Light-operated pigment microflow lens and dynamic shape adjusting system and method thereof
By utilizing the interaction between light and microfluidics, the dynamic adjustment of the lens focal length and beam divergence angle is achieved through the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens system. This solves the problems of long response time and low control accuracy in existing technologies, improves the system's integration and stability, and reduces costs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411413972.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-10-11
AI Technical Summary
Existing technologies suffer from long response times, low control precision, complex systems, and high costs when dynamically adjusting the focal length and beam divergence angle of optical lenses. Furthermore, they cannot adjust the beam divergence angle in real time and lack integration and stability.
A light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens system is adopted. Through the interaction between light and microfluidics, and the interaction between a specific wavelength of light beam and the microfluidic medium, the lens focal length and beam divergence angle can be dynamically adjusted. The lens shape is controlled by a two-phase flow of pigment mixture and glycerol, and non-contact control is achieved by combining laser irradiation.
It enables rapid and precise adjustment of lens focal length and beam divergence angle, reduces mechanical parts, improves system integration and stability, and lowers manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulty.
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Figure CN119291818A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of microfluidic chips, and in particular to a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens and a dynamic shape adjustment system and method thereof. Background Art
[0002] A fluid lens is an optical element realized by fluid control technology. It adjusts the focal length by changing the curved surface or refractive index of the liquid, thereby achieving the purpose of focusing or defocusing. This lens has important applications in fields where the focal length of the imaging system needs to be dynamically adjusted, such as cameras with adjustable focal length, optical data storage, biomedical imaging, etc. Currently, the widely used methods for dynamically controlling the focal length of liquid lenses using physical fields are mainly the following: electric field control technology, thermal field control technology, acoustic wave control technology, and magnetic force control technology; however, the above methods still have many shortcomings. First, the above methods have a long response time, low control accuracy, and relatively complex control equipment; Second, when the above methods are used, it is impossible to adjust the beam divergence angle in real time, and they lack application prospects in some optical fields; third, the above methods all contain a large number of mechanical components, and the system's integration and stability are insufficient, while increasing manufacturing costs and maintenance difficulties; while the light-controlled microfluidic lens system realizes a new dynamic focal length adjustment mechanism through the interaction between light and microfluids; the system utilizes a light beam of a specific wavelength to interact with the medium in the microfluid, causing deformation of the microfluidic interface through photothermal or photomechanical effects, thereby dynamically adjusting the focal length of the lens, so it is necessary to design a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens and its dynamic shape adjustment system and method. Summary of the invention
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens and a dynamic shape adjustment system and method thereof to solve the problems raised in the above-mentioned background technology.
[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens, comprising a first injection pump (1), a first inlet (2), a channel (3), a second inlet (4), a second injection pump (5), a microfluidic lens chamber (6), an optical fiber groove (7), a coupler (8), a laser and a waste liquid port (11), characterized in that: the first injection pump (1) is fixedly connected to the entrance end of the first inlet (2), the outlet end of the first inlet (2) is fixedly connected to the upper side of the channel (3), the outlet end of the second inlet (4) is fixedly connected to the lower side of the same side of the channel (3), and the other side of the channel (3) is connected to the microfluidic lens chamber (6); the entrance end of the second inlet (4) is fixedly connected to the second injection pump (5), the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is fixedly connected to the optical fiber groove (7), the optical fiber groove (7) is located in the middle of the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber (6), the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber groove (7) and is connected to the coupler (8), the laser is connected to the coupler (8), and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is provided with a waste liquid port (11);
[0005] Wherein, the laser is a plurality of lasers connected in parallel or a tunable laser;
[0006] The first injection pump (1) is provided with a pigment control module (20), the pigment control module (20) is controlled to be connected with a pigment switch module (21), and the pigment switch module (21) is provided in the first injection pump (1);
[0007] The second injection pump (5) is provided with a glycerol control module (22), and the glycerol control module (22) is controlled and connected to a glycerol switch module (23); the glycerol switch module (23) is provided in the second injection pump (5);
[0008] The first injection pump (1) contains a pigment mixture; the second injection pump (5) contains glycerol;
[0009] The pigment mixture is prepared by mixing pigment and glycerin in a volume ratio of 1:25.
[0010] As a further technical solution of the present invention, a plurality of lasers connected in parallel respectively emit lasers of different wavelengths.
