A controllable fluid transport vehicle, its preparation method, its application, and a quantitative dispensing system.

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of precision instruments, and particularly to a controllable fluid delivery carrier, its preparation method, and its application, as well as a quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs based on the controllable fluid delivery carrier. This product is used for the directional delivery of a fluid B, which is immiscible and has a lower density than fluid A, within a fluid A. The controllable fluid delivery carrier includes a substrate, the surface of which includes delivery and non-delivery regions formed by film preparation and patterning. The delivery region includes at least one set of basic units consisting of large dots, small dots, and channels of equal width connecting them. The delivery region exhibits a B-friendly and A-unfriendly characteristic, while the non-delivery region exhibits an A-friendly and B-unfriendly characteristic. The controllable fluid delivery carrier can continuously deliver fluid B from the small dot region along the extension path of the channel to the large dot region within fluid A, and release it in the form of an equal-volume fluid mass. This invention can serve as a novel microfluidic device with wide applications in fields such as biomedicine and petrochemicals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of precision instruments, and in particular to a fluid controllable delivery carrier, its preparation method and application, as well as a quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs based on the fluid controllable delivery carrier. Background Technology

[0002] Unidirectional microfluidic diffusion technology has broad application prospects in fields such as biosensing, self-cleaning, liquid separation, and microfluidic manipulation, attracting widespread attention worldwide. However, most microfluidic manipulation methods induced by driving fields are gradually failing to meet the requirements of green, convenient, and efficient microfluidic devices. Therefore, different strategies have been proposed to disrupt the equilibrium state of microfluidics on the surface of microdevices, thereby achieving self-driven asymmetric diffusion. By altering the surface wettability, microfluidics can move in a preferred direction due to surface tension imbalance. Furthermore, surface modification can be achieved by constructing deflecting nanopillars, fin structures, and triangular pillars to control microfluidic flow. Although significant progress has been made, the relatively limited transport distance and simple transport routes are far from meeting the requirements of practical applications. This necessitates corresponding design changes for microdevice manipulation of microfluidics and the development of new methods to control microfluidic transport.

[0003] Manipulating air bubbles or droplets composed of nonpolar solvents in aqueous media is crucial in materials science and industrial production due to its numerous potential applications in mineral flotation, pharmaceutical transport, drag reduction, fisheries, wastewater remediation, and catalysis. Therefore, various innovative surfaces have been artificially created to control the movement of underwater air bubbles. Besides the surface structure of specialized transport tools, existing controlled fluid transport typically requires external actuation, including light, magnetism, and temperature. These factors increase the difficulty of fluid transport manipulation. Furthermore, most existing fluid transport methods cannot achieve quantitative transport; therefore, developing a spontaneous fluid-directed transport tool to achieve quantitative fluid delivery is a pressing technical challenge for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, in order to address the problem that existing fluid directional delivery methods are difficult to control and cannot achieve quantitative delivery, this invention provides a fluid controllable delivery carrier, a preparation method and application, as well as a quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs based on the fluid controllable delivery carrier.

[0005] The technical solution provided by this invention is as follows:

[0006] A controllable fluid transport carrier is used for the directional transport of an immiscible fluid B with a density less than that of fluid A within a fluid A. The controllable fluid transport carrier includes a substrate, the surface of which includes transport and non-transport regions formed by film preparation and patterning. The transport region includes at least one set of basic units consisting of large dots, small dots, and channels of equal width connecting them. In the transport region, the contact angle of material A is greater than 151.2°, and the contact angle of material B is less than 42.7°; in the non-transport region, the contact angle of material A is less than 42.7°, and the contact angle of material B is greater than 151.2°; in the transport region, the diameter D1 of the large dot is greater than the diameter D2 of the small dot, and the diameter D2 of the small dot is greater than the width W of the channel.

[0007] When a fluid controllable transport vehicle is placed in fluid A and fluid B is continuously introduced into the small dot region, the fluid controllable transport vehicle continuously transports fluid B from the small dot region to the large dot region along the extension path of the channel, and releases it in the form of fluid clumps of equal volume.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, fluid A and fluid B are respectively a liquid phase substance and a gas phase substance. Alternatively, fluid A and fluid B are both gas phase substances and have different polarities.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the length of the channel between any two large and small dots is defined as L. Then the spatial distribution of the conveying area satisfies the following constraints:

[0010] πR2 2 >W·L

[0011] In the above formula, R2 represents the radius of the small dot.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, when fluid B is transported in fluid A using a fluid controllable transport vehicle, when the height of the vesicle formed by fluid B at the large circle point in the transport zone is greater than H1, a fluid mass with a volume of V is released at the large circle point; the volume V of the fluid mass satisfies the following formula:

[0013]

[0014] In the above formula, R1 is the diameter of the large circle; H1 represents the maximum height of the droplet when fluid B can maintain an intact droplet shape at the large circle under the current fluid controllable transport vehicle and its corresponding fluid transport conditions.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, in the conveying area, the dimensional specifications of the large and small dots satisfy the following:

[0016] 3≥(R1 / R2)≥1.5.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, the patterned transport area includes a multi-level connected graph from small dots to large dots, and a radiation graph or convergence graph centered on small dots or large dots.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, when the fluid controllable transport vehicle is used to transport gaseous substances in water, the surface of the transport area is made of a superhydrophobic material.

[0019] This invention also includes a method for preparing a fluid-controlled transport vehicle, which is used to prepare a vehicle capable of transporting gaseous substances in water. The preparation method includes the following steps:

[0020] S1: Select a metal aluminum plate with a thickness of no more than 1 mm as the substrate.

[0021] S2: A rough surface is formed by periodically scanning the front side of the substrate using a nanosecond laser processing device.

[0022] S3: Use superhydrophobic reagents to generate a uniform and smooth superhydrophobic layer on a rough surface.

[0023] S4: The superhydrophobic layer is etched using a nanosecond laser processing device according to a preset scanning path to achieve patterning of the transport area; after processing, the part of the superhydrophobic layer is retained as the transport area, and the part of the superhydrophobic layer is removed as the non-transport area, thereby obtaining the required fluid controllable transport vehicle.

[0024] The present invention also includes an application of a fluid controllable transport vehicle as described above, which is used for underwater oil and gas resource capture, or for the directional transport or quantitative dispensing of fluid components.

[0025] The present invention also includes a quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs, which is used to rapidly dispense fluid drugs into specified packaging quantities to obtain equal-volume fluid clusters. The quantitative dispensing system includes: a container, a fluid medium, a forming component, a drug injection component, and a drug collection component.

[0026] The fluid medium is located inside the container and is a fluid substance that is immiscible and non-reactive with the drug components and has a density greater than that of the drug components.

[0027] The forming assembly utilizes the aforementioned fluid-controlled delivery carrier, and is situated within a fluid medium. In the delivery zone of the fluid-controlled delivery carrier, the contact angle of the drug component is 150.2°; the contact angle of the fluid medium is 43.7°. In the non-delivery zone of the fluid-controlled delivery carrier, the contact angle of the drug component is 43.7°; the contact angle of the fluid medium is 150.2°. The droplet volume at the large dot of the delivery zone, where the drug component maintains an intact droplet shape, corresponds to the amount of drug packaged.

[0028] The drug injection assembly is used to continuously supply the fluid drug to be dispensed to one side of the small dot in a fluid controllable delivery vehicle.

[0029] The drug collection assembly is used to collect a fluid mass consisting of a fluid drug released on one side of the large dot in a fluid-controlled delivery vehicle.

[0030] The present invention provides a fluid controllable transport vehicle, a preparation method, an application, and a quantitative dispensing system, which have the following beneficial effects:

[0031] This invention employs a special surface treatment on the substrate material, creating a transport zone on the material surface that exhibits affinity for fluids of a specific polarity. This transport zone consists of two origins and a central channel. In this unique device, when a specific fluid is injected into one of the origins, the fluid diffuses towards the boundary of that origin until it contacts the boundary, generating Laplace pressure. Subsequently, the Laplace force of the fluid at that origin acts as the primary driving force, propelling the fluid along a track to the other origin, until the internal stresses of the fluid in both origins match, reaching a stable state. When the stress at either point exceeds a critical state, the fluid is released in the form of a fluid pattern of a specific volume. This novel device with unique properties provided by this invention can serve as a carrier for directional fluid transport or a dispensing device for equal-volume release.

[0032] This invention also determines the optimal structural state of a controllable fluid transport vehicle based on the research into the influence of relevant structural parameters on fluid transport efficiency. The product provided by this invention has very broad application prospects in microfluidic manipulation and can be applied to fields such as drug delivery, gas catalysis, and gas collection. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 Image showing an air bubble formed underwater on a hydrophobic substrate containing a dot.

[0035] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the forces acting on an air bubble underwater.

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of underwater bubble transport driven by an internal Laplace pressure gradient in the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a fluid controllable transport vehicle containing a multi-level connected graph.

