Microfluidic chip driving circuit, driving method and microfluidic chip

Abstract

The present application discloses a driving circuit, a driving method and a microfluidic chip of a microfluidic chip. Among them, the driving circuit includes: a pre-charging module, a control module, a driving capacitor and a driving switch, the pre-charging module is used to provide a pre-charging voltage; the control module is used to provide a control signal; the driving capacitor includes a first driving electrode and a second driving electrode, the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode are used to be arranged on the droplet microflow, and drive the droplet microflow to move; the first end of the driving switch is connected to the pre-charging module, the second end of the driving switch is connected to the first driving electrode, and the control end of the driving switch is connected to the control module; the control end of the driving switch responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the driving switch are turned on, and the pre-charging voltage provided by the pre-charging module is loaded to the first driving electrode to pre-start the droplet microflow. The technical solution of the present application can effectively reduce the startup time and improve the processing efficiency of the microfluidic chip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of analysis and detection technology, and specifically relates to a microfluidic chip driving circuit, a driving method and a microfluidic chip. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidic chips can integrate multiple steps in biological, chemical, and medical analysis processes on a micron-sized chip to automatically complete the analysis process. Microfluidic chips generally drive droplets to move through the dielectric wetting effect, that is, by applying voltage to the electrodes to change the contact angle of the droplets, thereby driving the droplets to move. However, the driving voltage of the dielectric wetting effect is generally high, the charging time is long, and the startup is slow, resulting in reduced processing efficiency of the microfluidic chip. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a microfluidic chip driving circuit, a driving method and a microfluidic chip, which can effectively reduce the startup time and improve the processing efficiency of the microfluidic chip.

[0004] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by the practice of the present application.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present application, the present application provides a microfluidic chip driving circuit, the driving circuit comprising:

[0006] A pre-charging module, the pre-charging module is used to provide a pre-charging voltage;

[0007] A control module, wherein the control module is used to provide a control signal;

[0008] A driving capacitor, the driving capacitor comprising a first driving electrode and a second driving electrode, the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode being used to be arranged on a droplet microflow and drive the droplet microflow to move; and

[0009] A driving switch, wherein a first end of the driving switch is connected to the pre-charging module, a second end of the driving switch is connected to the first driving electrode, and a control end of the driving switch is connected to the control module;

[0010] The control end of the driving switch responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the driving switch are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage provided by the pre-charge module is loaded to the first driving electrode to pre-start the droplet microflow.

[0011] In one aspect, the control module includes a first response switch, a second response switch and a first storage capacitor, wherein the first storage capacitor includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate;

[0012] The first end of the first response switch is used to receive a gate voltage, the second end of the first response switch is connected to the first electrode plate, and the control end of the first response switch responds to a first scanning signal to load the gate voltage to the first electrode plate;

[0013] The first end of the second response switch is used to receive the compensation voltage, the second end of the second response switch is connected to the second electrode plate, and the control end of the second response switch responds to the second scanning signal to load the compensation voltage to the first electrode plate.

[0014] In one aspect, the control module also includes a third response switch, a first end of the third response switch is used to receive a first reset voltage, a second end of the third response switch is connected to the line between the second response switch and the second electrode plate, and a control end of the third response switch responds to the first scanning signal to load the first reset voltage to the second electrode plate.

[0015] In one aspect, the microfluidic chip is provided with a plurality of moving paths of the droplet microfluidics, each moving path is provided with a corresponding driving circuit, and the second scanning signal in each driving circuit is provided simultaneously.

[0016] In one aspect, the pre-charge module includes a fourth response switch, the first end of the fourth response switch is used to receive the pre-charge voltage, the second end of the fourth response switch is connected to the first end of the driving switch, the control end of the fourth response switch responds to the second scanning signal, the first end and the second end of the fourth response switch are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage is loaded to the first driving electrode.

[0017] In one aspect, the pre-charge module also includes a fifth response switch, the first end of the fifth response switch is used to receive a second reset voltage, the second end of the fifth response switch is connected to the line between the fourth response switch and the driving switch, the control end of the fifth response switch responds to the first scanning signal, the first end and the second end of the fifth response switch are turned on, and the second reset voltage is loaded to the first driving electrode.

