fluid mixing, liquid circulation, droplet production, nucleic acid amplification, etc.

[0059] Embodiment 2 provides a microfluidic control method based on audio driving. Please refer to Figures 4-9 As shown, applied to a microfluidic control system based on audio driving as described above, the method includes: inputting an electrical signal, where the electrical signal is any one or a combination of a positive voltage signal, a negative voltage signal, a positive sawtooth wave, a negative sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a sine wave, and a square wave, driving the moving coil 1 to move in a first direction or a second direction, and controlling the movement of the fluid in the microfluidic chip 3;

[0060] Among them, when there are multiple flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3, the solenoid valve 26 is used to control the individual conduction of the branches of the first gas path 24, thereby controlling the movement of the fluid in a single flow channel within the microfluidic chip 3.

[0061] Specifically, please refer to Figures 6-7 As shown, when the input electrical signal is a negative voltage, the moving coil 1 retracts upward, sucking the fluid to flow backward; when the input electrical signal is a positive voltage, the moving coil 1 presses downward, pushing the fluid to flow forward.

[0062] When different waveforms are given, the movement mode of the fluid will also be different. When a positive sawtooth wave is used to drive the moving coil 1, the forward force is greater than the backward force, and the fluid advances; when a negative sawtooth wave is used to drive the moving coil 1, the backward force is greater than the forward force, and the fluid retreats; when a triangular wave is used, the fluid continuously advances first and then retreats. At this time, the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3 can be continuously mixed in a mixing chamber with a special structure, such as a mixing chamber with fish-scale-shaped channels; when a sine wave is used to drive the moving coil 1, a check valve can be integrated on the flow channel in the microfluidic chip 3 to enable the liquid to flow unidirectionally on the microfluidic chip 3. At this time, the movement of the moving coil 1 changes gently, and the fluid flow is also gentle, which is suitable for samples such as cells that are sensitive to the fluid flow speed; when a square wave is used, the driving force is large and the fluid movement speed is fast.

[0063] Please refer to Figures 8-9 As shown, when there are multiple flow channels in the microfluidic chip 3, the movement of the fluid in a single flow channel within the microfluidic chip 3 can be controlled by the cooperation of the moving coil 1 and the solenoid valve 26. When the moving coil 1 presses downward, the solenoid valve 26 opens the A channel; when the moving coil 1 retracts upward, the solenoid valve 26 opens the B channel, thereby enabling unidirectional flow in both the A and B channels.

[0064] This example also exemplarily gives schematic diagrams when the electrical signal is a positive sawtooth wave, a negative sawtooth wave, and a sine wave. Please refer to Figures 4-5 As shown.

[0065] It should be noted that by changing parameters such as the waveform, frequency, and amplitude of the input audio electrical signal, the movement direction and speed of the moving coil 1 can be changed, thereby changing the pressure state of the first gas path 24, and thus achieving precise control of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip 3, including the direction, flow rate, and flow volume of the microfluid.

[0066] Example 3 provides a device for an audio-driven microfluidic control system. Please refer to Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an audio-driven microfluidic control system integrated in a chip (the audio-driven microfluidic control system is simply shown). The device includes: the audio-driven microfluidic control system described in Example 1 and the microfluidic chip 3;

[0067] Among them, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path 24 is 1; the microfluidic chip 3 includes a sample injection hole 71, a microreactor 72, and a connecting pipe 73 that are connected in sequence. The sample injection hole 71 is used to access the sample to be tested 92, the microreactor 72 is used to complete various biochemical reactions, and the connecting pipe 73 is communicated with the first gas path 24.

[0068] Specifically, the audio-driven microfluidic control system can be integrated with the chip as a micropump to control the microfluid. The device mainly includes a sample injection hole 71, a microreactor 72, and a micropump. Reagents required can be added into the sample injection hole 71, and negative pressure power is provided by the micropump to drain the liquid into the microreactor 72. Various biochemical reactions are completed through the design in the microreactor 72. The micropump can provide functional requirements such as the mixing of the required microfluid, the change of the microfluid direction, and the change of the flow rate.