[0038] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of a fluid controllable transport vehicle containing a radiation pattern.

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a fluid controllable transport vehicle containing a convergence diagram.

[0040] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the preparation method of the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of the quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a measurement diagram of the droplet contact angle of a sample from a fluid controllable transport vehicle prepared in the test experiment.

[0043] Figure 11 This is a measurement diagram of the bubble contact angle of a sample of a fluid controllable transport vehicle prepared in the test experiment.

[0044] Figure 12 This is an image showing the transport status of bubbles on a fluid controllable transport vehicle composed of dots of varying sizes.

[0045] Figure 13 This is an image showing the transport status of bubbles on a fluid controllable transport vehicle consisting of two equally sized dots.

[0046] Figure 14 The graph shows the change in delivery time with the diameter of another dot in the experimental group where the diameter of the fixed dot is 3 mm.

[0047] Figure 15 The graph shows the change in delivery time with the diameter of another dot in the experimental group where the diameter of the fixed dot is 4 mm.

[0048] Figure 16 The graph shows the change in delivery time with the diameter of another dot in the experimental group where the diameter of the fixed dot is 5 mm.

[0049] Figure 17 The experimental results show the effect of different channel lengths on bubble delivery time.

[0050] Figure 18 The experimental results show the effect of different channel widths on bubble delivery time.

[0051] Figure 19 The experimental results show the effect of different bubble volumes on bubble transport time.

[0052] Figure 20 Image of a sample fluid controllable transport vehicle containing three dots.

[0053] Figure 21Image of a sample fluid controllable transport vehicle with channels arranged in a cross shape.

[0054] Figure 22 Image of a sample of a fluid controllable transport vehicle with an arched channel.

[0055] Figure 23 Image of a sample of a fluid controllable transport vehicle with a ring-shaped channel. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the specification of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0058] Example 1

[0059] This embodiment provides a controllable fluid transport vehicle for the directional transport of an immiscible fluid B with a density less than that of fluid A within fluid A. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the controllable fluid transport vehicle includes a substrate. The substrate surface includes a transport area and a non-transport area formed after film preparation and patterning. The transport area includes at least one set of basic units consisting of large dots, small dots, and channels of equal width connecting them. In the transport area, the contact angle of material A is greater than 151.2°, and the contact angle of material B is less than 42.7°; in the non-transport area, the contact angle of material A is less than 42.7°, and the contact angle of material B is greater than 151.2°; in the transport area, the diameter D1 of the large dot is greater than the diameter D2 of the small dot, and the diameter D2 of the small dot is greater than the width W of the channel.

[0060] When a fluid controllable transport vehicle is placed in fluid A and fluid B is continuously introduced into the small dot region, the fluid controllable transport vehicle continuously transports fluid B from the small dot region to the large dot region along the extension path of the channel, and releases it in the form of fluid clumps of equal volume.

[0061] Based on the same principle, the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment can be applied to the transport of various fluids, including: (1) Fluid A and fluid B can be liquid and gaseous substances, respectively. For example, gaseous components can be transported in water in the form of bubbles. (2) Fluid A and fluid B are both gaseous substances and have different polarities. For example, light petroleum hydrocarbons or unsaturated fatty acids can be transported in water, and water can be transported in glycerol, etc.

[0062] To make the working mechanism of the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment clearer, the following uses the scenario of realizing bubble transport in water as an example to introduce the solution of the present invention.

[0063] First, such as Figure 2 As shown, in a typical substrate where the transport area is a dot, considering that the transport area is aerophilic and hydrophobic, while the non-transport area surrounding the transport area is hydrophilic and aerophobic, when this substrate is placed in water, the non-transport area on the periphery exhibits excellent hydrophilicity and can therefore be wetted by water in the environment, while the central transport area, due to its large bubble contact angle (BCA), cannot be wetted; the incompatible interface between the two forms a circular "silver film." Next, after gas is injected into the silver film area, the bubble grows continuously and adheres firmly to the dot area. Furthermore, as the bubble volume increases, the outer film layer of the bubble remains within the boundary of the circular area. At this time, the stress state of the bubble is as follows... Figure 3 As shown, the Laplace force within the bubble can reach a state of equilibrium with buoyancy, adhesion, and hydrostatic pressure.

[0064] After the bubble reaches the boundary of the dotted region, continued gas injection causes the bubble height to increase, leading to a change in the bubble's curvature. Once the bubble height reaches a critical point, further volume growth will... Figure 3 The equilibrium shown is broken. At this point, bubbles exceeding the limit volume will float up and detach from the circular transport area in the substrate.

