Biological particle enrichment apparatus, biological particle enrichment device, and droplet generator

Abstract

The invention discloses biological particle enrichment equipment, a biological particle enrichment device and a microdroplet generator. The droplet generator comprises a light sensing structure and a matching structure which are arranged at an interval, an attaching layer connected to the light sensing structure and the matching structure, and a piezoelectric piece arranged on the attaching layer. The droplet generator encloses and defines a sorting channel arranged along a flow direction. The attaching layer is provided with a sorting hole, and the sorting hole is communicated with the sorting channel in the liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flowing direction. The piezoelectric piece and the sorting hole are arranged on the two opposite sides of the attaching layer in the liquid outlet direction respectively. The droplet generator defines a droplet firing area extending from the sorting hole to the piezoelectric member. Therefore, through the structural configuration of the micro-droplet generator, the piezoelectric piece can be adopted to quickly and accurately sort and enrich the biological particles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a droplet generator, in particular to a biological particle enrichment device, a biological particle enrichment apparatus, and a droplet generator. Background Art

[0002] The first step in the current research on biological microparticles is to conduct enrichment operations, but the existing enrichment operations require a lot of manpower to implement. Therefore, how to use equipment or devices to quickly and accurately achieve enrichment operations has become one of the important topics in the research and development progress in this field. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present invention provide a biological particle enrichment device, a biological particle enrichment apparatus, and a droplet generator, which can effectively improve the defects of existing enrichment operations.

[0004] The embodiment of the present invention discloses a biological particle enrichment device, which is used to sort out at least one biological particle from a liquid sample containing multiple biological particles. The biological particle enrichment device includes: a droplet generator, which includes: a light-sensing structure, including: a first substrate; a first electrode layer and a photoelectric layer, which are respectively formed on opposite sides of the first substrate; and an insulating layer, which covers the photoelectric layer; a matching structure, which is spaced apart from the light-sensing structure and at least one of which is transparent; wherein the matching structure includes a second substrate and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate, and the second electrode layer faces the light-sensing structure; a bonding layer, which is connected between the light-sensing structure and the matching structure along a thickness direction to jointly surround and define a sorting channel arranged along a flow direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and at least one of the matching structure and the bonding layer is formed with an input port located upstream of the sorting channel and an output port located downstream of the sorting channel; wherein the bonding layer has a sorting hole, which is arranged along a liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flow direction and the thickness direction. The invention relates to a microdroplet generator, wherein the microdroplet generator is defined as a microdroplet firing area extending from the sorting hole toward the piezoelectric element; a power supply device, which is electrically coupled to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; a pressure balancing device, comprising a first valve body installed at the input port, and a second valve body installed at the output port; wherein the pressure balancing device can control the liquid detection through the first valve body and the second valve body. a camera device, the position of which corresponds to a visible section of the sorting channel, and the camera device can be used to capture real-time images of the liquid specimen in the visible section; wherein the droplet firing area is located within the visible section; and a control device, which is electrically coupled to the piezoelectric element; wherein, when it is known through the real-time image that the biological particle is in the droplet firing area, the control device can trigger the piezoelectric element to drive the liquid specimen in the droplet firing area to pass through the sorting hole to form a droplet coated with the biological particle.

[0005] Optionally, the plurality of biological particles located in the visible section have at least one target biological particle, and the biological particle enrichment device further includes: a light source mechanism, which can illuminate the at least one target biological particle in the visible section to apply a dielectrophoretic force to the at least one target biological particle through the light sensing structure and drive it to move into the droplet firing area.

[0006] Optionally, the plurality of biological particles located in the visible section have at least one non-target biological particle; wherein the light source mechanism can illuminate the at least one non-target biological particle in the visible section to impart a dielectrophoretic force to the at least one non-target biological particle through the light sensing structure and drive it to move away from the droplet firing area.

