Microfluidic module and microfluidic device

Abstract

The invention relates to a microfluidic module and a microfluidic device.The microfluidic module comprises at least two oppositely-arranged substrate assemblies and a connecting piece connected between the substrate assemblies, a groove is formed in the side, facing the connecting piece, of at least one substrate assembly, and in at least one first state, the substrate assemblies face the connecting piece; the groove can form a negative pressure groove, and at least part of the connecting piece enters the negative pressure groove. The micro-fluidic module provided by the embodiment of the invention can be reused, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a microfluidic module and a microfluidic device. Background Art

[0002] In existing microfluidic devices, there is usually a cavity formed by two interlocking substrate assemblies and a gap portion, and electrodes are relatively arranged in the substrate assemblies. By dropping the droplets to be detected and the required reaction reagents into the cavity and then driving the droplets to move by the electric field between the electrodes, the droplets can be easily detected. Due to the high precision requirements on the substrate assembly, its processing cost is correspondingly high. At the same time, in existing microfluidic devices, the two substrate assemblies are usually connected by double-sided adhesive or UV adhesive, which makes it difficult to separate the two substrate assemblies from each other, that is, the substrate assembly cannot be reused by disassembling, which makes it difficult to reduce the experimental cost and processing cost.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a reusable microfluidic module that can reduce costs, and a corresponding microfluidic device. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a microfluidic module and a microfluidic device, aiming to solve the problem that the microfluidic module cannot be reused and has a high cost.

[0005] In the first aspect, according to an embodiment of the present application, a microfluidic module is proposed, comprising at least two substrate assemblies arranged relative to each other and a connecting member connected between the substrate assemblies, at least one of the substrate assemblies is provided with a groove on a side facing the connecting member, and in at least one first state, the groove can form a negative pressure groove and allow the connecting member to at least partially enter the negative pressure groove.

[0006] In a second aspect, a microfluidic device is proposed according to an embodiment of the present application, comprising the microfluidic module in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0007] The microfluidic module provided in the embodiment of the present application includes at least two substrate assemblies arranged relative to each other, and two adjacent substrate assemblies are connected by a connecting piece. At the same time, the substrate assembly is provided with a groove. Under preset conditions, a negative pressure environment can be formed in the groove, that is, a negative pressure groove is formed, so that the connecting piece is at least partially sucked into the negative pressure groove by suction, so that the surface of the connecting piece facing away from the negative pressure groove is deformed, the area of ​​connection between the corresponding substrate assembly is reduced, and then the connection strength is reduced, so that the two substrate assemblies can be easily separated from each other. After cleaning, disinfection and other processes, multiple substrate assemblies can be reused, thereby effectively reducing the experimental cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The features, advantages and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a microfluidic module provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view at AA' shown;

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another cross-sectional view at AA' shown;

[0012] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a microfluidic module provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view at BB'.

[0014] in:

[0015] 100-microfluidic module;

[0016] 101-functional area; 102-connection area;

[0017] 10-substrate assembly; 20-connecting piece; 30-negative pressure assembly; 40-first hydrophobic layer; 50-second hydrophobic layer; 60-liquid injection hole;

[0018] 11-groove; 12-first substrate assembly; 13-second substrate assembly; 14-functional cavity; 21-adhesive glue; 22-spacer; 31-negative pressure channel; 32-auxiliary groove;

[0019] 121 - first substrate; 122 - first electrode; 131 - second substrate; 132 - functional layer;

[0020] 1321 - second electrode; 1322 - array layer; 1323 - planarization layer; 1324 - second electrode layer; 1325 - insulation layer;

[0021] X-thickness direction.

[0022] In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same components. The drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain the present application and are not configured to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be implemented without the need for some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present application by illustrating the examples of the present application.

[0024] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the statement "include..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0025] It should be understood that when describing the structure of a component, when a layer or a region is referred to as being "on" or "over" another layer or another region, it may mean that it is directly on the other layer or another region, or that other layers or regions are included between it and the other layer or another region. Moreover, if the component is turned over, the layer or a region will be "below" or "beneath" another layer or another region.

[0026] It should be understood that although the terms first and second may be used to describe the form of the display device in the embodiments of the present application, these forms should not be limited to these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish these forms from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present application, the first form may also be referred to as the second form, and similarly, the second form may also be referred to as the first form.

[0027] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below.In addition, the features, structures, or characteristics described below may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0028] In the existing microfluidic modules, there is usually a cavity formed by two interlocking substrate assemblies and a gap support portion. Electrodes are provided in the substrate assemblies. The electrodes in the two substrate assemblies are at least partially arranged opposite to each other and can form an electric field. The droplets to be detected and the required reaction reagents are dropped into the cavity and the droplets are driven to move by the electric field between the electrodes, so that the droplets can be conveniently detected.

[0029] On this basis, the inventors found that the existing substrate assembly usually uses a glass substrate as the main body, and the substrate needs to be provided with injection holes, recessed reaction areas, etc. Since it requires high processing precision, it usually needs to be processed by laser drilling and / or grinding, and its processing cost is high. In the existing microfluidic device, two substrate assemblies are usually connected by double-sided adhesive or UV adhesive, which makes it difficult to separate the two substrate assemblies from each other after the connection is formed. Even if they can be separated, they are prone to breakage and other problems. Therefore, it is difficult to reuse the substrate assembly through disassembly, cleaning and other steps, which makes it difficult to reduce the experimental cost and processing cost.

[0030] In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a microfluidic module and a microfluidic device, which can effectively improve the problems that the microfluidic module cannot be reused and has a high cost.

[0031] Further, in order to better understand the present application, Figures 1 to 5 The microfluidic module and microfluidic device provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail.