[0011] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the number of the lasers is 2 to 5.
[0012] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is rectangular.
[0013] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is prepared by using soft photolithography technology, and the material and substrate for preparing the microfluidic lens chamber (6) are made of materials with good biocompatibility and light transmittance.
[0014] The method for dynamically adjusting the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens of the present invention is implemented by the following steps:
[0015] Step 1: Install the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens as described above;
[0016] Step 2: Control the first injection pump (1) through the pigment switch module (21) to inject the pigment mixture into the channel (3); control the second injection pump (5) through the glycerol switch module (23) to inject glycerol into the channel (3); control the injection speed of the first injection pump (1) through the pigment control module (20), and control the injection speed of the second injection pump (5) through the glycerol control module (22), and control the pigment mixture and glycerol in the channel (3), the microfluidic lens chamber (6), and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) to always keep the Reynolds number lower than the critical value of the laminar flow, thereby avoiding the generation of turbulence, and then maintaining a stable flow rate of the pigment mixture and glycerol two-phase flow; after the two-phase flow passes through the microfluidic lens chamber (6), the flow channel widens upward, so that the interface of the two-phase flow bulges upward to form a convex lens shape;
[0017] Step 3, turning on the laser and irradiating the laser vertically into the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) through the coupler (8), and changing the shape of the lens by using different incident laser wavelengths, thereby dynamically adjusting the focal length of the lens and the beam divergence angle;
[0018] The pigment mixture is prepared by mixing pigment and glycerin in a volume ratio of 1:20 to 30.
[0019] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the laser wavelengths emitted by the laser include 638nm, 520nm, and 488nm.
[0020] As a further technical solution of the present invention, the pigments in the pigment mixture are brilliant blue, amaranth, sunset yellow and lemon yellow respectively; the pigment mixture is formed by mixing the pigment and glycerol in a volume ratio of 1:25.
[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the first injection pump is controlled by the pigment switch module to inject the pigment mixture into the channel, and the second injection pump is controlled by the glycerol switch module to inject glycerol into the channel. After the liquid flow rate in the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber is stabilized, the two-phase flow passes through the microfluidic lens chamber and becomes wider due to the upward widening of the flow channel, so that the interface of the two-phase flow bulges upward to form a convex lens shape, and the laser is emitted to irradiate the interface of the convex lens shape, and the laser deviates to the side with the pigment; the non-contact optical flow control technology is used to achieve accurate and non-invasive control of the lens curvature, avoiding the response delay and system complexity that may be caused by traditional mechanical valves and pumps. The system improves the response speed and control accuracy of the system; the first injection pump and the second injection pump are swapped, the injection and laser irradiation operations are repeated, and the deviation state of the two-phase flow interface is recorded. The laser will still deviate to the side with the pigment; by changing the power of the laser, the shape of the lens is changed, so that the focal length of the lens can be dynamically adjusted, and the real-time adjustment of the light beam divergence angle can be achieved, which has broad application prospects in optical communication, optical data processing, optical sensing and other fields; the laser is used to irradiate the two-phase flow interface to achieve the change of the lens shape, which reduces the use of mechanical components, improves the integration and stability of the system, and also reduces the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty of the system.
[0022] The present invention utilizes the phenomenon that different colors of pigment mixtures have different absorption intensities for different wavelengths, combines the device design to achieve light-induced deviation of the fluid interface, and further realizes an optofluidic lens system that can control the shape change of the fluid lens by light.