[0007] Optionally, the photovoltaic layer includes: a collector layer formed on a first substrate; wherein the collector layer includes a plurality of collector blocks arranged at intervals, and a first groove portion is formed at one end of each collector block away from the first electrode layer; a plurality of base blocks are respectively formed in the first groove portions of the plurality of collector blocks, and a plurality of second groove portions are formed at one end of each base block away from the first electrode layer; and a plurality of emitter blocks are respectively formed corresponding to the plurality of base blocks; wherein each emitter block includes a plurality of emitter pads, each of which is The invention relates to a plurality of second groove-shaped portions respectively formed in corresponding base blocks; wherein any base block, the corresponding collector block, and the corresponding emitter block together constitute a vertical transistor; wherein the insulating layer covers and separates the plurality of vertical transistors, and one end of each emitter pad away from the first electrode layer is exposed outside the insulating layer; wherein any vertical transistor can be used for illumination by a light source mechanism, so that it can generate a plurality of non-uniform electric fields through the distribution of the plurality of emitter pads, thereby exerting a multi-channel dielectrophoretic force on at least one target biological particle.

[0008] Optionally, in each upright transistor, the multiple emitter pads include a first pad configured along an inner annular path and a second pad configured along an outer annular path, and the outer annular path surrounds the inner annular path; wherein the width of the first pad is different from the width of the second pad.

[0009] Optionally, in each vertical transistor, the plurality of emitter pads include a third pad arranged along an amplified annular path, and the amplified annular path is located between the inner annular path and the outer annular path, and a width of the third pad is between a width of the first pad and a width of the second pad.

[0010] Optionally, when the piezoelectric element or the light source mechanism is in operation, the pressure balancing device maintains the pressure of the liquid sample in the sorting channel by opening the first valve body and closing the second valve body.

[0011] Optionally, the droplet generator has a hydrophobic surface surrounding the sorting hole, and the pressure balancing device can make the liquid sample form a liquid surface in the sorting hole that is coplanar with the outer surface of the adhesion layer.

[0012] Optionally, the biological particle enrichment equipment includes a first container for accommodating droplets; the pressure balancing device includes: a pressure pump; a switch connected to the pressure pump; a pressure balancing bottle connected to the pressure pump and the switch; a liquid injection bottle connected to the switch and the first valve body, and the liquid injection bottle is used to accommodate a liquid sample for injection into the sorting channel through the first valve body and the input port; and a second container connected to the second valve body.

[0013] Optionally, the sorting hole has a width in the flow direction ranging from 40 micrometers to 300 micrometers, and the boundary of the visible section is spaced from the center of the sorting hole by 100 micrometers to 300 micrometers in the flow direction.

[0014] Optionally, the droplet firing area is located within a projection area of ​​the sorting hole along the liquid outlet direction onto the piezoelectric element.

[0015] Optionally, the boundary of the droplet firing area is 50 microns to 200 microns away from the center of the sorting hole in the liquid discharge direction.

[0016] The embodiment of the present invention also discloses a biological particle enrichment device, which is used to sort out a target biological particle from a liquid sample containing multiple biological particles. The biological particle enrichment device includes: a droplet generator, which includes: a light-sensing structure, including: a first substrate; a first electrode layer and a photoelectric layer, which are respectively formed on opposite sides of the first substrate; and an insulating layer, covering the photoelectric layer; a matching structure, which is spaced apart from the light-sensing structure and at least one of which is transparent; wherein the matching structure includes a second substrate and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate, and the second electrode layer faces the light-sensing structure; a bonding layer, which is connected between the light-sensing structure and the matching structure along a thickness direction to jointly surround and define a sorting channel arranged in a flow direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the matching structure At least one of the structure and the bonding layer is formed with an input port located upstream of the sorting channel and an output port located downstream of the sorting channel; wherein the bonding layer has a sorting hole, which is connected to the sorting channel along a liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flow direction and the thickness direction; and a piezoelectric element, which is arranged on the bonding layer, and the piezoelectric element and the sorting hole are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the bonding layer along the liquid outlet direction; wherein the droplet generator is defined with a droplet firing area extending from the sorting hole toward the piezoelectric element; and a light source mechanism, which can illuminate the target biological particles in the droplet generator to apply a dielectrophoretic force to the target biological particles through the light sensing structure and drive them to move into the droplet firing area; wherein the piezoelectric element can operate to drive the liquid sample in the droplet firing area to pass through the sorting hole to form a droplet coated with the target biological particles.