[0032] Please also read Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a microfluidic module provided in one embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view at AA' is shown, Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another cross-sectional view shown at AA'.

[0033] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a microfluidic module 100, comprising at least two substrate assemblies 10 arranged relative to each other and a connector 20 connected between the substrate assemblies 10, wherein at least one substrate assembly 10 is provided with a groove 11 on a side facing the connector 20, and in at least one first state, the groove 11 can form a negative pressure groove and allow the connector 20 to at least partially enter the negative pressure groove.

[0034] An embodiment of the present application provides a microfluidic module 100, which includes at least two substrate assemblies 10 arranged relative to each other. The relative arrangement here refers to the relative and spaced arrangement in the thickness direction X of the microfluidic module 100. The planes where the various substrate assemblies 10 are located can be selected to be parallel to each other or have a small angle, so as to form a chamber for accommodating droplets between every two adjacent substrate assemblies 10.

[0035] The following embodiments of the present application are described by taking the microfluidic module 100 including two substrate assemblies 10 as an example, but it should be understood that the present application is not limited to this. The microfluidic module 100 can also include more substrate assemblies 10, and a connector 20 is provided between at least another adjacent substrate assemblies 10.

[0036] A connector 20 is provided between at least two adjacent substrate assemblies 10, and the two substrate assemblies 10 can be connected by the connector 20. The connector 20 can be an adhesive material with a certain viscosity, and is respectively bonded and connected to the substrate assemblies 10 on both sides. In the thickness direction X of the microfluidic module 100, the connector 20 can have a certain size to support the substrate assemblies 10 on both sides and to have a certain distance between the two.

[0037] On this basis, at least one of the two substrate assemblies 10 on both sides of the connector 20 is provided with a groove 11 on the surface of one side facing the connector 20, and the microfluidic module 100 can be optionally connected to the groove 11 by connecting the groove 11 with a negative pressure device or applying pressure to the connector 20 from the outside to form a negative pressure environment inside the groove 11, that is, the groove 11 forms a negative pressure groove, so that the connector 20 can be deformed and partially enter the groove 11. In the microfluidic module 100, the first state can refer to a state in which a negative pressure environment is formed in the groove 11 and suction is generated on the connector 20.

[0038] Optionally, each substrate assembly 10 may be provided with one or more grooves 11 , and the number, width and arrangement of the grooves 11 on another substrate assembly 10 may be the same or different.

[0039] Optionally, each substrate assembly 10 may include a substrate as a main body and an electrode for forming an electric field. At the same time, at least one of the substrate assemblies 10 may also be provided with components required for work such as control switches, signal routing, and binding pads. In two substrate assemblies 10 arranged relatively to each other, the electrodes may be arranged on the side of the substrate close to each other so that an electric field with a certain strength can be formed between the two electrodes. At the same time, since the thickness of the substrate is usually much greater than the thickness of the functional layer 132 such as the electrode, when the groove 11 is set, the groove 11 can be made to penetrate the functional layer 132 such as the electrode along the thickness direction X of the microfluidic module 100 and extend into the substrate so that it has sufficient depth and internal space.

[0040] By deforming the connector 20 and partially entering the groove 11, the surface of the connector 20 that is away from the groove 11 can be changed from the original flat shape that is in contact with the opposite substrate assembly 10 to an uneven or partially raised shape, thereby reducing the contact area between the connector 20 and the opposite substrate assembly 10. For example, the volume of the suction connector 20 can be adjusted by controlling the pressure in the negative pressure tank, so that the aforementioned contact area can be reduced to 50% or 30%, thereby reducing the bonding strength, thereby making it easy for the opposite substrate assembly 10 to be separated from the connector 20, thereby separating the two substrate assemblies 10 from each other.

[0041] Furthermore, after the two substrate assemblies 10 are separated from each other, they can be reconstructed into a microfluidic module 100 through processes such as cleaning, disinfection, drying, spraying a hydrophobic layer, and bonding and assembling, thereby achieving reusability, eliminating the cost and time required to reprocess the substrate assembly 10, thereby reducing experimental costs.

[0042] In some optional embodiments, the notch of the groove 11 is connected to the connector 20 , and along the thickness direction X of the microfluidic module 100 , the orthographic projection of the connector 20 covers the orthographic projection of the negative pressure groove.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present application, the notches of each groove 11 may be connected to the connector 20 and arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction X. Specifically, along the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection of the connector 20 may cover the orthographic projections of the grooves 11 in the two substrate assemblies 10 connected by the connector 20, so that the connector 20 can completely block the notch of each groove 11, so as to form a negative pressure environment in the groove 11.

[0044] It is understandable that in embodiments where multiple grooves 11 are provided or the grooves 11 are wider, the connector 20 may have a certain width to have a larger contact area with the substrate assembly 10 in areas other than the openings of the grooves 11, thereby maintaining the stability and reliability of the adhesive connection.

[0045] Optionally, in the microfluidic module 100, the two opposing substrate assemblies 10 and the connector 20 can together enclose a cavity for conducting experiments on droplets, and the extension trajectory of the connector 20 can be designed according to the shape and area of ​​the required cavity. Correspondingly, the extension trajectory of the groove 11 in the substrate assembly 10 can be the same as or similar to the trajectory of the connector 20, so that its notch can remain covered by the connector 20.

[0046] By making the notch of the groove 11 directly contact the connector 20, it is easy to suck the connector 20 into the groove 11. By making the positive projection of the connector 20 cover the groove 11, that is, the positive projection of the negative pressure groove, the possibility of gas leakage when a negative pressure environment is formed in the groove 11 can be reduced, and the groove 11 can be kept in the state of the negative pressure groove, so that the two substrate assemblies 10 can be separated from each other.