[0023] Compared with the existing technology of causing deformation of the microfluidic interface through photothermal effect or photomechanical effect, the technical solution of the present invention has faster response speed and higher control accuracy, and can realize non-contact and non-invasive focal length adjustment; it will be widely used in microfluidic optical systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 3 It is a partial system flow chart of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 4 It is a partial flow chart of the operation of the system of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 5 It is a partial schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 6is a flow chart of the method of the present invention;
[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the microfluidic lens chamber in the third specific implementation mode;
[0031] Figure 8 is the absorption spectra of the four pigments in the SDBS aqueous solution in the specific embodiment 6; Figure 8 (a) Brilliant Blue; (b) Amaranth Red; (c) Sunset Yellow; (d) Lemon Yellow;
[0032] Fig. 9 This is a result diagram of a light-induced deviation experiment in a specific implementation mode 2; Fig. 9 (a) Laminar flow formed by a mixture of brilliant blue pigment and glycerol and pure glycerol; (b) the shift effect of a 638nm laser applied from above; (c) the shift effect of a 638nm laser applied from below; (d) Laminar flow formed by a mixture of sunset yellow pigment and glycerol and pure glycerol; (e) the shift effect of a 488nm laser applied from above; (f) the shift effect of a 488nm laser applied from below; (g) Laminar flow formed by a mixture of amaranth pigment and glycerol and pure glycerol; (h) the shift effect of a 520nm laser applied from above; (i) the shift effect of a 520nm laser applied from below;
[0033] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing the results of a light control lens principle verification test in Example 1; Fig.10 (a) The shape of the lens when the pigment solution is at the bottom and the laser is not turned on; (b) The lens is compressed when the laser is turned on; (c) The shape of the lens when the pigment solution is at the top and the laser is not turned on; (d) The lens is stretched when the laser is turned on;
[0034] Fig.11 This is a diagram of the experimental results of the light control lens of Example 2; Fig.11 (a) When the lens is not controlled, the divergence angle of the beam is 8°; (b) When the curvature of the lens is reduced by controlling the laser with a lower power, the divergence angle of the beam is 16°; (c) When the curvature of the lens is reduced by controlling the laser with a higher power, the divergence angle of the beam is 24°.
[0035] In the figure: 1. first injection pump; 2. first inlet; 3. channel; 4. second inlet; 5. second injection pump; 6. microfluidic lens chamber; 7. optical fiber groove; 8. coupler; 9. first laser; 10. second laser; 11. waste liquid port; 20. pigment regulation module; 21. pigment switch module; 22. glycerol regulation module; 23. glycerol switch module; 24. first control laser module; 26. second control laser module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0037] Reynolds number: a dimensionless number used to describe the dimensionless parameter of the fluid flow state. In the present invention, it is used to characterize the laminar or turbulent state of the fluid in the microfluidic lens chamber.
[0038] Laminar flow: The flow of a fluid in a smooth, orderly manner, in which the fluid particles flow in parallel layers without intermixing with each other.
[0039] Specific implementation method 1: Please refer to the attached Figure 1 -Attached Figure 5 The present embodiment is described. The light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens of the present embodiment comprises a first injection pump 1, a first inlet 2, a channel 3, a second inlet 4, a second injection pump 5, a microfluidic lens chamber 6, an optical fiber groove 7, a coupler 8, a laser and a waste liquid port 11, characterized in that: the first injection pump 1 is fixedly connected to the entrance end of the first inlet 2, the exit end of the first inlet 2 is fixedly connected to the upper side of the channel 3, the exit end of the second inlet 4 is fixedly connected to the lower side of the same side of the channel 3, and the other side of the channel 3 is connected to the microfluidic lens chamber 6; the entrance end of the second inlet 4 is fixedly connected to the second injection pump 5, the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is fixedly connected to an optical fiber groove (7), the optical fiber groove (7) is located in the middle of the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber (6), the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber groove (7) and is connected to the coupler (8), the laser is connected to the coupler (8), and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber 6 is provided with a waste liquid port 11;
[0040] Wherein, the laser is a plurality of lasers connected in parallel or a tunable laser;
[0041] The microfluidic lens chamber 6 is rectangular, with a length and a width of 600 μm*300 μm.
[0042] The first injection pump 1 is provided with a pigment control module 20, and the pigment control module 20 is controlled and connected with a pigment switch module 21, and the pigment switch module 21 is provided in the first injection pump 1;
[0043] The second injection pump 5 is provided with a glycerol regulating module 22, and the glycerol regulating module 22 is controlled and connected with a glycerol switch module 23; the glycerol switch module 23 is provided in the second injection pump 5;
[0044] The first injection pump 1 contains a pigment mixture; the second injection pump 5 contains glycerol;
[0045] The pigment mixture is prepared by mixing pigment and glycerin in a volume ratio of 1:25.
[0046] The microfluidic lens chamber 6 is prepared by using soft photolithography technology, and the material and substrate used to prepare the microfluidic lens chamber 6 are made of materials with good biocompatibility and light transmittance.