[0018] In one aspect, the driving circuit also includes a data voltage module, which is used to provide a data voltage. The data voltage module connects the line between the driving switch and the pre-charge module, and superimposes the data voltage on the pre-charge voltage to drive the droplet microflow to move.

[0019] In one aspect, the data voltage module includes a sixth response switch and a second storage capacitor, the second storage capacitor includes a third electrode plate and a fourth electrode plate, the first end of the sixth response switch is used to receive the data voltage, the second end of the sixth response switch is connected to the third electrode plate, the control end of the sixth response switch responds to a third scan signal, and the fourth electrode plate is connected to the line between the pre-charge module and the drive switch to load the data voltage to the first drive electrode.

[0020] In addition, in order to solve the above problems, the present application also provides a driving method, which is applied to the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip as described above, and the driving method includes:

[0021] In the pre-startup stage, the pre-charge module is controlled to provide a pre-charge voltage, and the control module is controlled to provide a control signal. The control end of the drive switch responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the drive switch are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage provided by the pre-charge module is loaded to the first drive electrode.

[0022] In one aspect, before the steps of the pre-startup phase, the method includes:

[0023] In the initialization stage, the voltage of the first end and the control end of the driving switch is initialized;

[0024] After the steps in the pre-startup phase, the following steps are further included:

[0025] In the driving stage, a data voltage is provided to the first end of the driving switch, and the data voltage is superimposed on the pre-charge voltage to drive the droplet micro-flow to move;

[0026] In the holding stage, the driving switch is kept turned on to continuously drive the droplet micro-flow to move.

[0027] In addition, in order to solve the above problems, the present application also provides a microfluidic chip, which includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a driving circuit of the microfluidic chip as described above, the first substrate and the second substrate are opposite to each other, the first driving electrode is arranged on the side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, the second driving electrode is arranged on the side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode are used to set droplet microflow.

[0028] In this application, the pre-charge voltage provided by the pre-charge module is loaded onto the first driving electrode in advance, thereby changing the contact angle of the droplet microflow in advance, making it in a critical state before moving, even if the droplet microflow is in a pre-start state. In this way, when the droplet microflow is formally driven to move, a smaller voltage needs to be applied, which reduces the start-up time of the formal drive and improves the processing efficiency of the microfluidic chip.

[0029] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 The schematic diagram shows the structure of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip of the present application.

[0032] Figure 2 The schematic diagram shows the structure of the initialization phase of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip of the present application.

[0033] Figure 3 The schematic diagram shows the structure of the pre-startup phase of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip of the present application.

[0034] Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the driving stage structure of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip of the present application is shown schematically.

[0035] Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the structure of the holding phase of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip of the present application is shown schematically.

[0036] Figure 6 The schematic diagram shows the timing driving diagram of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip of the present application.

[0037] Figure 7 The schematic diagram shows the process steps of the driving method of the microfluidic chip of the present application.

[0038] Figure 8 The structural diagram of the microfluidic chip of the present application is schematically shown.

[0039] The following are the descriptions of the reference numerals:

[0040] 10, pre-charge module; 20, control module; 30, drive capacitor; 40, data voltage module; T0, drive switch; Vdd, pre-charge voltage; Vgate, gate voltage; Vcc, compensation voltage; GND, ground voltage; Vdata, data voltage; Vss, negative voltage; G1, first scan signal; G2, second scan signal; G3, third scan signal;

[0041] T1, first response switch; T2, second response switch; T3, third response switch; T4, fourth response switch; T5, fifth response switch; T6, sixth response switch; 210, first storage capacitor; 211, first electrode plate; 212, second electrode plate; 310, first drive electrode; 320, second drive electrode; 410, second storage capacitor; 411, third electrode plate; 412, fourth electrode plate; 510, first substrate; 520, second substrate; 530, dielectric layer; 540, hydrophobic layer; 600, droplet microflow; 710, source; 720, drain; 730, active layer; 740, gate; 810, first insulating layer; 820, second insulating layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be more comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0043] Embodiment 1