[0047] In some optional embodiments, the microfluidic module 100 has a functional area 101 and a connection area 102 arranged around the functional area 101, the substrate assembly 10 includes a first substrate assembly 12 and a second substrate assembly 13, the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 are opposite to each other and spaced apart in the thickness direction X, the connector 20 is located in the connection area 102, the first substrate assembly 12, the second substrate assembly 13 and the connector 20 together enclose a functional cavity 14, the connector 20 is a flexible body and can be deformed in the thickness direction X; wherein, at least one of the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 is provided with a negative pressure assembly 30, the negative pressure assembly 30 includes a groove 11 and a negative pressure channel 31, the negative pressure channel 31 connects the groove 11 with the external space outside the functional cavity 14.

[0048] The microfluidic module 100 in the embodiment of the present application includes a functional area 101 provided with the aforementioned cavity and a connection area 102 provided around the functional area 101. The connector 20 is located in the connection area 102 and is used to connect the substrate assemblies 10 on both sides. In order to make the connection firm and facilitate the formation of the cavity, the connection area 102 can be connected to the functional area 101 and provided around the functional area 101. The width of the connection area 102 can be greater than or equal to the width of the connector 20.

[0049] The microfluidic module 100 may include a plurality of substrate assemblies 10, which may include at least a first substrate assembly 12 and a second substrate assembly 13 that are arranged oppositely and spaced apart, and the surfaces of the two sides close to each other may be parallel or nearly parallel to each other. The first substrate assembly 12, the second substrate assembly 13 and the connector 20 together enclose a functional cavity 14 for setting the droplets to be reacted.

[0050] Exemplarily, the side surfaces of the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 close to each other can respectively constitute the top wall and the bottom wall of the functional cavity 14. According to the structural shape of the two substrate assemblies 10 in the connection area 102, if a protruding structure is provided, the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 can also be selected to constitute part of the side wall of the functional cavity 14; if the end of the connector 20 close to the two substrate assemblies 10 extends a certain dimension along the surface of the substrate assembly 10 toward the center of the functional area 101, the connector 20 can constitute part of the top wall and / or the bottom wall.

[0051] Further, the connector 20 is used to connect the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13, and the connector 20 can optionally provide bonding and supporting functions at the same time to maintain the height of the functional cavity 14. Exemplarily, the connector 20 can include an adhesive 21 material and a spacer 22 with a certain size disposed in the adhesive material, wherein the adhesive 21 material can be in the form of a flexible elastic film structure, that is, it has a certain elasticity and can be deformed at least in the thickness direction X, so that it can at least partially enter the negative pressure tank.

[0052] Corresponding to the groove 11, a negative pressure assembly 30 including the groove 11 may be provided in the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13, which includes the groove 11 and a negative pressure channel 31 connected to the groove 11 at one end, and the other end of the negative pressure channel 31 may be connected to the surface of the substrate assembly 10 that is staggered from the functional cavity 14. Exemplarily, the negative pressure channel 31 may extend along the thickness direction X and be connected between the side surface of the substrate assembly 10 that is away from the functional cavity 14 and the groove 11, so that the negative pressure channel 31 is easy to process and has a shorter path.

[0053] The negative pressure channel 31 can be provided to connect the groove 11 with the external space outside the functional cavity 14 , so that negative pressure can be pumped into the groove 11 through the negative pressure channel 31 to form a negative pressure groove and generate suction on the connector 20 .

[0054] In some optional embodiments, the connecting member 20 and the groove 11 are distributed along an annular trajectory and are at least partially arranged around the functional area 101 .

[0055] Optionally, the connector 20 and the groove 11 may be completely extended along the circumference of the functional area 101 and arranged in an annular shape, so that the functional cavity 14 is provided with a wall portion with good sealing performance all around, and the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate 131 are connected firmly and evenly. Furthermore, the widths of the connector 20 and the groove 11 at various locations in their extension direction may be the same or similar, so as to further improve the uniformity and stability of the connection.

[0056] Furthermore, by arranging the groove 11 and the connector 20 in correspondence, the connection strength of each area can be reduced more evenly when a negative pressure environment is formed in the groove 11, so that each part of the functional area 101 in the circumferential direction can be more conveniently separated from each other, reducing the possibility of damage or rupture of the substrate assembly 10 after disassembly due to overly tight connection of a single area.

[0057] In some optional embodiments, the negative pressure assembly 30 includes a plurality of grooves 11 , and the plurality of grooves 11 are respectively arranged around the functional area 101 or adjacent grooves 11 .

[0058] Each negative pressure component 30 in the embodiment of the present application may include a plurality of grooves 11, and these grooves 11 may all be annular and nested in sequence along the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, that is, the innermost groove 11 may be arranged around the functional area 101, and each of the other grooves 11 may be arranged around the adjacent inner groove 11 in sequence.

[0059] Optionally, in the embodiment where the negative pressure assembly 30 includes a plurality of grooves 11, these grooves 11 may be arranged in an annular shape, or at least some of the grooves 11 may be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the functional area 101. In the embodiment where the extension track of at least some of the grooves 11 has notches, the notches of the grooves 11 should be staggered in the circumferential direction, that is, if a straight line is drawn in the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, each straight line can pass through at least one groove 11, so as to ensure that the suction of the negative pressure groove can be applied more evenly to all parts of the connector 20.

[0060] By providing a plurality of grooves 11 in the same negative pressure assembly 30, the acting force can be uniform, and it is convenient to partially suck the connector 20 into the groove. At the same time, by providing the connector 20 corresponding to the plurality of grooves 11, the connector 20 can be bonded and connected to the connector 20 through the spacing area between adjacent grooves 11, so that the grooves 11 are provided to achieve the easy disassembly function while the connection between the connecting rib and the substrate assemblies 10 on both sides is stable and reliable.