[0047] Step 1: Install the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens as described above;
[0048] Step 2: Control the first injection pump 1 through the pigment switch module 21 to inject the pigment mixture into the channel 3, and control the second injection pump 5 through the glycerol switch module 23 to inject glycerol into the channel 3; control the injection speed of the first injection pump 1 through the pigment control module 20, and control the injection speed of the second injection pump 5 through the glycerol control module 22, and control the pigment mixture and glycerol in the channel 3, the microfluidic lens chamber 6, and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber 6 to always keep the Reynolds number lower than the critical value of the laminar flow to avoid the generation of turbulence, and then maintain a stable flow rate of the two-phase flow of the pigment mixture and glycerol; after the two-phase flow passes through the microfluidic lens chamber 6, the flow channel widens upward, so that the interface of the two-phase flow bulges upward to form a convex lens shape;
[0049] Step 3: Turn on the laser and irradiate the laser vertically into the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber 6 through the coupler 8. By using different incident laser wavelengths to change the shape of the lens, the focal length of the lens and the beam divergence angle are dynamically adjusted.
[0050] The width of the channel and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber 6 in this embodiment is 100 μm, and the experimental flow rate does not exceed 0.014 m / s, so the Reynolds number does not exceed 1 (the Reynolds number is far below the laminar critical value of 2100), ensuring that the two-phase flow of the pigment mixture and glycerol is always stable in a laminar state.
[0051] Specific embodiment 2: The difference between this embodiment and specific embodiment 1 is that: the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens includes a first injection pump 1, a first inlet 2, a channel 3, a second inlet 4, a second injection pump 5, a microfluidic lens chamber 6, an optical fiber groove 7, a coupler 8, a laser and a waste liquid port 11, the first injection pump 1 is fixedly connected to the first inlet 2, the first inlet 2 is fixedly connected to one side of the channel 3, the other side of the channel 3 is fixedly connected to the second inlet 4, the second inlet 4 is fixedly connected to the second injection pump 5, the channel 3 is fixedly connected to the microfluidic lens chamber 6, the microfluidic lens chamber ( 6) is fixedly connected with an optical fiber groove (7), the optical fiber groove (7) is located in the middle of the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber (6), the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber groove (7) and is connected to the coupler (8), the laser is connected to the coupler (8), the first injection pump 1 is provided with a pigment control module 20, the pigment control module 20 is controlled and connected with a pigment switch module 21, the pigment switch module 21 is provided in the first injection pump 1, the second injection pump 5 is provided with a glycerol control module 22, the glycerol control module 22 is controlled and connected with a glycerol switch module 23, the glycerol switch module 23 is provided in the second injection pump 5.
[0052] In this embodiment, the microfluidic lens chamber 6 is a double-sided rectangle (composed of two identical and symmetrical rectangles, and the length and width of the single-sided rectangle are 500 μm*300 μm.
[0053] Please refer to the attached Figure 6 and Fig. 9 , an embodiment provided in this embodiment: a method for dynamically adjusting a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens: in step one, corresponding modules are respectively installed in the first injection pump 1, the second injection pump 5, the laser, the coupler 8 and the optical fiber slot 7, and debugging is performed, the first injection pump 1 is installed on the first inlet 2, the second injection pump 5 is installed on the second inlet 4, and an optical fiber slot 7 is fixedly connected under the microfluidic lens chamber 6, the optical fiber slot 7 is located in the middle of the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber 6, the optical fiber passes through the optical fiber slot 7 and is connected to the coupler 8, and the laser is connected to the coupler 8 to form a tunable laser;
[0054] In step 2, the first injection pump 1 is controlled by the pigment switch module 21 to inject the pigment mixture into the channel 3, and the second injection pump 5 is controlled by the glycerol switch module 23 to inject glycerol into the channel 3. At the same time, the injection speed of the first injection pump 1 is controlled by the pigment control module 20, and the injection speed of the second injection pump 5 is controlled by the glycerol control module 22;
[0055] In step 3, the tunable laser is turned on to irradiate the microfluidic lens chamber 6, and the deviation state of the two-phase flow interface is recorded, which will deviate to the side with the pigment;
[0056] In step 4, the position of the optical fiber slot 7 is changed, and the optical fiber slot 7 is set in the middle of the top of the microfluidic lens chamber (6). The tuned laser is turned on again to irradiate the microfluidic lens chamber 6 with laser light, and the deviation state of the two-phase flow interface is recorded. It will still deviate to the side with pigment.