[0069] Embodiment 4 provides a device of an audio-driven microfluidic control system. Please refer to Figure 11 at any time, Figure 11 FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the application of the audio-driven microfluidic control system to droplet generation (wherein, the audio-driven microfluidic control system is simply shown). The device includes: the audio-driven microfluidic control system described in Embodiment 1 and the microfluidic chip 3;

[0070] Among them, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path 24 is 2, including branch A and branch B. The on / off of branch A and branch B is controlled by a solenoid valve 26; the microfluidic chip 3 includes a droplet collection chamber 81, a T-shaped droplet generator 82, an oil inlet 83, a water inlet 84, a first connecting pipe, and a second connecting pipe. The droplet collection chamber 81 is communicated with the first end of the T-shaped droplet generator 82. The second end and the third end of the T-shaped droplet generator 82 are respectively communicated with the oil inlet 83 and the water inlet 84. The oil inlet 83 is communicated with the first connecting pipe, the water inlet 84 is communicated with the second connecting pipe, and the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B.

[0071] Specifically, the audio-driven microfluidic control system can enable the reuse of the external-chip micropump. By simply connecting the first gas path 24 to the corresponding inlet of the chip through a connecting tube, the microfluidic control within the chip can be completed, offering advantages such as high portability, reusability, and low cost. The overall device includes a droplet collection chamber 81, a T-shaped droplet generator 82, an oil inlet 83, a water inlet 84, a connecting tube, and a micropump. Through the switching of the solenoid valve 26, first a portion of water is pushed, the water inlet 84 is closed, the oil inlet 83 is connected, and a portion of oil is pushed. By continuously switching in this way, multiple droplets can be quickly generated. At the same time, the size of the droplets can be controlled by the magnitude of the audio signal frequency. The size of the droplets is also restricted by the channels. Therefore, the size of the microdroplets can be converted between the nanoliter and microliter levels. For example, when the T-shaped droplet generator 82 is at the nanometer level, nanoliter-sized droplets can be generated, and when it is at the millimeter level, microliter-sized droplets can be generated. Meanwhile, the generation of droplets is not affected by the initial flow rate adjustment, which can minimize the loss of reagents or avoid the generation of uneven-sized droplets when initially adjusting the flow rate, because the size of the droplets can be precisely controlled by the frequency.

[0072] Embodiment 5 provides a device for an audio-driven microfluidic control system. Please refer to Figure 12 as shown in Figure 12 the schematic diagram of the application of the audio-driven microfluidic control system to fully automated nucleic acid extraction and detection (wherein, the audio-driven microfluidic control system is simply shown). The device includes: the audio-driven microfluidic control system described in Embodiment 1 and a microfluidic chip 3;

[0073] Among them, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path 24 is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on-off of branch A and branch B is controlled by a solenoid valve 26; the microfluidic chip 3 includes: a detection area 91, a sample 92, a lysis solution 93, a washing solution 94, an elution solution 95, a microcolumn 96, a first connecting tube, and a second connecting tube. The sample 92, lysis solution 93, and washing solution 94 converge to the microcolumn 96 through their respective pipelines. One end of the microcolumn 96 is connected to the detection area 91 and the second connecting tube, and the other end of the microcolumn 96 is connected to the first connecting tube through the elution solution 95. The first connecting tube and the second connecting tube are respectively connected to branch A and branch B.

[0074] Specifically, the audio-driven microfluidic control system can be used as a micropump and connected to a suitable nucleic acid extraction and detection chip, enabling the complete automation of the entire process of nucleic acid extraction and digital detection through the microfluidic control system. The device includes a detection area 91, a sample 92, a lysis solution 93, a washing solution 94, an elution solution 95, a microcolumn 96, a connecting tube, and a micropump. The lysis solution 93, the washing solution 94, and the elution solution 95 can be pre-encapsulated in the chip in advance. When the sample 92 is added, the branch B provides negative pressure to simultaneously drain the sample 92 and the lysis solution 93 into the microcolumn 96, and the back-and-forth mixing of the sample 92 solution and the lysis solution 93 on the microcolumn 96 is completed by controlling the audio signal frequency. After nucleic acid adsorption is completed, the liquid is drained away. At the same time, the washing solution 94 is opened, and the excess impurities on the microcolumn 96 are washed through the same operation. Subsequently, the branch B is closed, and the branch A is connected to inject the elution solution 95 into the microcolumn 96 for washing and mixing of the nucleic acid. Finally, positive pressure is provided to inject the mixed nucleic acid solution into the detection area 91. The detection area 91 can be designed with multiple microhole arrays, and quantitative distribution is completed by the pushing of the liquid. Finally, it is sealed to complete the digital detection of nucleic acid.