[0061] Please also read Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a microfluidic module provided in another embodiment of the present application, Figure 5 yes Figure 4 In some optional embodiments, the negative pressure assembly 30 further includes a plurality of auxiliary grooves 32 , which extend in a direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102 and are connected between adjacent grooves 11 .

[0062] Optionally, in an embodiment where the negative pressure component 30 includes multiple grooves 11, in order to further improve the efficiency of forming a negative pressure environment and the uniformity of the negative pressure environment, the negative pressure component 30 may also include at least one auxiliary groove 32, which extends in a direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102 and connects at least two grooves 11.

[0063] Optionally, the width of the auxiliary groove 32 can be the same as or similar to the width of the groove 11. Along the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, the auxiliary groove 32 can extend from the innermost ring groove 11 to the outermost ring groove 11, and connect each groove 11 to each other to further improve the efficiency and uniformity of negative pressure pumping. At the same time, along the circumferential direction of the functional area 101, a plurality of auxiliary grooves 32 can be provided in the negative pressure assembly 30, and these auxiliary grooves 32 can all extend along the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102 and be spaced apart in the aforementioned circumferential direction.

[0064] Exemplarily, in the embodiment where the groove 11 is in a rectangular ring shape, each auxiliary groove 32 and the groove 11 can optionally together form a plurality of "field" - shaped grid structures, and optionally further arrange each auxiliary groove 32 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the functional area 101. At the same time, the grooves 11 are arranged at equal intervals in the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102 to further make the suction force on the connector 20 uniform.

[0065] In some alternative embodiments, the negative pressure channel 31 includes negative pressure holes extending along the thickness direction X, and the negative pressure holes communicate between one of the surfaces of the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 facing away from each other and the groove 11.

[0066] The negative pressure channel 31 in the embodiment of the present application can be set as a through - hole structure recessed along the thickness direction X, so as to facilitate processing, reduce the length of the negative pressure channel 31, and reduce the possibility of gas leakage or the local structural strength of the substrate assembly 10 decreasing due to the negative pressure channel 31.

[0067] Optionally, the negative pressure hole can penetrate through the first substrate assembly 12 / the second substrate assembly 13 along the thickness direction X. At the same time, along the thickness direction X, at least part of the orthographic projection of the groove 11 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the negative pressure hole, connecting the surface of the first substrate assembly 12 or the second substrate assembly 13 facing away from each other to the groove 11. The negative pressure hole can be optionally a square hole, a round hole or a polygonal hole, etc. The present application does not make a specific limitation on this, as long as it is convenient for processing and can be adapted to the shape of the groove 11.

[0068] A plurality of negative pressure holes can be provided in the same negative pressure assembly 30. These negative pressure holes can be respectively connected to different grooves 11, or each groove 11 can be connected to a plurality of negative pressure holes at the same time to further improve the efficiency of negative pressure pumping. Optionally, in the embodiment where the same negative pressure assembly 30 includes a plurality of negative pressure holes, each negative pressure hole can have the same shape and size and be centrosymmetrically arranged with respect to the geometric center of the functional area 101 to make the suction force uniform at各处 of the groove 11.

[0069] It can be understood that in an embodiment where the negative pressure component 30 includes multiple grooves 11, each groove 11 should be directly or indirectly connected to the negative pressure hole. It can be optionally selected that the orthographic projections of each groove 11 along the thickness direction X can overlap with the orthographic projection of the negative pressure hole by adjusting the position, shape and size of the negative pressure hole, or the orthographic projections of some of the grooves 11 can overlap with the orthographic projection of the negative pressure hole, and the other grooves 11 are connected to the grooves 11 with the overlapping orthographic projections through the auxiliary grooves 32.

[0070] In some optional embodiments, the negative pressure component 30 includes a plurality of grooves 11 , and along the thickness direction X, the orthographic projections of the plurality of grooves 11 overlap with the orthographic projections of the negative pressure holes, and the negative pressure holes are respectively connected to the plurality of grooves 11 .

[0071] As mentioned above, each groove 11 may be directly connected to the negative pressure hole, or each groove 11 may be indirectly connected to the negative pressure hole through the auxiliary groove 32. In the microfluidic module 100, the negative pressure component 30 may further be configured to directly connect the negative pressure hole to each groove 11, that is, along the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection of each groove 11 may overlap with the orthographic projection of the negative pressure hole, and the width of the overlapping area between the orthographic projection of each groove 11 and the orthographic projection of the negative pressure hole may be the same as or similar to the width of the groove 11 itself, so that the two have a larger connection area.

[0072] By directly connecting each groove 11 to the negative pressure hole, the path between each groove 11 and the device for pumping negative pressure can be reduced, thereby improving the efficiency and uniformity of pumping negative pressure and reducing the possibility that the indirectly connected groove 11 cannot form a negative pressure environment due to partial blockage of the auxiliary groove 32 and / or the groove 11.

[0073] In some optional embodiments, the connector 20 includes an adhesive 21 and a plurality of spacers 22 distributed in the adhesive 21 , the adhesive 21 includes a flexible elastomeric gel material, and the spacers 22 include a silicon material and / or a resin material.

[0074] The connector 20 in the embodiment of the present application may include an adhesive 21 for realizing the bonding function and a spacer 22 for providing support. Among them, the adhesive 21 needs to have a certain flexibility and be able to produce deformation and displacement of a part of the area at least in the thickness direction X. Therefore, the adhesive 21 can be made of a flexible elastomer gel material. The connector 20 composed of such material has a strong affinity with the substrate made of glass or plastic. After contact, the air at the contact interface between the connector 20 and the substrate assembly 10 can be removed cleanly, thereby making the bonding firm and reliable.