[0065] The same effect can be achieved from Figure 2 The basic model is extended to the solution of this embodiment. Figure 1In this special type of device, the distribution of the delivery area in Embodiment 1 consists of a large dot, a small dot, and a channel connecting them. Initially, a dumbbell-shaped air film is formed. The interior of this air film is interconnected, equivalent to an uninflated air bladder. When air is injected into either of the two circular gas storage areas, that area rapidly expands to form an air bladder. Based on the previous description of the single-dot type device, each dot in this embodiment can essentially serve as a gas storage area. When the gas volume in the storage area is below a critical value, the substrate at the dot can firmly lock the gas in. When the gas volume exceeds the critical value, the gas is released in the form of standard-volume bubbles. In this embodiment, by adding a thinner channel to the two dot regions, the effect of the two bubbles after injection changes slightly. Specifically, when gas is rapidly injected at one dot, the gas first forms an air bladder at that dot. Simultaneously, the injection process creates a Laplace pressure difference between this air bladder and the deflated air bladder at the other dot (which is not injected). Driven by this Laplace pressure difference, the gas at the dot on the injected side is slowly transported to the dot on the other side through the central channel. As long as the injection rate on the injected side is controlled within the range that does not exceed the gas delivery rate of the channel, the air bladder on the injected side will not break the balance and float up, but will continuously deliver gas to the other side. This achieves spontaneous directional gas delivery.

[0066] Theoretically, the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment has no requirements on the size of the dot region. Gas can be transported from the small dot side to the large dot side, or vice versa. However, in actual testing, transporting gas from the small dot side to the large dot side is often smoother and the gas transport rate is relatively faster. Conversely, transporting gas from the large dot side to the small dot side is relatively slower, and it is prone to escaping before transport is achieved due to a disruption of the balance. This situation may be related to the different Laplace pressure values ​​that the large and small dots can withstand before reaching the transport state. Based on this, the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment uses the small dot in the transport area as the gas injection side and the large dot as the receiving side, i.e., the gas transport destination.

[0067] Furthermore, it is particularly important to emphasize that the fluid-controlled delivery vehicle provided in this embodiment allows users to inject gas on the injection side and collect it on the receiving side. The fluid-controlled delivery vehicle acts as a delivery vehicle that spontaneously "transports" gas from the injection side to the receiving side. On the other hand, it can also quantitatively "distribute" the delivered gas. For example, when a user continuously introduces a certain gas into the injection layer, and no gas is drawn from the receiving side, the gas will first be continuously delivered between two points, achieving gas redistribution and balancing the gas pressure within the storage areas corresponding to the two points. When the internal gas pressure of both storage areas reaches its storage limit, the vesicle corresponding to the larger point will float first and release the bubble. That is, the fluid-controlled delivery vehicle provided in this embodiment can also divide the continuously introduced gas flow into the injection layer into small bubbles of equal volume, based on the maximum gas storage capacity at the larger point. The volume of the divided small bubbles depends on the shape and scale of the delivery area in the fluid-controlled delivery vehicle. The above gas delivery and equal-volume titration effects have different applications in different scenarios.

[0068] In the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment, the structural dimensions of the large dot, small dot, and channel sections in the transport area affect performance such as gas transport rate. In the most optimized scheme, the radii R1 of the large dot and R2 of the small dot should satisfy: 3 ≥ (R1 / R2) ≥ 1.5. In the best scheme, the radius of the large dot is approximately twice that of the small dot. Furthermore, the length L and width W of the channel also affect the gas transport effect. Generally, a larger width results in higher gas transport efficiency, but the channel width should not be too wide to avoid overall structural failure. A longer channel length leads to reduced gas transport efficiency because the fluid around the channel path creates a retention effect on the gas passing through the channel. Experimental analysis in this embodiment shows that the total area of ​​the channel in the entire transport layer should be smaller than the area of ​​the small dot region. That is:

[0069] πR2 2 >W·L.

[0070] The fluid controllable delivery vehicle provided in this embodiment is used to achieve equal-volume release or titration of fluid. When the height of the vesicle composed of fluid B at the large dot in the delivery zone is greater than H1, a fluid mass with a volume of V is released at the large dot; the volume V of the fluid mass satisfies the following formula:

[0071]

[0072] In the above formula, R1 is the diameter of the large circle; H1 represents the maximum height of the droplet when fluid B can maintain an intact droplet shape at the large circle under the current fluid controllable transport vehicle and its corresponding fluid transport conditions.