[0044] See also Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a driving circuit of a microfluidic chip, and the driving circuit includes: a pre-charging module 10, a control module 20, a driving capacitor 30 and a driving switch T0. The pre-charging module 10 is used to provide a pre-charging voltage Vdd; the control module 20 is used to provide a control signal; the driving capacitor 30 includes a first driving electrode 310 and a second driving electrode 320, the first driving electrode 310 and the second driving electrode 320 are arranged opposite to each other, and the first driving electrode 310 and the second driving electrode 320 form a voltage difference when the power is supplied. The first driving electrode 310 and the second driving electrode 320 are used to be arranged on the droplet microflow, and the droplet microflow is driven to move under the action of the voltage difference. Among them, the principle of driving the droplet microflow to move is mainly based on the dielectric wetting effect, and the voltage can change the contact angle between the droplet microflow and the plane where it is located, thereby promoting the droplet microflow to move; the first end of the driving switch T0 is connected to the pre-charging module 10, the second end of the driving switch T0 is connected to the first driving electrode 310, and the control end of the driving switch T0 is connected to the control module 20.

[0045] The control signal provided by the control module 20 is loaded to the control end of the driving switch T0, and the control end of the driving switch T0 responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the driving switch T0 are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage Vdd provided by the pre-charge module 10 is loaded to the first driving electrode 310 to pre-start the droplet microflow. Pre-start can be understood as a critical state in which the contact angle of the droplet microflow is changed, but it has not yet started to move. In addition, the first end of the general switch is the source, the second end is the drain, and the control end is the gate. Sometimes the first end can also be the drain and the second end can be the source.

[0046] In this embodiment, the pre-charge voltage Vdd provided by the pre-charge module 10 is loaded onto the first drive electrode 310 in advance, thereby changing the contact angle of the droplet microflow in advance, making it in a critical state before moving, even if the droplet microflow is in a pre-started state. In this way, when the droplet microflow is formally driven to move, a smaller voltage needs to be applied, which reduces the start-up time of the formal drive and improves the processing efficiency of the microfluidic chip. In other words, the pre-charge voltage Vdd alone is not enough to drive the droplet microflow to start moving, but it can still cause a certain change in the contact angle of the droplet microflow, making it easier to be fully driven to move later, shortening the subsequent drive time.

[0047] In order to control the on and off of the driving switch T0, the control module 20 includes a first response switch T1, a second response switch T2 and a first storage capacitor 210. The first storage capacitor 210 includes a first electrode plate 211 and a second electrode plate 212. The first electrode plate 211 and the second electrode plate are arranged opposite to each other.

[0048] The first end of the first response switch T1 is used to receive the gate voltage Vgate, the second end of the first response switch T1 is connected to the first electrode plate 211, and the control end of the first response switch T1 responds to the first scanning signal G1. Under the action of the first scanning signal G1, the first end and the second end of the first response switch T1 are turned on, and the gate voltage Vgate is loaded to the first electrode plate 211.

[0049] The first end of the second response switch T2 is used to receive the compensation voltage Vcc, the second end of the second response switch T2 is connected to the second electrode plate 212, and the control end of the second response switch T2 responds to the second scanning signal G2. Under the action of the second scanning signal G2, the compensation voltage Vcc is loaded to the second electrode plate 212. According to the charge conservation of the capacitor, the compensation voltage Vcc loaded on the second electrode plate 212 is also loaded on the first electrode plate 211 synchronously. Thus, when the compensation voltage Vcc is superimposed on the gate voltage Vgate, a control signal is formed. Under the action of the control signal, the driving switch T0 controls the first end and the second end of the driving switch T0 to be turned on.

[0050] It should be noted that by loading the compensation voltage Vcc, the gate voltage Vgate can be reduced, and the limitation of the gate chip can be reduced. That is, even if the gate voltage Vgate provided by the gate chip is very small, the first and second ends of the drive switch T0 can be turned on under the action of the compensation voltage Vcc.