[0075] Specifically, the adhesive 21 material may be selected to include silicone resin, silicone curing agent, conductive polymer or conductive additive, wherein the conductive additive may be selected to be carbon-based powder and fiber, such as carbon black; the conductive polymer may include one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polystyrene, polyfluorene and polyacetylene. In addition, in order to further reduce the difficulty of separating the first substrate assembly 12 from the second substrate assembly 13, the viscosity of the partial structure may be reduced by adding a group consisting of silicon carbide, calcium carbonate, clay, silicon dioxide, etc. to the adhesive 21 material.

[0076] It can be understood that, according to the design of the electrodes and other electronic components in the substrate assembly 10, the connector 20 can be optionally configured as a conductor accordingly. In this case, a conductive polymer or a conductive additive can be added to the resin material as described above. If the connector 20 is not required to have a conductive function, the addition of the conductive polymer or the conductive additive can be omitted.

[0077] Correspondingly, the spacers 22 in the connector 20 may be made of silicon material or resin material, and may be spherical or nearly spherical, and their diameter should match the required gap size between the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 to support the substrate assemblies 10 on both sides.

[0078] In some optional embodiments, the first substrate assembly 12 includes a first substrate 121 and a first electrode 122 that are stacked, and the first electrode 122 is located on a side of the first substrate 121 close to the second substrate assembly 13; the second substrate assembly 13 includes a second substrate 131 and a functional layer 132 that are stacked, and the functional layer 132 is located on a side of the second substrate 131 close to the first substrate assembly 12, and the functional layer 132 includes a second electrode 1321.

[0079] The first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 in the embodiment of the present application may respectively include a first electrode 122 and a second electrode 1321 . The two electrodes are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction X, and can form an electric field acting on the functional cavity 14 after an electric signal is applied.

[0080] Specifically, the first substrate assembly 12 includes a first substrate 121 and a first electrode 122, and the first electrode 122 is at least partially disposed in the functional area 101. Correspondingly, the second substrate assembly 13 includes a second substrate 131 and a functional layer 132, and the functional layer 132 may include a second electrode 1321 and other elements required for realizing the functions of the microfluidic module 100, such as transistors, signal lines, etc. The first substrate 121 and the second substrate 131 may be made of glass or transparent plastic. Depending on the corresponding substrate material, the first electrode 122 and the second electrode 1321 may be formed into a coating by evaporation or sputtering.

[0081] One of the first electrode 122 and the second electrode 1321 may be provided on the entire surface and cover the functional area 101, and used as a common electrode, while the other may be provided in a plurality of blocks and arranged in an array in the functional area 101, and used as a driving electrode. In order to facilitate the provision of signal lines and transistors and other components that apply different electrical signals to the driving electrodes, the second electrode 1321 may be provided as a driving electrode, and the signal lines and transistors may be provided in the functional layer 132.

[0082] By respectively arranging the first substrate 121 and the second substrate 131 in the two substrate assemblies 10 , a support and fixation function can be provided for the substrate assemblies 10 , and an electric field for driving the test droplet to move can be formed through the first electrode 122 and the second electrode 1321 .

[0083] In some optional embodiments, the first substrate assembly 12 is provided with a negative pressure assembly 30, the first electrode 122 covers at least a portion of the functional area 101 and at least a portion of the connection area 102, and the first electrode 122 is provided on both sides of at least a portion of the groove 11; the connecting member 20 includes an adhesive 21 and a plurality of spacers 22 distributed in the adhesive 21, at least one of the adhesive 21 and the spacers 22 is conductive, and the first electrodes 122 located on both sides of the groove 11 are electrically connected through the connecting member 20.

[0084] Optionally, the negative pressure component 30 can be arranged in the first substrate component 12. Since the functional layer 132 of the second substrate component 13 is provided with components such as transistors and signal wiring, the structure is relatively complex. Arranging the groove 11 and the negative pressure channel 31 in the first substrate component 12 can avoid interference between the negative pressure component 30 and other components, thereby improving the reliability of the microfluidic module 100.

[0085] Furthermore, since the first electrode 122 is disposed on a side of the first substrate 121 close to the second substrate assembly 13, the groove 11 is also disposed through the first electrode 122 along the thickness direction X. In the embodiment where the first electrode 122 is disposed on the entire surface and the groove 11 surrounds the functional area 101, the first electrode 122 divided on both sides of the groove 11 can be electrically connected through the connector 20. Specifically, a conductive polymer or a conductive additive can be added to the material of the self-adhesive glue 21 and / or the spacer 22, so that the connector 20 as a whole can transmit electrical signals.

[0086] Specifically, the connector 20 includes an adhesive 21 and a spacer 22, at least one of which can be conductive and capable of transmitting electrical signals. Thus, the signal box that needs to apply an electrical signal to the first electrode 122 can be electrically connected to a portion of the first electrode 122 located on the side of the groove 11 away from the functional area 101, and then the electrical signal is transmitted to the portion of the first electrode 122 surrounded by the groove 11 through the connector 20, so as to form an electric field together with the second electrode 1321.

[0087] By configuring the connector 20 as a conductor, the electrical signal can be conveniently transmitted to the partial area of ​​the first electrode 122 located in the functional area 101 through the original structure, thereby eliminating the processing time and cost required for additionally configuring a conductor layer or filling silver paste to form an electrical connection channel.

[0088] In some optional embodiments, the functional layer 132 includes an array layer 1322 , a planarization layer 1323 , a second electrode layer 1324 and an insulating layer 1325 which are stacked in sequence, the array layer 1322 is located on a side close to the second substrate 131 , and the connector 20 is connected to the insulating layer 1325 .