[0017] The present invention further discloses a droplet generator, which includes: a light-sensing structure, including: a first substrate; a first electrode layer and a photoelectric layer, which are respectively formed on opposite sides of the first substrate; and an insulating layer, which covers the photoelectric layer; a matching structure, which is spaced apart from the light-sensing structure and at least one of which is transparent; wherein the matching structure includes a second substrate and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate, and the second electrode layer faces the light-sensing structure; a bonding layer, which is connected between the light-sensing structure and the matching structure along a thickness direction to jointly surround the light-sensing structure and the matching structure. A sorting channel is defined and arranged along a flow direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and at least one of the matching structure and the bonding layer forms an input port located upstream of the sorting channel and an output port located downstream of the sorting channel; wherein the bonding layer has a sorting hole, which is connected to the sorting channel along a liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flow direction and the thickness direction; and a piezoelectric element is arranged on the bonding layer, and the piezoelectric element and the sorting hole are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the bonding layer along the liquid outlet direction; wherein the droplet generator is defined with a droplet firing area extending from the sorting hole toward the piezoelectric element.

[0018] Optionally, the droplet generator has a hydrophobic surface surrounding the sorting hole, the sorting hole has a width between 40 microns and 300 microns in the flow direction, the droplet firing area is located within the projection area of ​​the sorting hole along the liquid discharge direction onto the piezoelectric element, and the boundary of the droplet firing area is 50 microns to 200 microns away from the center of the sorting hole in the liquid discharge direction.

[0019] In summary, the biological particle enrichment equipment and biological particle enrichment device disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention can facilitate the use of the piezoelectric element to quickly and accurately perform the sorting and enrichment operations of the biological particles (or at least one target biological particle) through the structural configuration of the droplet generator. Among them, the droplet generator adopts a structure that can be mass-produced, thereby helping to reduce the overall equipment cost.

[0020] Furthermore, the biological particle enrichment device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can also use the droplet generator in conjunction with the light source mechanism to ensure that only the target biological particles exist in the droplet firing area quickly and accurately, thereby concentrating the target biological particles by forming the droplets.

[0021] To further understand the features and technical contents of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, such description and drawings are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic plan view of a biological particle enrichment device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view along section line III-III;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the second valve body being operated to a closed state;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of bioparticles being pulled by dielectrophoretic force;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a droplet generator forming droplets by driving a piezoelectric element;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the second valve body being operated to an open state;

[0029] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another operation mode of the biological particle enrichment device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional view of the subsequent actuation;

[0031] Fig.10 It is a partial three-dimensional schematic diagram of a biological particle enrichment device according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig.11 for Fig.10 A schematic cross-sectional view along the section line XI-XI;

[0033] Fig.12 for Fig.11 An enlarged schematic diagram of region XII;

[0034] Fig.13 for Fig.12 Schematic diagram of a top view of an upright transistor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following is an explanation of the implementation methods of the "bio-particle enrichment equipment, bio-particle enrichment device, and droplet generator" disclosed in the present invention through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified and changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the present invention. In addition, the drawings of the present invention are only simple schematic illustrations and are not depicted according to actual dimensions. It is stated in advance. The following embodiments will further explain the relevant technical contents of the present invention in detail, but the disclosed contents are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be understood that, although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various components or signals, these components or signals should not be limited by these terms. These terms are mainly used to distinguish one component from another component, or one signal from another signal. In addition, the term "or" used herein may include any one or more combinations of the associated listed items depending on the actual situation.

[0037] [Example 1]

[0038] See also Figures 1 to 9 As shown, it is the first embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment discloses a biological particle enrichment device 1000 , which is used to sort out at least one biological particle B from a liquid sample L containing a plurality of biological particles B, so that the at least one biological particle B can be concentrated in a first container 700 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the liquid sample L can be a body fluid sample from an animal (such as blood, lymph, saliva, ascites, or urine), and the biological particles B can be specific types of cells, such as circulating tumor cells (CTC), fetal nucleated red blood cells (FNRBC), exosomes, viruses, or bacteria, but the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the liquid sample L can also be a liquid sample from a plant.