[0073] Figure 4This diagram illustrates underwater bubble transport driven by an internal Laplace pressure gradient. As analyzed earlier, the directional transport of bubbles between the two origins is driven by the Laplace pressure difference ΔP within the bubbles at the two points. Combined with aerodynamic studies, the volumetric velocity Q driven by the Laplace pressure difference ΔP between the bubbles on the two circles also depends on the water resistance Rc of the connecting channel, satisfying Q = ΔP / Rc. In a closed system, the flow rate is directly related to the change in bubble volume, Q = dV / dt. The resistance in the connecting channel can be approximated as Rc = 3μl / wh³. Therefore, the evolution of bubble size can be described by the following series of differential equations:

[0074]

[0075] In the above formula, μ is the viscosity of the transported bubble; l, w, and h are the length, width, and fluid height in the channel, respectively. Subscripts 1 and 2 refer to the large and small circles, respectively. γ ow This represents the surface tension of the liquid. The above equation can be solved using MATLAB.

[0076] It should be noted that the pattern formed by small dots, large dots, and the channels in between in the fluid controllable transport vehicle described above is only a basic unit of the transport area. In practical applications, the distribution of the transport area can present more complex patterns. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, connecting multiple dots of different sizes according to their size relationship yields a multi-level connected graph from small dots to large dots. In this multi-level connected graph, the smallest dot is the gas injection side, the largest dot is the receiving side, and the dots in between serve as "relay nodes" from the gas injection side to the receiving side.

[0077] Furthermore, based on the multi-level connected graph, the transport area pattern can be networked to form a structure such as... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The diagram shows a radial or converging pattern centered on a small or large dot. In a radial pattern, the small dot at the center represents the injection side, while the surrounding large dots represent the receiving side, with the fluid injected at the center gradually spreading to multiple locations on the periphery. Conversely, in a converging pattern, the large dot at the center represents the receiving side, while the surrounding small dots represent the injection side, with the fluid injected at multiple locations on the periphery gradually converging at the center.

[0078] Based on the above description of the performance of the fluid-controlled transport vehicle in this embodiment, it can be seen that the fluid-controlled transport vehicle can be used for underwater oil and gas resource capture. For example, a special thin film material is prepared, and its surface is modified using a similar convergence pattern as in the fluid-controlled transport vehicle of this embodiment. After this thin film material is placed in water, tiny gas bubbles or oil droplets released from the water will be adsorbed in its transport zone. The adsorbed oil droplets or bubbles merge and expand, and then are directionally transported to one side along the transport zone, thereby achieving the effect of enriching oil and gas resources at a certain central node.

[0079] In addition, by utilizing the directional delivery and equal release effects of the fluid controllable delivery vehicle provided in this embodiment, it is also possible to achieve directional delivery or quantitative dispensing of specific fluid components in the fields of biomedicine and chemical engineering.

[0080] Example 2

[0081] As discussed above, when a fluid-controlled transport carrier is used to transport gaseous substances in water, the substrate surface can be treated with a superhydrophobic material, and then the required transport area can be generated through a special patterning process. This embodiment provides a method for preparing a fluid-controlled transport carrier, which is used to prepare a carrier capable of transporting gaseous substances in water. Specifically, as shown... Figure 8 As shown, the preparation method includes the following steps:

[0082] S1: Select a metal aluminum plate with a thickness of no more than 1 mm as the substrate.

[0083] S2: A rough surface is formed by periodically scanning the front side of the substrate using a nanosecond laser processing device.

[0084] S3: Use superhydrophobic reagents to generate a uniform and smooth superhydrophobic layer on a rough surface.

[0085] S4: The superhydrophobic layer is etched using a nanosecond laser processing device according to a preset scanning path to achieve patterning of the transport area; after processing, the part of the superhydrophobic layer is retained as the transport area, and the part of the superhydrophobic layer is removed as the non-transport area, thereby obtaining the required fluid controllable transport vehicle.

[0086] Example 3

[0087] This embodiment provides a quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs, which is used to rapidly dispense fluid drugs according to a specified packaging amount, obtaining equal amounts of fluid clumps. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the quantitative dispensing system includes: a container, a fluid medium, a forming assembly, a drug injection assembly, and a drug collection assembly.

[0088] The fluid medium is located inside the container and is a fluid substance that is immiscible and non-reactive with the drug components and has a density greater than that of the drug components.