[0057] In step five, after the liquid flow rate in the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) stabilizes, the two-phase flow flows through the microfluidic lens chamber 6, and the flow channel widens upward, so that the interface of the two-phase flow bulges upward to form a convex lens shape. By tuning the laser light, the laser is irradiated on the interface of the convex lens shape, and the shape of the lens is changed by the laser, thereby dynamically adjusting the focal length of the lens.
[0058] The experiment was divided into three groups. One group of microfluidic lens chambers (6) was filled with pure glycerol and a mixed solution of glycerol and brilliant blue pigment (volume ratio, glycerol: brilliant blue = 25:1), and the corresponding wavelength was 638nm laser (power set to 25mW); one group of microfluidic lens chambers (6) was filled with pure glycerol and a mixed solution of glycerol and sunset yellow pigment (volume ratio, glycerol: sunset yellow = 25:1), and the corresponding wavelength was 488nm laser (power was 20mW); one group of microfluidic lens chambers (6) was filled with pure glycerol and a mixed solution of glycerol and amaranth pigment (volume ratio, glycerol: amaranth = 25:1), and the corresponding wavelength was 520nm laser (power was 16mW).
[0059] Working principle: When in use, the first injection pump 1 is controlled by the pigment switch module 21 to inject the pigment mixture into the channel 3, and the second injection pump 5 is controlled by the glycerol switch module 23 to inject glycerol into the channel 3. After the liquid flow rate in the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) stabilizes, the two-phase flow flows through the microfluidic lens chamber 6. As the flow channel widens upward, the interface of the two-phase flow bulges upward to form a convex lens shape. The laser is turned on to irradiate the convex lens-shaped interface, and the deviation state of the two-phase flow interface is recorded. It will deviate to the side with the pigment; the non-contact optical flow control technology is used to achieve accurate and non-invasive control of the lens curvature, avoiding the possible damage caused by traditional mechanical valves and pumps. The response delay and system complexity caused by the laser beam are improved, and the response speed and control accuracy of the system are improved; the position of the optical fiber slot 7 is exchanged, and the injection and laser irradiation operations are repeated, and the deviation state of the two-phase flow interface is recorded, and it will still deviate to the side with the pigment; by changing the power of the laser, the shape of the lens is changed, so that the focal length of the lens can be dynamically adjusted, and the real-time adjustment of the light beam divergence angle can be achieved, which has broad application prospects in optical communication, optical data processing, optical sensing and other fields; the two-phase flow interface is irradiated with laser to achieve the change of the lens shape, which reduces the use of mechanical components, improves the integration and stability of the system, and also reduces the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty of the system.
[0060] Specific implementation method three: Combination Figure 7 The present embodiment is described. The present embodiment is different from the first or second embodiment in that:
[0061] In this embodiment, the microfluidic lens chamber 6 is manufactured by using soft lithography technology. The material and substrate of the microfluidic lens chamber 6 are made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The specific steps are as follows:
[0062] a. Mask production: Use SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Illustrator or LEdit and other software to make design drawings, and then the mask manufacturer will transfer the design of the drawings to the mask (usually use film as the mask with an accuracy of 20μm, which meets the requirements of optofluidic chip preparation and prepares optofluidic chips with high-precision microchannel structures).
[0063] b. Mold: Spin-coat a 100 μm thick photoresist (SMIC Negative Photoresist SU-8 3050) on a silicon-based wafer, and after exposure and development, form a microchannel SU8 positive mold.
[0064] c. Molding: Prepare a 10:1 mixture of PDMS elastomer and curing agent, stir evenly and remove bubbles in a vacuum, pour into the SU8 positive mold, heat and cure, peel off the PDMS and make 1mm holes at the inlet and outlet as the microfluidic inlet and outlet.
[0065] d. Bonding: Use plasma bonding to bond the PDMS structure with holes to another flat PDMS without microchannels.
[0066] Specific implementation method 4: This implementation method is different from specific implementation methods 1, 2 or 3 in that:
[0067] In this embodiment, the material and substrate for preparing the microfluidic lens chamber 6 are COC (cycloolefin copolymer) or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate).
[0068] Specific implementation method 5: This implementation method is different from specific implementation methods 1 to 4 in that:
[0069] This embodiment adopts the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens prepared in the specific implementation mode 1, wherein the laser is three lasers connected in parallel, and the wavelengths of the three lasers are 638nm, 520nm, and 488nm respectively.