[0075] Example 6 provides a device based on an audio-driven microfluidic control system. Please refer to Figure 13 as shown in Figure 13 FIG. 7, which is a schematic diagram of the application of the audio-driven microfluidic control system to organ chip research (wherein, the audio-driven microfluidic control system is simply shown). The device includes: the audio-driven microfluidic control system described in Example 1 and a microfluidic chip 3;

[0076] Among them, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path 24 is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on / off of the branch A and branch B is controlled by a solenoid valve 26; the microfluidic chip 3 includes: a culture organ chamber 101, a first flow tube 102, a second flow tube 103, a conversion center, a first connecting tube, and a second connecting tube. The upper end of the culture organ chamber 101 is communicated with the upper end of the conversion center 104 through the first flow tube 102, the lower end of the conversion center 104 is communicated with the lower end of the culture organ chamber 101 through the second flow tube 103, and the upper end and the lower end of the conversion center 104 are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B through the first connecting tube and the second connecting tube.

[0077] Specifically, the audio-driven microfluidic control system can be connected to an organ-on-a-chip adapter. The combined device can well simulate the human vascular microenvironment, complete the flow replacement of the culture medium, and provide a fluid system similar to the human heart. The device includes a culture organ chamber 101, a first flow tube 102, a second flow tube 103, a conversion center 104, a connecting tube, and a micropump. The conversion center 104 can transfer fresh special culture medium to the organ culture chamber at a certain flow rate. At the same time, it can recover the culture medium that has been utilized by the organ tissue, analyze and detect the metabolites in the recovered culture medium to further understand the function and physiological and biochemical state of the organ tissue, and at the same time get rid of the long residual time of metabolites caused by conventional static organ culture, which affects the organ tissue and ensures the reliability of the final analysis results.

[0078] The specific embodiments described above further elaborate on the purpose, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microfluidic control system based on audio drive, characterized in that Comprising: A moving coil for converting an electrical signal into an acoustic signal; And, An assembled outer housing, the assembled outer housing cooperating with the moving coil to form an air cavity, and a first air path communicating the air cavity and the microfluidic chip being provided inside the assembled outer housing, the number of branches of the first air path being adapted to the number of flow channels in the microfluidic chip; And, A microfluidic chip, the microfluidic chip being plugged into the assembled outer housing, the microfluidic chip including: flow channels and connection structures, the flow channels being adapted to the branches of the first air path, and the connection structures being used to communicate the flow channels with the branches of the first air path; Wherein, the air cavity formed by the cooperation of the assembled outer housing and the moving coil is used for when the moving coil moves in a first direction, the volume of the air cavity increases, and the fluid in the first air path moves towards the direction close to the air cavity; when the moving coil moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the volume of the air cavity decreases, and the fluid in the first air path moves towards the direction away from the air cavity; The electrical signal is any one or a combination of a positive voltage signal, a negative voltage signal, a positive sawtooth wave, a reverse sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a sine wave, and a square wave. When different waveforms are given, the movement mode of the fluid will also be different. By changing the waveform, frequency, and amplitude parameters of the input audio electrical signal, the movement direction and speed of the moving coil are changed, and further the pressure state of the first air path is changed, so as to achieve precise control of the microfluid in the microfluidic chip, including the direction, flow rate, and flow volume of the microfluid.

2. The microfluidic control system based on audio drive according to claim 1, wherein A second air path communicating the air cavity and the atmosphere is further provided inside the assembled outer housing, and is used for when the moving coil moves in a first direction, the volume of the air cavity increases, and the fluid in the second air path and the fluid in the first air path move towards the direction close to the air cavity together; when the moving coil moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the volume of the air cavity decreases, and the fluid in the second air path and the fluid in the first air path move towards the direction away from the air cavity together.

3. The microfluidic control system based on audio drive according to claim 1, characterized in that An electromagnetic valve is further included inside the assembled outer housing, and the electromagnetic valve is connected to each branch of the first air path for switching on and off each branch of the first air path; A slot for plugging the microfluidic chip is embedded on the surface of the assembled outer housing, and an air port is provided at the bottom of the slot, and the air port is communicated with the branch of the first air path.