[0089] The second substrate assembly 13 in the embodiment of the present application has a functional layer 132 for setting functional elements, specifically, it may include an array layer 1322 provided with transistors and driving signal lines, a planarization layer 1323 covering the array layer 1322, a second electrode layer 1324 provided with at least one second electrode 1321, and an insulating layer 1325 covering the second electrode 1321.

[0090] The array layer 1322 may be provided with a plurality of groups of switch elements corresponding to the second electrode 1321, which are used to apply an electrical signal of a preset size to the second electrode 1321 at a preset position, so as to change the position and strength of the electric field. The planarization layer 1323 is used to form a flat surface, so that the second electrode 1321 disposed on the planarization layer 1323 is flat, so as to be arranged in parallel with the first electrode 122 or at an angle of a preset size. One or more second electrodes 1321 are provided in the second electrode layer 1324. In an embodiment in which a plurality of second electrodes 1321 are provided, these second electrodes 1321 may be arranged in an array. The insulating layer 1325 covers each second electrode 1321 below, so as to insulate the second electrode 1321 from the connector 20, and to avoid mutual interference between the electrical signals applied to the second electrode 1321 and the first electrode 122.

[0091] By providing the aforementioned layer structure in the functional layer 132 , the reliability of the entire microfluidic module 100 can be improved while achieving the required functions.

[0092] In some optional embodiments, in the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, the extension dimension of the connection member 20 is 1.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0093] The connector 20 in the embodiment of the present application is used to adhesively connect the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13. In the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, that is, in the width direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the connector 20 itself, the size of the connector 20 is 1.5 mm to 3 mm, for example, it can be any one of 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm or any two thereof.

[0094] By setting the width of the connector 20 within the aforementioned range, it is possible to prevent the connector 20 from occupying too much space, thereby causing the overall volume to be too large or the space of the functional cavity 14 to be reduced, while enabling the connector 20 to provide a relatively sufficient connection strength.

[0095] It is understandable that in the embodiment with only one circle of connectors 20, the width of the connector 20 is 1.5 mm to 3 mm, and in the embodiment with multiple circles of connectors 20, the sum of the widths of the connectors 20 is 1.5 mm to 3 mm.

[0096] In some optional embodiments, the negative pressure component 30 includes a plurality of grooves 11 , and in the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102 , the width of the groove 11 is 30 μm to 70 μm, and the spacing between the central axes of adjacent grooves 11 is 80 μm to 120 μm.

[0097] Similar to the width dimension of the connector 20, in the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, that is, in the width direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the groove 11 itself, the width of each groove 11 can be selected to be 30μm to 70μm, for example, any one of 30μm, 40μm, 50μm, 60μm, 70μm or between any two thereof. By making the width of the groove 11 within the aforementioned range, the groove 11 can have a suitable width, which is convenient for processing and can provide sufficient entry space for the connector 20.

[0098] At the same time, each groove 11 has a central axis, which refers to the orthographic projection of the groove 11 along the thickness direction X. The symmetry axis of the orthographic projection figure in the width direction is the orthographic projection of the central axis, and the central axis extends in the same direction as the groove 11 as a whole. In the direction from the functional area 101 to the connection area 102, the spacing between the central axes of adjacent grooves 11 can be selected as 80μm to 120μm, specifically any one of 80μm, 90μm, 100μm, 110μm, 120μm or between any two thereof. By making the spacing between the central axes of the grooves 11 within the aforementioned range, it is possible to have a suitable spacing between the grooves 11, reduce the processing difficulty of the grooves 11, and make the width space required for the plurality of grooves 11 as a whole suitable, so as to avoid the connector 20 required to cover each groove 11 being too wide.

[0099] In some optional embodiments, along the thickness direction X, a minimum distance between an orthographic projection edge of the groove 11 and an orthographic projection edge of the connecting member 20 is greater than or equal to 80 μm.

[0100] In order to ensure that the connector 20 can reliably seal the groove 11 and reduce the possibility of leakage when the negative pressure is drawn, there may be a certain distance between the edge of the groove 11 and the edge of the connector 20. Specifically, when the groove 11 and the connector 20 are both orthographically projected along the thickness direction X, the distance between the outermost orthographic projection of the groove 11 and the outer edge of the orthographic projection of the connector 20 and the distance between the innermost orthographic projection of the groove 11 and the inner edge of the orthographic projection of the connector 20 may be greater than or equal to 80 μm.

[0101] By maintaining a certain distance between the groove 11 and the edge of the connector 20, the connector 20 can completely and reliably cover the notch of each groove 11, thereby reducing the possibility of gas leakage at the edge of the connector 20 when a negative pressure environment is formed in the groove 11, and improving the efficiency of sucking the connector 20 into the groove 11, thereby increasing the possibility that the two substrate assemblies 10 can be separated from each other smoothly.

[0102] In some optional embodiments, the microfluidic module 100 also includes a first hydrophobic layer 40 and a second hydrophobic layer 50, and the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the second hydrophobic layer 50 are respectively arranged on the side of the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 close to each other, and the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the second hydrophobic layer 50 are both located in the functional cavity 14; in the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection of the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the orthographic projection of the second hydrophobic layer 50 are staggered with the orthographic projection of the connecting member 20.

[0103] Optionally, a hydrophobic layer may be provided in the microfluidic module 100. The hydrophobic layer is at least partially located in the functional cavity 14 and is used to make the droplets to be tested and related reagents in the functional cavity 14 incompatible with the walls of the functional cavity 14 on both sides, thereby reducing the influence of the cavity wall on the movement of the droplets.