[0070] Specific implementation method 6: This implementation method is different from specific implementation methods 1 to 5 in that:
[0071] The pigments in the pigment mixture of this embodiment are brilliant blue, amaranth, sunset yellow and lemon yellow respectively; the pigment mixture is prepared by mixing the pigments and glycerol in a volume ratio of 1:25.
[0072] The absorption spectra of brilliant blue, amaranth, sunset yellow and tartrazine dissolved in SDBS aqueous solution at a volume ratio of 1:25 are shown in Figure 8 shown.
[0073] Specific embodiment seven: The difference between this embodiment and any one of specific embodiments one to six is that: the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens includes a first laser 9, a second laser 10, a first control laser module 24, and a second control laser module 26; the first control laser module 24 is used to control the first laser 9; the second control laser module 26 is used to control the second laser 10.
[0074] Example 1
[0075] This embodiment adopts the device and method of the specific implementation mode 1; the difference between this embodiment and the specific implementation mode 1 is that:
[0076] Pure glycerol and a glycerol brilliant blue pigment mixture (glycerol: brilliant blue pigment = 25:1) are introduced into the first inlet 2 and the second inlet 4 respectively, the pigment mixture is located at the bottom of the channel, and the pure glycerol is located at the top of the channel.
[0077] Insert the flat-end optical fiber into the optical fiber groove so that the end surface of the optical fiber is aligned flush with the lower surface of the microfluidic lens chamber 6 .
[0078] Set the flow rate of different inlets, set the flow rate of the first inlet to 300ul / h, and the flow rate of the second inlet to 100ul / h. Turn on the syringe pump, and when the flow rate stabilizes, the laminar interface bulges upward in the microfluidic lens chamber, forming a convex lens-like shape. Fig.10 (a) shown.
[0079] The 638nm laser power is set to 25mW and the laser is turned on. Compared with when the laser is not turned on, after the beam passes through the laminar flow, the two-phase flow interface is compressed and the curvature becomes smaller, such as Fig.10 (b) as shown.
[0080] The entrance positions of the two solutions are exchanged, pure glycerol is located at the bottom of the channel, and the pigment mixture is located at the top of the channel. The position of the laser emission remains unchanged. At this time, the two-phase flow interface forms a convex lens shape in the microfluidic lens chamber. Fig.10 (c) as shown.
[0081] When the 638nm laser (25mW) is turned on, it can be seen that the interface of the convex lens is stretched and its curvature becomes larger. Fig.10 (d) as shown.
[0082] Example 2 (Light Control Lens Experiment)
[0083] This embodiment adopts the device and method of the specific implementation mode 1; the difference between this embodiment and the specific implementation mode 1 is that:
[0084] The 520nm laser and the 638nm laser are coupled into the same optical fiber through a coupler, the 520nm laser is used as an indicator light to display the change of the optical path, and the 638nm laser is used as a driving light to drive the change of the lens interface.
[0085] Insert the optical fiber into the optical fiber slot, add an appropriate amount of pure water into the syringe and place it in the first syringe pump 1, add a mixture of glycerol and brilliant blue pigment (glycerol: brilliant blue pigment = 25:1) into another syringe and place it in the second syringe pump;
[0086] A 530nm short-wave filter was placed between the objective lens of the microscope and the microfluidic lens chamber. The flow rate of the first injection pump was 300ul / h and the flow rate of the second injection pump was 100ul / h. The injection pumps were turned on, and the 520nm laser and the 638nm laser were turned on after the flow rate stabilized.
[0087] At this time, since the 638nm laser is filtered out by the filter, the 520nm laser is observed.
[0088] The phenomenon observed in the light control lens experiment of this embodiment is as follows Fig.11 The present invention can precisely control the divergence angle of the light beam by adjusting the wavelength and polarization direction of the light source, thereby providing greater flexibility for optical operations in the microfluidic system.
[0089] The present invention utilizes non-contact optical flow control technology to achieve precise and non-invasive control of the curvature of the lens by irradiating the laminar interface containing pigment with a laser of a specific wavelength. The method of the present invention avoids the response delay and system complexity that may be caused by traditional mechanical valves and pumps, and improves the response speed and control accuracy of the system.