[0089] The forming assembly utilizes the aforementioned fluid-controlled delivery carrier, and is situated within a fluid medium. In the delivery zone of the fluid-controlled delivery carrier, the contact angle of the drug component is 150.6°; the contact angle of the fluid medium is 44.8°. In the non-delivery zone of the fluid-controlled delivery carrier, the contact angle of the drug component is 153.6°; the contact angle of the fluid medium is 40.8°. The volume of the droplet that maintains its intact droplet shape at the large dot of the delivery zone corresponds to the amount of drug packaged.

[0090] The drug injection assembly is used to continuously supply the fluid drug to be dispensed to one side of the small dot in a fluid controllable delivery vehicle.

[0091] The drug collection assembly is used to collect a fluid mass consisting of a fluid drug released on one side of the large dot in a fluid-controlled delivery vehicle.

[0092] Performance testing

[0093] To verify the fluid-directed transport performance of the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment, technicians prepared samples of various specifications and tested the bubble transport performance of the samples in water.

[0094] I. Sample Preparation

[0095] This experiment uses aluminum sheets as the substrate for preparing a fluid controllable transport vehicle. The aluminum sheets used in the experiment (purity of 99.9%) were custom-made by Shengyuan Metal Materials Purchasing and Sales Department in Qinghe County. The thickness of the aluminum sheets is 1 mm and the area is 20×20 mm.

[0096] The process begins by placing the purchased aluminum sheet in deionized water and then ultrasonically cleaning it for 10 minutes at 20°C. Next, a nanosecond fiber laser marking machine is used to scan the aluminum sheet surface with vertical intersecting lines to increase roughness. The spacing between the intersecting lines is 50 μm, and the laser power, number of processing cycles, and scanning speed are set to 2W, 1 cycle, and 40 mm / s, respectively.

[0097] Then, a commercial superhydrophobic agent (Glaco Mirror Coat Zero, Soft 99, Ltd., Japan) was used on the aluminum sheet surface to enhance the hydrophobic properties of the aluminum sheet surface.

[0098] After hydrophobic modification, the aluminum sheet surface is patterned again using line scanning. The corresponding processing parameters are: line spacing of 50μm, laser power of 2W, processing times of 1, and scanning speed of 40mm / s. After processing, a benchtop ultrasonic cleaner is used to clean impurities from the aluminum sheet surface. The cleaning equipment has a heating power of 800W, an ultrasonic frequency of 40kHz, and an ultrasonic power of 250W.

[0099] II. Test Equipment and Methods

[0100] This experiment used the CA100C contact angle measurement system from Innuo Corporation (China) to measure the contact angle of gas bubbles on an underwater aluminum sheet surface, characterizing the wettability of aluminum sheet surfaces with different structures. A high-speed charge-coupled device (CCD) camera (120fps, MER-030-120UM / UC, Daheng Group Co., Ltd., China) was used as the optical image acquisition device to capture images of the bubble transport underwater. Each test item was measured independently at least five times, and the average value was taken.

[0101] III. Test Items

[0102] 1. Surface contact angle

[0103] This experiment used a CA100C contact angle measurement system to measure the contact angle of the hydrophobic surface of the transport region in the prepared sample with droplets in air and bubbles underwater. The test results are as follows: Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown in the figure, the contact angle of the droplets in the transport zone of the sample is 151.2°, and the contact angle of the underwater bubbles is 42.7°.

[0104] 2. Bubble transport experiment

[0105] In this experiment, a 20 μL bubble was injected into a small circle within the sample. The bubble's diffusion and contact with the boundary of the small circle could be observed. Driven by the Laplace pressure difference of this parameter, the bubble gradually migrated from the small circle on the right to the large circle on the left. Visually, the bubble on the right was shrinking, while the bubble on the left gradually bulged. The bubble on the left gradually expanded until the Laplace pressure inside the bubble in the small circle and the bubble in the large circle reached equilibrium. In this experiment, the diameter of the large circle was twice that of the small circle, and the bubble transport time between the two points was approximately 48 seconds. The experimental results are as follows: Figure 12 As shown.

[0106] This experiment further tested the bubble delivery effect between two dots of the same diameter, and the results are as follows: Figure 13 As shown, gas transport from one dot to the other was also observed in this experiment. The difference was that, for the same 20 μL bubble, the latter took 195 seconds to transport and reach equilibrium.

[0107] 3. Analysis of parameters affecting conveying speed

[0108] 3.1. Diameter of the double circle

[0109] To investigate the optimal conditions for bubble transport, this experiment first designed circles with different proportional radii to explore the problem. By recording the transport time of the bubbles, the optimal combination of circle radius sizes was determined.