[0104] Further, the microfluidic module 100 may include a first hydrophobic layer 40 disposed on the first substrate assembly 12 and a second hydrophobic layer 50 disposed on the second substrate assembly 13, and the two hydrophobic layers are disposed relatively in the functional cavity 14 and are staggered with the connector 20. In the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection of the connector 20 can surround the orthographic projection of the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the orthographic projection of the second hydrophobic layer 50, and the orthographic projection of the connector 20 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the orthographic projection of the second hydrophobic layer 50, and can be optionally arranged in contact.

[0105] Therefore, the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the second hydrophobic layer 50 do not intervene in the connection interface between the connector 20 and the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13. Since the hydrophobic layer is usually also resistant to glue, it is difficult for glue to adhere firmly to the hydrophobic layer, so staggering the hydrophobic layer and the connector 20 can avoid a decrease in the connection firmness between the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13.

[0106] In some optional embodiments, the first substrate assembly 12 and the first hydrophobic layer 40 are provided with a liquid injection hole 60 penetrating along the thickness direction X of the microfluidic module 100 , and the liquid injection hole 60 is provided in the functional area 101 .

[0107] The microfluidic module 100 in the embodiment of the present application is used to place a measurement droplet into a functional cavity 14 for detection. The functional cavity 14 is usually also provided with a filling liquid, such as silicone oil, etc. Therefore, the first substrate assembly 12 with a thinner thickness and a simpler structure can be provided with an injection hole 60 that penetrates along the thickness direction X. The injection hole 60 is arranged in the functional area 101 and is connected to the functional cavity 14 to facilitate the injection of liquid into the functional cavity 14.

[0108] Optionally, the injection hole 60 may be a circular hole, a square hole, a polygonal hole, etc., and its specific size may be designed according to the opening area required for injection, and the present application does not make any specific limitation on this.

[0109] By arranging the injection hole 60 on the first substrate assembly 12 , the possibility of the injection hole 60 affecting the electronic components in the microfluidic module 100 can be reduced, and the microfluidic module 100 can be easily processed.

[0110] In some optional embodiments, in the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection of the injection hole 60 and the orthographic projection of the connecting member 20 are staggered and spaced apart from each other.

[0111] In the microfluidic module 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the injection hole 60 is arranged in the functional area 101, and the hole can have a certain distance from the connector 20. Specifically, along the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection of the connector 20 and the orthographic projection of the injection hole 60 can be spaced apart from each other to avoid damage to the connector 20 caused by the droplets to be detected entering through the injection hole 60, while avoiding reducing the fitting area between the connector 20 and the substrate assemblies 10 on both sides, so that the connection is more stable and controllable.

[0112] In some optional embodiments, the first hydrophobic layer 40 covers the cavity wall of the functional cavity 14 located on one side of the first substrate assembly 12 , and the second hydrophobic layer 50 covers the cavity wall of the functional cavity 14 located on one side of the second substrate assembly 13 .

[0113] Optionally, in an embodiment where a hydrophobic layer is disposed on one side of the first substrate assembly 12 and the second substrate assembly 13 close to each other, the two hydrophobic layers can completely cover the corresponding cavity wall arrangement in the functional cavity 14, and along the thickness direction X, the orthographic projection edges of the first hydrophobic layer 40 and the second hydrophobic layer 50 can be selected to be in contact with the orthographic projection inner edge of the connector 20. Thus, the possibility of direct contact between the liquid in the functional cavity 14 and the substrates on both sides and the electrodes can be reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of mutual interference.

[0114] In some optional embodiments, in the thickness direction X of the microfluidic module 100 , the extension dimension of the connector 20 is less than or equal to the extension dimension of the groove 11 .

[0115] In the microfluidic module 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the substrate assembly 10 is provided with a groove 11 for forming a negative pressure groove and at least partially sucking in the connector 20, so that the connector 20 and the opposite substrate assembly 10 are separated from each other. On this basis, in order to allow the connector 20 to enter the groove 11 as completely as possible, the groove 11 should have sufficient accommodating space and depth. In the embodiment where the connector 20 includes an adhesive 21 and a spacer 22, when a negative pressure environment is formed in the groove 11, the adhesive 21 can enter the negative pressure groove, and if the size of the spacer 22 is smaller than the size of the groove 11, the spacer 22 can at least partially enter the negative pressure groove at the same time.

[0116] Specifically, in the thickness direction X, the recessed depth of the groove 11 can be greater than or equal to the thickness of the connector 20, thereby increasing the depth and volume that the connector 20 can absorb into the negative pressure groove, and increasing the reduction in the contact area between the opposite side of the connector 20 and the substrate assembly 10.

[0117] In some optional embodiments, in the thickness direction X, the extension size of the connecting member 20 is 5 μm to 100 μm, and the extension size of the groove 11 is 10 μm to 200 μm.

[0118] In an embodiment where the thickness of the connector 20 is less than or equal to the depth of the groove 11, in the thickness direction X, the size of the connector 20 can be 5μm to 100μm, and the size of the groove 11 can be 10μm to 200μm, wherein the size of the connector 20 can be designed according to the height of the functional cavity 14 required for the test, and the size of the groove 11 can be designed according to the processing technology, the total thickness of the substrate assembly 10, and the width of the connector 20, its own width and other parameters.

[0119] By setting the connector 20 within the aforementioned numerical range, the connector 20 can be easily adapted to the functional cavity 14, thereby improving applicability; by setting the size of the groove 11 within the aforementioned range, the groove 11 can have sufficient space to accommodate the connector 20, while reducing the possibility of the substrate assembly 10 having too low strength due to the groove 11 being too deep.