[0090] The present invention can achieve real-time adjustment of the divergence angle of the light beam and has broad application prospects in the fields of optical communication, optical data processing and optical sensing. By changing the power of the laser, the curvature of the lens can be continuously adjusted, thereby accurately controlling the divergence angle of the light beam. This dynamic adjustment capability is not available in traditional fixed optical components. In addition, the present invention also demonstrates the application of beam deflection and optical waveguide switches, further expanding the application scope of light-controlled lenses and providing more possibilities for the design and optimization of optical systems.
[0091] The present invention improves the integration and stability of the system by reducing the use of mechanical parts, and also reduces the manufacturing cost and maintenance difficulty of the system.
[0092] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims be included in the invention. Any reference numeral in a claim should not be considered as limiting the claim to which it relates.
Claims
1. A light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens, comprising a first injection pump (1), a first inlet (2), a channel (3), a second inlet (4), a second injection pump (5), a microfluidic lens chamber (6), an optical fiber groove (7), a coupler (8), a laser and a waste liquid outlet (11), characterized in that: The first injection pump (1) is fixedly connected to the entrance end of the first inlet (2); the outlet end of the first inlet (2) is fixedly connected to the upper side of one side of the channel (3); the outlet end of the second inlet (4) is fixedly connected to the lower side of the same side of the channel (3); the other side of the channel (3) is connected to the microfluidic lens chamber (6); the entrance end of the second inlet (4) is fixedly connected to the second injection pump (5); the lower side of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is fixedly connected to an optical fiber groove (7); the front end of the optical fiber jumper is installed in the optical fiber groove (7); the rear end is connected to the laser through a coupler (8); and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) is provided with a waste liquid port (11); Wherein, the laser is a plurality of lasers connected in parallel or a tunable laser; The first injection pump (1) is provided with a pigment control module (20), the pigment control module (20) is controlled to be connected with a pigment switch module (21), and the pigment switch module (21) is provided in the first injection pump (1); The second injection pump (5) is provided with a glycerol control module (22), and the glycerol control module (22) is controlled and connected to a glycerol switch module (23); the glycerol switch module (23) is provided in the second injection pump (5); The first injection pump (1) contains a pigment mixture; the second injection pump (5) contains glycerol; The pigment mixture is prepared by mixing pigment and glycerin in a volume ratio of 1:
25.
2. The light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple lasers connected in parallel emit lasers of different wavelengths.
3. The light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the lasers is 2 to 5.
4. The light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microfluidic lens chamber (6) is prepared by using soft photolithography technology, and the material and substrate for preparing the microfluidic lens chamber (6) are made of materials with good biocompatibility and light transmittance.
5. A method for dynamically adjusting a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens, characterized in that: This method is implemented as follows: Step 1: Install the light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7; Step 2: Control the first injection pump (1) through the pigment switch module (21) to inject the pigment mixture into the channel (3); control the second injection pump (5) through the glycerol switch module (23) to inject glycerol into the channel (3); control the injection speed of the first injection pump (1) through the pigment control module (20), and control the injection speed of the second injection pump (5) through the glycerol control module (22), and control the pigment mixture and glycerol in the channel (3), the microfluidic lens chamber (6), and the outlet channel of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) to always keep the Reynolds number lower than the critical value of the laminar flow, thereby avoiding the generation of turbulence, and then maintaining a stable flow rate of the pigment mixture and glycerol two-phase flow; after the two-phase flow passes through the microfluidic lens chamber (6), the flow channel widens upward, so that the interface of the two-phase flow bulges upward to form a convex lens shape; Step 3, turning on the laser and irradiating the laser vertically into the bottom of the microfluidic lens chamber (6) through the coupler (8), and changing the shape of the lens by using different incident laser wavelengths, thereby dynamically adjusting the focal length of the lens and the beam divergence angle; The pigment mixture is prepared by mixing pigment and glycerin in a volume ratio of 1:20 to 30.
6. The method for dynamic adjustment of a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens according to claim 5, characterized in that: The laser wavelengths emitted by the laser include 638nm, 520nm, and 488nm.
7. The method for dynamic adjustment of a light-controlled pigment microfluidic lens according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pigments in the pigment mixture are respectively brilliant blue, amaranth red, sunset yellow and lemon yellow; the pigment mixture is prepared by mixing the pigments and glycerol in a volume ratio of 1:25.
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