Active electro-wetting microfluidic chip and manufacturing device thereof

By using a removable sealing frame and support design in the microfluidic chip, the problems of high cost and difficulty in reusability in the prior art are solved, realizing the reusability and cost reduction of the active electrowetting microfluidic chip, which is suitable for high-throughput and large-area microfluidic applications.

CN117680214BActive Publication Date: 2026-06-02SHANGHAI MENTAL HEALTH CENT (SHANGHAI PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING TRAINING CENT)
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
SHANGHAI MENTAL HEALTH CENT (SHANGHAI PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING TRAINING CENT)
Filing Date
2023-12-22
Publication Date
2026-06-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing microfluidic chips suffer from high costs, difficulty in achieving high throughput, and reusability. In particular, active CMOS and TFT EWOD chips face increased costs and reduced yields when increasing throughput, and existing sealing materials cannot be reused.

Method used

The design employs a removable sealing frame and support, using washable UV-curable resin or removable silicone material to seal the upper and lower substrates. After testing, the chip portion can be separated. Combined with the support point design, it ensures droplet flowability, reduces costs, and increases yield.

Benefits of technology

This technology enables the reusability of active electrowetting microfluidic chips, reduces testing costs, minimizes medical waste, and improves chip yield and flowability, making it suitable for large-area microfluidic applications.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN117680214B_ABST
    Figure CN117680214B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

This invention provides an active electrowetting microfluidic chip and its fabrication apparatus, comprising: a first part including: a hydrophobic insulating layer of a lower substrate disposed on the upper surface of the lower substrate, with an active chip and at least one droplet; a second part including: a hydrophobic insulating layer of an upper substrate disposed on the lower surface of the upper substrate through a conductive layer; a sealing frame including a first support disposed between the hydrophobic insulating layers of the upper and lower substrates to form a droplet flow cavity; after microfluidic testing, the sealing frame is removed to separate the first and second parts. Beneficial effects: Compared to permanent epoxy resin, the sealing frame can be removed after microfluidic testing, thus eliminating the need for consumables in the first and second parts, allowing for reuse and reducing costs; the sealing frame includes a support to maintain an adjustable gap between the upper and lower substrates, avoiding problems such as difficulty or inability of droplet flow due to substrate adhesion.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art