[0051] In the present application, in order to ensure that the control signal applied to the control end of the driving switch T0 is accurate, the control module 20 also includes a third response switch T3, the first end of the third response switch T3 is used to receive the first reset voltage, the second end of the third response switch T3 is connected to the line between the second response switch T2 and the second electrode plate 212, and the control end of the third response switch T3 responds to the first scan signal G1 to load the first reset voltage to the second electrode plate 212. Under the action of the first scan signal G1, the first end and the second end of the control end of the third response switch T3 are turned on, and the first reset voltage can reset the voltage of the second electrode plate 212. For example, the first end of the third response switch T3 is connected to the ground end, and the ground end provides a ground voltage GND, that is, a first reset voltage, and the ground voltage GND is 0 volts, so as to ensure that the voltage applied to the control end of the driving switch T0 is the superposition of the compensation voltage Vcc and the gate voltage Vgate.

[0052] Further, in the present application, a plurality of moving paths of droplet microflows are provided in the microfluidic chip, and the droplet microflows move according to the moving paths. A plurality of drive circuits may also be provided, and a drive circuit is provided corresponding to each moving path, and each drive circuit is used to drive the droplet microflow on the corresponding moving path to move. In order to improve the drive processing efficiency, the second scanning signal G2 in each drive circuit is provided simultaneously. Thus, the loading of the compensation voltage Vcc can be completed at the same time, reducing the startup time of the drive circuit. In addition, the compensation voltage Vcc is provided at the same time, which can extend the compensation time and ensure that the compensation voltage Vcc is completely written to the first storage capacitor 210.

[0053] In the present application, in order to control the loading of the pre-charge voltage Vdd, the pre-charge module 10 includes a fourth response switch T4, the first end of the fourth response switch T4 is used to receive the pre-charge voltage Vdd, the second end of the fourth response switch T4 is connected to the first end of the driving switch T0, the control end of the fourth response switch T4 responds to the second scanning signal G2, the first end and the second end of the fourth response switch T4 are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage Vdd is loaded to the first driving electrode 310. It can be seen that the loading timing of the pre-charge voltage Vdd can be controlled by the fourth response switch T4.

[0054] In order to ensure that the applied pre-charge voltage Vdd is accurate, the pre-charge module 10 further includes a fifth response switch T5, the first end of the fifth response switch T5 is used to receive the second reset voltage, the second end of the fifth response switch T5 is connected to the line between the fourth response switch T4 and the driving switch T0, the control end of the fifth response switch T5 responds to the first scan signal G1, the first end and the second end of the fifth response switch T5 are turned on, and the second reset voltage is applied to the first driving electrode 310. The first reset voltage and the second reset voltage can be connected to the same point, for example, the first end of the fifth response switch T5 is connected to the ground end, the ground end provides the ground voltage GND, that is, the second reset voltage, the ground voltage GND is 0 volts, so as to ensure that the voltage applied to the first end of the driving switch T0 is the pre-charge voltage Vdd.

[0055] In order to smoothly drive the droplet microstream to move, the driving circuit also includes a data voltage module 40, which is used to provide a data voltage Vdata. The data voltage module 40 connects the line between the driving switch T0 and the pre-charge module 10, and superimposes the data voltage Vdata on the pre-charge voltage Vdd. By superimposing the pre-charge voltage Vdd and the data voltage Vdata, the voltage value applied to the first driving electrode 310 is increased to drive the droplet microstream to move.

[0056] In order to control the data voltage module 40 to provide the data voltage Vdata, the data voltage module 40 includes a sixth response switch T6 and a second storage capacitor 410, the second storage capacitor 410 includes a third electrode plate 411 and a fourth electrode plate 412, the first end of the sixth response switch T6 is used to receive the data voltage Vdata, the second end of the sixth response switch T6 is connected to the third electrode plate 411, the control end of the sixth response switch T6 responds to the third scan signal G3, the first end and the second end of the sixth response switch T6 are turned on, and the data voltage Vdata is loaded on the third electrode plate 411. According to the charge conservation of the capacitor, the data voltage Vdata loaded on the third electrode plate 411 is also loaded on the fourth electrode plate 412 synchronously. Thus, when the data voltage Vdata is superimposed on the pre-charge voltage Vdd, a control signal is formed. Under the action of the control signal, the driving switch T0 controls the first end and the second end of the driving switch T0 to be turned on. The fourth electrode plate 412 connects the line between the pre-charge module 10 and the driving switch T0 to load the data voltage Vdata to the first driving electrode 310.