4. A microfluidic control system based on audio drive according to any one of claims 2-3, characterized in that The assembled outer housing includes: a first housing and a second housing that are interconnected and vertically arranged; The surface of the first housing is connected in cooperation with the moving coil to form an air cavity, and a first air path communicating the air cavity and extending into the second housing is provided inside the first housing, as well as a second air path communicating the air cavity and the atmosphere; A slot is recessed and embedded on the surface of the second housing. When the microfluidic chip is plugged into the slot, the microfluidic chip is parallel to the first housing, and an air port is provided at the bottom of the slot, and the air port is communicated with the branch of the first air path.

5. The microfluidic control system based on audio drive according to claim 4, characterized in that, A fluorescence excitation module, a heating module, and a magnetic bead control module are further provided on the surface of the first housing close to the microfluidic chip; The fluorescence excitation module is used to emit excitation light to excite fluorescent compounds in the microfluidic chip to generate fluorescent emission light; The heating module is used to maintain a set temperature to maintain the sample reaction in the microfluidic chip; The magnetic bead control module is used to control the position of magnetic beads in the microfluidic chip to achieve sample extraction.

6. A microfluidic control method based on audio drive, which is applied to a microfluidic control system based on audio drive as described in any one of claims 1-5, and is characterized in that, It includes: An input electrical signal, which is any one or a combination of a positive voltage signal, a negative voltage signal, a positive sawtooth wave, a negative sawtooth wave, a triangular wave, a sine wave, and a square wave, drives the moving coil to move in a first direction or a second direction to control the fluid movement in the microfluidic chip; Wherein, when there are multiple flow channels in the microfluidic chip, a single branch of the first gas path is controlled to conduct through a solenoid valve to control the fluid movement in a single flow channel in the microfluidic chip.

7. An apparatus of a microfluidic control system based on audio drive, characterized in that, It includes: The audio-driven microfluidic control system according to any one of claims 1-5; Wherein, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 1; The microfluidic chip includes a sample injection hole, a microreactor, and a connecting pipe that are connected in sequence. The connecting pipe serves as a connection structure. The sample injection hole is used to access a sample to be tested, the microreactor is used to complete various biochemical reactions, and the connecting pipe is communicated with the first gas path.

8. An apparatus for a microfluidic control system based on audio driving, characterized in that, It includes: The audio-driven microfluidic control system according to any one of claims 1-5; Wherein, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on / off of branch A and branch B is controlled by a solenoid valve; The microfluidic chip includes a droplet collection chamber, a T-shaped droplet generator, an oil inlet, a water inlet, a first connecting pipe, and a second connecting pipe. The first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe serve as connection structures. The droplet collection chamber is communicated with the first end of the T-shaped droplet generator. The second end and the third end of the T-shaped droplet generator are respectively communicated with the oil inlet and the water inlet. The oil inlet is communicated with the first connecting pipe, the water inlet is communicated with the second connecting pipe, and the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B.

9. An apparatus for a microfluidic control system based on audio drive, characterized in that, It includes: The audio-driven microfluidic control system according to any one of claims 1-5; Wherein, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on / off of branch A and branch B is controlled by a solenoid valve; The microfluidic chip includes a detection area, a sample, a lysis solution, a cleaning solution, an elution solution, a microcolumn, a first connecting pipe, and a second connecting pipe. The first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe serve as connection structures. The sample, the lysis solution, and the cleaning solution converge to the microcolumn through their respective pipelines. One end of the microcolumn is communicated with the detection area and the second connecting pipe, and the other end of the microcolumn is communicated with the first connecting pipe through the elution solution. The first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B.

10. An apparatus for a microfluidic control system based on audio drive, characterized in that, It includes: The audio-driven microfluidic control system according to any one of claims 1-5; Among them, in the audio-driven microfluidic control system, the number of branches of the first gas path is 2, including branch A and branch B, and the on / off of branch A and branch B is controlled by a solenoid valve; The microfluidic chip includes: a culture organ chamber, a first flow tube, a second flow tube, a conversion center, a first connecting tube, and a second connecting tube. The first connecting tube and the second connecting tube serve as connection structures. The upper end of the culture organ chamber is communicated with the upper end of the conversion center through the first flow tube, the lower end of the conversion center is communicated with the lower end of the culture organ chamber through the second flow tube, and the upper end and the lower end of the conversion center are respectively communicated with branch A and branch B through the first connecting tube and the second connecting tube.

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