[0110] Specifically, three experimental groups were set up. In each group, the diameter of one side of the circle was initially set to 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm, denoted as D3, D4, and D5. Then, the diameter of the other side of the circle was adjusted to 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6mm, denoted as Dx. 20µL of air bubbles were injected into the smaller circular area of ​​each group, and the change in air bubble transport from the smaller circle to the larger circle was recorded. The transport rate was characterized by the length of time the gas was transported.

[0111] The final transport rates between dots of different sizes in the three sets of experiments are as follows: Figures 14-16 As shown in the figure, analysis of the data reveals that... Figure 14 The samples with the best delivery rates are D3-D5 and D3-D6. Figure 15 The samples with the best delivery rates are D3-D5 and D3-D6. Figure 16 The samples with the optimal transport rate were D3-D5 and D4-D5. This indicates that the best transport effect is achieved when the diameters of the two dots differ by a factor of two. Throughout the experiment, microdevices with double-circle diameters of 3 and 6 mm, i.e., D3-D6, exhibited excellent transport performance. Therefore, we selected this parameter set (D3-D6) for subsequent experimental investigations.

[0112] Besides the diameter of the two circles affecting microfluidic transport, other parameters of the transport zone in a controllable fluid transport vehicle also influence the microfluidic transport rate. This experiment further investigated the effects of the channel length L, channel width w, and bubble volume V connecting the two circles on the transport rate.

[0113] 3.2 Channel Length

[0114] In investigating the effect of the parameter L on bubble transport, the double circle sizes were selected as 3 and 6 mm, w as 1 mm, and the injected bubble volume as 20 μL as quantitative parameters. To facilitate observation of the effect of L on bubble transport, the length of L was set to 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 mm in the five experimental groups. The final transport time was plotted as shown below. Figure 17 The experimental results are shown.

[0115] analyze Figure 17The data shows that L has a significant negative correlation with bubble transport. As L increases, the transport time of bubbles from small circles to large circles increases, especially when L changes from 5 mm to 7 mm, the transport time of bubbles increases significantly.

[0116] 3.4 Channel Width

[0117] In investigating the effect of the parameter 'w' on bubble transport, the bubble injection volume was set to 20 μL, the double-circle diameters were 3 and 6 mm, and the track length was 3 mm. In this experiment, the width 'w' of the double-circle track was 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 mm in four groups of experiments. The relationship between bubble transport time and 'w' was plotted using CCD images, resulting in the following... Figure 18 The experimental results.

[0118] analyze Figure 18 The data shows that the wider the channel, the faster the gas delivery rate and the shorter the delivery time.

[0119] 3.5 Bubble Volume

[0120] This experiment investigated the effect of the injected bubble volume on bubble transport. The double-circle diameter parameters were selected as 3 and 6 mm, and L and w as 3 mm and 1 mm, respectively. The injected bubble volumes in the five experimental groups were 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 μL. The bubble transport time for each group was recorded using a CCD, and the final plots are shown below. Figure 19 The experimental results are shown.

[0121] analyze Figure 19 The data shows that the larger the volume of the injected bubble, the longer the time required for bubble transport.

[0122] IV. Bubble Transport Experiment under Complex Patterns

[0123] Previous experiments have verified the effectiveness of the fluid controllable transport vehicle provided in this embodiment in achieving spontaneous bubble transport underwater. Considering the wide range of applications this solution can be applied to, this experiment further designed more complex microfluidic channels with different structures based on the original two-point structure to achieve bubble transport in various environments.

[0124] Figure 20 The designed three-circle microchannel structure features a small central dot and larger dotted dots on either side. Microbubbles are injected into the central circle, allowing them to be transported in opposite horizontal directions. Inspired by bidirectional transport designs, a crossroads-shaped microchannel structure was further fabricated, such as... Figure 21 As shown, microbubbles are injected into the center of the cross-shaped structure. After filling the small circles, the bubbles are transported in four different directions, achieving transport in four different directions simultaneously. This is a typical radiation pattern. When injecting the same volume of bubbles in a radiation pattern, the transport and conversion time is significantly reduced.

[0125] In addition to designing the channel in the center of the dot as a linear structure, this experiment also designed curved channels with different degrees of curvature. For example... Figure 22 As shown, designing the passage connecting the two circles in an arch shape can improve the flexibility of the transportation path. Further inspiration from the arch shape leads to... Figure 23 The island-shaped channel shown allows for two paths for a bubble to travel from one point to another. When one path within the island is blocked, the bubble can be transported along the other path, thus improving the fault tolerance of fluid transport.