[0057] Embodiment 2

[0058] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the present application also provides a driving method, which is applied to a driving circuit of a microfluidic chip, and the driving method includes:

[0059] Step S10, pre-start phase II, controls the pre-charge module 10 to provide a pre-charge voltage Vdd, and at the same time controls the control module 20 to provide a control signal, the control end of the driving switch T0 responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the driving switch T0 are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage Vdd provided by the pre-charge module 10 is loaded to the first driving electrode 310.

[0060] Specifically, see Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the pre-charge voltage Vdd is written into the first end of the driving switch T0, the droplet microflow is pre-started, the first scan signal G1 and the third scan signal G3 are at a low voltage, and the second scan signal G2 is at a high voltage, so that the first response switch T1, the third response switch T3, the fifth response switch T5 and the sixth response switch T6 are closed, and the driving switch T0, the second response switch T2 and the fourth response switch T4 are opened; the second electrode plate 212 is charged to the compensation voltage Vcc, and at the same time, the voltage of the first electrode plate 211 will be pushed up to the superposition of the gate voltage Vgate and the compensation voltage Vcc due to charge conservation. At the same time, the first end of the driving switch T0 is charged to the pre-charge voltage Vdd, and the first and second ends of the driving switch T0 are turned on. The first driving electrode 310 is loaded with the pre-charge voltage Vdd, and the pre-charge voltage Vdd alone is not enough to drive the droplet microflow to start moving, but it can still cause a certain change in the contact angle of the droplet microflow, making it easier to be fully driven to move later, shortening the subsequent driving time. In the pre-start phase II, the moving paths are driven simultaneously, that is, the second scanning signal G2 can be turned on for multiple rows simultaneously to extend the compensation time and ensure that the signal is fully written.

[0061] In this embodiment, the pre-charge voltage Vdd provided by the pre-charge module 10 is loaded onto the first driving electrode 310 in advance, thereby changing the contact angle of the droplet microflow in advance, making it in a critical state before moving, even if the droplet microflow is in a pre-start state. In this way, when the droplet microflow is formally driven to move, a smaller voltage needs to be applied, which reduces the start-up time of the formal drive and improves the processing efficiency of the microfluidic chip.

[0062] Furthermore, before the steps of the pre-startup phase, it includes:

[0063] Step S20, initialization phase I, voltage initialization is performed on the first end and the control end of the driving switch T0.

[0064] See also Figure 2 and Figure 6As shown, the first end and the control end of the driving switch T0 are initialized, the first scanning signal G1 is a high voltage, the second scanning signal G2 and the third scanning signal G3 are low voltages, so that the first response switch T1, the third response switch T3, and the fifth response switch T5 are turned on, and the second response switch T2, the fourth response switch T4, and the sixth response switch T6 are turned off; at this time, the voltage of the first electrode plate 211 will be charged with the gate voltage Vgate after the first response switch T1 is turned on. The gate voltage Vgat is selected to be a smaller voltage to eliminate the restriction on the gate chip, while keeping the driving switch T0 closed. The second electrode plate 212 discharges to the ground end through the third response switch T3, so that the second electrode plate 212 is 0 volts; the first end of the driving switch T0 discharges to the ground GND through the fifth response switch T5, and the first end of the driving switch T0 is 0 volts; the writing of the gate voltage Vgate signal and the initialization of the second electrode plate 212 and the first end of the driving switch T0 are completed.

[0065] After the pre-launch phase steps, it also includes:

[0066] Step S30, driving phase III, providing a data voltage Vdata to the first end of the driving switch T0, and superimposing the data voltage Vdata on the pre-charge voltage Vdd to drive the droplet micro-flow to move.