[0120] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a microfluidic device, comprising the microfluidic module 100 in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0121] The microfluidic device provided in the embodiment of the present application has all the beneficial effects of the aforementioned microfluidic module. For details, please refer to the specific description of the microfluidic module in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0122] It is to be understood that the above description and detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory and do not constitute a limitation on the present application. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A microfluidic module, characterized in that: It includes at least two substrate assemblies arranged opposite to each other and a connecting member connected between the substrate assemblies. At least one of the substrate assemblies is provided with a groove on one side facing the connecting member. In at least one first state, the groove can form a negative pressure groove so that the connecting member is deformed and at least partially enters the negative pressure groove.

2. The microfluidic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The notch of the groove is connected to the connecting piece, and along the thickness direction of the microfluidic module, the orthographic projection of the connecting piece covers the orthographic projection of the negative pressure groove.

3. The microfluidic module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The microfluidic module has a functional area and a connection area arranged around the functional area, the substrate assembly includes a first substrate assembly and a second substrate assembly, the first substrate assembly and the second substrate assembly are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart in the thickness direction, the connecting piece is located in the connection area, the first substrate assembly, the second substrate assembly and the connecting piece together enclose a functional cavity, and the connecting piece is a flexible body and can be deformed in the thickness direction; At least one of the first substrate assembly and the second substrate assembly is provided with a negative pressure assembly, and the negative pressure assembly includes the groove and a negative pressure channel, and the negative pressure channel connects the groove with an external space outside the functional cavity.

4. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting member and the groove are distributed along an annular track and at least partially surround the functional area.

5. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The negative pressure component includes a plurality of the grooves, and the plurality of the grooves are respectively arranged around the functional area or adjacent to the grooves.

6. The microfluidic module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The negative pressure component further comprises a plurality of auxiliary grooves, wherein the auxiliary grooves extend in a direction from the functional area to the connection area and are connected between adjacent grooves.

7. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The negative pressure channel includes a negative pressure hole extending along the thickness direction, and the negative pressure hole is connected between one of the side surfaces of the first substrate assembly and the second substrate assembly away from each other and the groove.

8. The microfluidic module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The negative pressure component comprises a plurality of the grooves. Along the thickness direction, the orthographic projections of the plurality of the grooves overlap with the orthographic projections of the negative pressure holes, and the negative pressure holes are respectively connected with the plurality of the grooves.

9. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting member comprises an adhesive and a plurality of spacers distributed in the adhesive, the adhesive comprises a flexible elastic gel material, and the spacers comprise a silicon material and / or a resin material.

10. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first substrate assembly includes a first substrate and a first electrode which are stacked, and the first electrode is located on a side of the first substrate close to the second substrate assembly; The second substrate assembly includes a second substrate and a functional layer which are stacked. The functional layer is located on a side of the second substrate close to the first substrate assembly, and the functional layer includes a second electrode.

11. The microfluidic module according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first substrate assembly is provided with the negative pressure assembly, the first electrode covers at least a portion of the functional area and at least a portion of the connection area, and the first electrode is provided on both opposite sides of at least a portion of the groove; The connecting member includes an adhesive and a plurality of spacers distributed in the adhesive, at least one of the adhesive and the spacers is conductive, and the first electrodes located on both sides of the groove are electrically connected through the connecting member.

12. The microfluidic module according to claim 11, characterized in that: The functional layer includes an array layer, a planarization layer, a second electrode layer and an insulating layer which are stacked in sequence. The array layer is located on a side close to the second substrate, and the connector is connected to the insulating layer.

13. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the direction from the functional area to the connection area, the extension dimension of the connection piece is 1.5 mm to 3 mm.

14. The microfluidic module according to claim 13, characterized in that: The negative pressure component comprises a plurality of grooves. In the direction from the functional area to the connection area, the width of the grooves is 30 μm to 70 μm, and the spacing between the central axes of adjacent grooves is 80 μm to 120 μm.

15. The microfluidic module according to claim 13, characterized in that: Along the thickness direction, a minimum distance between an orthographic projection edge of the groove and an orthographic projection edge of the connecting member is greater than or equal to 80 μm.

16. The microfluidic module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The microfluidic module further includes a first hydrophobic layer and a second hydrophobic layer, wherein the first hydrophobic layer and the second hydrophobic layer are respectively disposed on one side of the first substrate assembly and the second substrate assembly close to each other, and the first hydrophobic layer and the second hydrophobic layer are both located in the functional cavity; In the thickness direction, the orthographic projection of the first hydrophobic layer and the orthographic projection of the second hydrophobic layer are both staggered with the orthographic projection of the connecting member.

17. The microfluidic module according to claim 16, characterized in that: The first substrate assembly and the first hydrophobic layer are provided with injection holes penetrating along the thickness direction of the microfluidic module, and the injection holes are arranged in the functional area.

18. The microfluidic module according to claim 17, characterized in that: In the thickness direction, the orthographic projection of the injection hole and the orthographic projection of the connecting member are staggered and spaced apart from each other.

19. The microfluidic module according to claim 16, characterized in that: The first hydrophobic layer covers a cavity wall of the functional cavity located on one side of the first substrate assembly, and the second hydrophobic layer covers a cavity wall of the functional cavity located on one side of the second substrate assembly.

20. The microfluidic module according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the thickness direction of the microfluidic module, the extension dimension of the connecting member is less than or equal to the extension dimension of the groove.

21. The microfluidic module according to claim 20, characterized in that: In the thickness direction, the extension size of the connecting piece is 5 μm to 100 μm, and the extension size of the groove is 10 μm to 200 μm.

22. A microfluidic device, characterized in that: It comprises the microfluidic module as described in any one of claims 1 to 21.

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