[0126] The above-described embodiments are merely one implementation of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A fluid controllable transport vehicle, characterized in that; It is used for the directional transport of immiscible fluid B with a density less than that of fluid A within fluid A. The controllable fluid transport carrier includes a substrate, the surface of which includes a transport area and a non-transport area formed by film preparation and patterning. The transport area includes at least one set of basic units consisting of large dots, small dots, and equal-width channels connecting them. In the transport area, the contact angle of material A is greater than 151.2°, and the contact angle of material B is less than 42.7°. In the non-transport area, the contact angle of material A is less than 42.7°, and the contact angle of material B is greater than 151.2°. In the transport area, the diameter D1 of the large dot is greater than the diameter D2 of the small dot, and the diameter D2 of the small dot is greater than the width W of the channel. The length of the channel between the large and small dots is L. The spatial distribution of the transport area satisfies the following constraints: πR2 2 >W·L In the above formula, R2 represents the radius of the small dot; When the fluid controllable transport vehicle is placed in fluid A and fluid B is continuously introduced into the small dot area, the fluid controllable transport vehicle continuously transports fluid B from the small dot area to the large dot area along the extension path of the channel, and releases it in the form of fluid clumps of equal volume. When the fluid-controlled transport vehicle transports fluid B in fluid A, when the height of the vesicle formed by fluid B at the large circumference in the transport zone is greater than H1, a fluid mass with volume V is released at the large circumference; the volume V of the fluid mass satisfies the following formula: In the above formula, R1 is the diameter of the large circle; H1 represents the maximum height of the vesicle when fluid B can maintain a complete vesicle shape at the large circle under the current fluid controllable transport vehicle and its corresponding fluid transport conditions.

2. The fluid controllable transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Fluid A and fluid B are respectively a liquid phase substance and a gas phase substance; or, fluid A and fluid B are both liquid phase substances and have different polarities.

3. The fluid controllable transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the conveying area, the size specifications of the large and small dots satisfy: 3≥(R1 / R2)≥1.

5.

4. The fluid controllable transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The patterned transport area contains a multi-level connected graph from small dots to large dots, and a radial or convergent graph centered on small or large dots.

5. The fluid controllable transport vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the fluid controllable transport vehicle is used to transport gaseous substances in water, the surface of the transport area is made of a superhydrophobic material.

6. A method for preparing a fluid-controlled transport vehicle as described in claim 5, used to prepare a vehicle capable of transporting gaseous substances in water, characterized in that: The preparation method includes the following steps: S1: Select a metal aluminum plate with a thickness of no more than 1mm as the substrate; S2: A rough surface is formed by periodically scanning the front side of the substrate using a nanosecond laser processing device; S3: Using superhydrophobic reagents to generate a uniform and smooth superhydrophobic layer on a rough surface; S4: The superhydrophobic layer is etched using a nanosecond laser processing device according to a preset scanning path to achieve patterning of the transport area; after processing, the part of the superhydrophobic layer is retained as the transport area, and the part of the superhydrophobic layer is removed as the non-transport area, thereby obtaining the required fluid controllable transport vehicle.

7. An application of the fluid controllable transport vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that; The fluid controllable transport vehicle is used for underwater oil and gas resource capture, or for the directional transport or quantitative dispensing of fluid components.

8. A quantitative dispensing system for fluid drugs, characterized in that: It is used to rapidly dispense fluid drugs into specified packaging quantities to obtain equal amounts of fluid clumps; The quantitative dispensing system includes: container, A fluid medium located within the container, wherein the fluid medium is a fluid substance that is immiscible and non-reactive with the drug components and has a density greater than that of the drug components; A forming assembly employs a fluid-controlled delivery carrier as described in any one of claims 1-4; the forming assembly is located in the fluid medium, and at the delivery zone of the fluid-controlled delivery carrier, the contact angle of the drug component is 150.2°; the contact angle of the fluid medium is 43.7°; at the non-delivery zone of the fluid-controlled delivery carrier, the contact angle of the drug component is 43.7°; the contact angle of the fluid medium is 150.2°; wherein the vesicle volume at the large dot of the delivery zone, where the drug component maintains an intact vesicle morphology, corresponds to the amount of drug packaged. A drug injection assembly for continuously supplying a fluid drug to be dispensed to one side of a small dot in a fluid-controlled delivery vehicle; and A drug collection assembly for collecting a fluid mass of fluid drug released on one side of a large dot in a fluid-controlled delivery vehicle.

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