[0067] Specifically, see Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, in the start-up driving stage of the droplet microflow, the first scanning signal G1 and the second scanning signal G2 are at a low potential, and the third scanning signal G3 is at a high potential. For the driving switch T0, the first electrode plate 211 maintains the gate voltage Vgate superimposed with the compensation voltage Vcc, and the driving switch T0 remains open. At the same time, the third electrode plate 411 is charged to the data voltage Vdata. At this time, the charge of the second storage capacitor 410 is conserved, and the fourth electrode plate 412 will become the data voltage Vdata superimposed with the pre-charge voltage Vdd. At the same time, since the driving switch T0 is opened, the voltage of the first driving electrode 310 is loaded to the data voltage Vdata superimposed with the pre-charge voltage Vdd, thereby reaching the voltage at which the droplet microflow is driven to start moving, and the droplet microflow is driven. Since the droplet microflow has the compensation of the pre-charge voltage Vdd, the data voltage Vdata can use a smaller voltage, thereby eliminating the restriction on the driving chip. At the same time, the data voltage Vdata voltage is smaller, and the charging time required to drive the driving capacitor 30 will be shortened, and the opening time of the sixth response switch T6 is reduced, thereby improving the use efficiency of the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip.

[0068] Step S40, maintaining stage IV, maintaining the driving switch T0 on, and continuously driving the droplet micro-flow to move.

[0069] Specifically, see Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the first scanning signal G1, the second scanning signal G2 and the third scanning signal G3 are at low voltage, and the other response switches except the driving switch T0 are in the closed state. The control end of the driving switch T0 maintains the superposition of the gate voltage Vgate and the compensation voltage Vcc, and the driving switch T0 remains open. The first end of the driving switch T0 maintains the superposition of the data voltage Vdata and the pre-charge voltage Vdd, which can continuously drive the droplet microflow to move until it completes the movement.

[0070] In the above, the first response switch T1, the second response switch T2, the third response switch T3, the fourth response switch T4, the fifth response switch T5, and the sixth response switch T6 can be N-type switches or P-type switches. When the control end of the N-type switch is at a low voltage, the first end and the second end are conductive. When the control end of the P-type switch is at a high voltage, the first end and the second end are conductive.

[0071] Embodiment 3

[0072] See also Figure 8As shown, the present application also provides a microfluidic chip, which includes a first substrate 510, a second substrate 520 and a driving circuit of the microfluidic chip as described above, wherein the first substrate 510 and the second substrate 520 are opposite to each other, and the first substrate 510 and the second substrate 520 can be glass substrates or plastic substrates. The first driving electrode 310 is arranged on the side of the first substrate 510 facing the second substrate 520, and the second driving electrode 320 is arranged on the side of the second substrate 520 facing the first substrate 510, and the droplet microflow 600 is arranged between the first driving electrode 310 and the second driving electrode 320. The contact angle of the droplet microflow 600 on the moving path is changed by the voltage difference formed between the first driving electrode 310 and the second driving electrode 320, thereby driving the droplet microflow 600 to move in the moving path. For example, move left and right. The microfluidic chip further includes a dielectric layer 530 and a hydrophobic layer 540. The hydrophobic layer 540 is disposed toward the droplet microflow 600 to increase the contact angle of the droplet microflow 600 and facilitate the movement of the droplet microflow 600. The dielectric layer 530 is disposed between the hydrophobic layer 540 and the driving electrode, and the dielectric layer 530 can increase the capacitance value of the driving capacitor 30. The driving switch T0 is arranged between the first substrate 510 and the first driving electrode 310. The driving switch T0 includes a source 710, a drain 720, an active layer 730 and a gate 740. The gate 740 is arranged on the upper surface of the first substrate 510, the active layer 730 is arranged above the gate 740, a first insulating layer 810 is arranged between the active layer 730 and the gate 740, the source 710 and the drain 720 are arranged on both sides of the active layer 730, respectively, a second insulating layer 820 is arranged between the source 710 and the drain 720 and the first driving electrode 310, a hole is opened in the second insulating layer 820, and the drain 720 is connected to the first driving electrode 310 through the hole, so as to supply power to the first driving electrode 310.

[0073] The specific implementation methods and beneficial effects of the microfluidic chip refer to the above-mentioned solution of the microfluidic chip driving circuit, which will not be repeated here.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present application.

[0075] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A driving circuit for a microfluidic chip, characterized in that: The driving circuit comprises: A pre-charging module, the pre-charging module is used to provide a pre-charging voltage; A control module, wherein the control module is used to provide a control signal; A driving capacitor, the driving capacitor comprising a first driving electrode and a second driving electrode, the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode being used to be arranged on a droplet microflow and drive the droplet microflow to move; and A driving switch, wherein a first end of the driving switch is connected to the pre-charging module, a second end of the driving switch is connected to the first driving electrode, and a control end of the driving switch is connected to the control module; The control end of the driving switch responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the driving switch are connected, the pre-charging module includes a fourth response switch, the first end of the fourth response switch is used to receive the pre-charging voltage, the second end of the fourth response switch is connected to the first end of the driving switch, the control end of the fourth response switch responds to the second scanning signal, the first end and the second end of the fourth response switch are connected, and the pre-charging voltage provided by the pre-charging module is loaded to the first driving electrode to pre-start the droplet microflow; The control module includes a first response switch, a second response switch and a first storage capacitor, wherein the first storage capacitor includes a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate; The first end of the first response switch is used to receive a gate voltage, the second end of the first response switch is connected to the first electrode plate, and the control end of the first response switch responds to a first scanning signal to load the gate voltage to the first electrode plate; The first end of the second response switch is used to receive the compensation voltage, the second end of the second response switch is connected to the second electrode plate, and the control end of the second response switch responds to the second scanning signal to load the compensation voltage to the first electrode plate; The driving circuit further includes a data voltage module, the data voltage module is used to provide a data voltage, the data voltage module is connected to the line between the driving switch and the pre-charge module, and the data voltage is superimposed on the pre-charge voltage to drive the droplet microflow to move, the data voltage module includes a sixth response switch and a second storage capacitor, the second storage capacitor includes a third electrode plate and a fourth electrode plate, the first end of the sixth response switch is used to receive the data voltage, the second end of the sixth response switch is connected to the third electrode plate, the control end of the sixth response switch responds to the third scan signal, and the fourth electrode plate is connected to the line between the pre-charge module and the driving switch to load the data voltage to the first driving electrode; The control module also includes a third response switch, a first end of the third response switch is used to receive a first reset voltage, a second end of the third response switch is connected to the line between the second response switch and the second electrode plate, and a control end of the third response switch responds to the first scanning signal to load the first reset voltage to the second electrode plate.

2. The driving circuit of the microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pre-charge module also includes a fifth response switch, a first end of the fifth response switch is used to receive a second reset voltage, a second end of the fifth response switch is connected to the line between the fourth response switch and the drive switch, a control end of the fifth response switch responds to a first scan signal, a first end and a second end of the fifth response switch are turned on, and the second reset voltage is loaded to the first drive electrode.

3. A driving method, characterized in that: The driving method is applied to the driving circuit of the microfluidic chip according to claim 1, and the driving method comprises: In the pre-startup stage, the pre-charge module is controlled to provide a pre-charge voltage, and the control module is controlled to provide a control signal. The control end of the drive switch responds to the control signal, the first end and the second end of the drive switch are turned on, and the pre-charge voltage provided by the pre-charge module is loaded to the first drive electrode.

4. The driving method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Prior to the steps in the pre-startup phase, the following steps are included: In the initialization stage, the voltage of the first end and the control end of the driving switch is initialized; After the steps in the pre-startup phase, the following steps are further included: In the driving stage, a data voltage is provided to the first end of the driving switch, and the data voltage is superimposed on the pre-charge voltage to drive the droplet micro-flow to move; In the holding stage, the driving switch is kept turned on to continuously drive the droplet micro-flow to move.

5. A microfluidic chip, characterized in that: The microfluidic chip comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a driving circuit of the microfluidic chip as described in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are opposite to each other, the first driving electrode is arranged on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, the second driving electrode is arranged on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and a droplet microfluidic is arranged between the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode.

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