[0040] Furthermore, the biological particle enrichment device 1000 in this embodiment includes a droplet generator 100, a power supply device 200 electrically coupled to the droplet generator 100, a pressure balance device 300 connected to the inside of the droplet generator 100, a camera device 400 for observing the droplet generator 100, a control device 500 for driving the droplet generator 100, and a light source mechanism 600 that can cooperate with the droplet generator 100 in a non-contact manner, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0041] For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the type and quantity of internal components of the biological particle enrichment device 1000 can be adjusted and varied according to design requirements (e.g., the light source mechanism 600 can be omitted), and the droplet generator 100 can be used alone (e.g., sold) or used in combination with other components (e.g., the droplet generator 100 is used in combination with the light source mechanism 600 and together defined as a biological particle enrichment device).

[0042] The following will introduce the various components of the biological particle enrichment device 1000, and then explain the connection relationship between the various components of the biological particle enrichment device 1000 as appropriate. It should be noted that the droplet generator 100 in this embodiment is chip-scale (e.g., the thickness of the droplet generator 100 is between 600 microns and 800 microns), and the droplet generator 100 is illustrated as a rectangular structure in the figure, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the droplet generator 100 can also be a curved structure or an irregular structure.

[0043] In more detail, the droplet generator 100 includes a light sensing structure 1, a matching structure 2 spaced from the light sensing structure 1, a bonding layer 3 connected between the light sensing structure 1 and the matching structure 2 along the thickness direction D1, and a piezoelectric element 4 disposed on the bonding layer 3. For ease of description, the matching structure 2 is transparent in this embodiment, but in actual application, at least one of the matching structure 2 and the light sensing structure 1 may be transparent, so that the droplet generator 100 can be normally operated.

[0044] The light sensing structure 1 includes a first substrate 11, a first electrode layer 12 formed on one side (e.g., bottom side) of the first substrate 11, a photoelectric layer 13 formed on the other side (e.g., top side) of the first substrate 11, and an insulating layer 14 covering (at least partially) the photoelectric layer 13. In this embodiment, the first substrate 11 can be a silicon substrate and preferably a low-doped N-type layer, and the first electrode layer 12 can cover the entire bottom side of the first substrate 11, and the first electrode layer 12 is preferably a thin conductive metal layer or an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer, and the specific structure or layout of the photoelectric layer 13 can be adjusted and changed according to design requirements, and the present invention is not limited here. For example, the photoelectric layer 13 can be formed with a plurality of vertical transistors (not shown) arranged in a matrix, and its detailed structure is described in the second embodiment below and is not repeated here.

[0045] The matching structure 2 includes a second substrate 21 and a second electrode layer 22 formed on the second substrate 21, and the second electrode layer 22 faces the light sensing structure 1. The bonding layer 3 is connected between the insulating layer 14 of the light sensing structure 1 and the second electrode layer 22 of the matching structure 2 to jointly surround and define a sorting channel 5 arranged along a flow direction D2 perpendicular to the thickness direction D1.

[0046] In more detail, at least one of the matching structure 2 and the bonding layer 3 is formed with an input port 31 and an output port 32 respectively connected to the two ends of the sorting channel 5; that is, the input port 31 is located upstream of the sorting channel 5, and the output port 32 is located downstream of the sorting channel 5. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input port 31 and the output port 32 are both described as being formed on the bonding layer 3, and the droplet generator 100 can inject the liquid sample L at the input port 31 and make the liquid sample L flow out at the output port 32.

[0047] Furthermore, the bonding layer 3 also has a sorting hole 33, which is connected to the sorting channel 5 along the liquid outlet direction D3 perpendicular to the flow direction D2 and the thickness direction D1 (in a through shape). In this embodiment, the droplet generator 100 preferably has a hydrophobic surface 34 surrounding the sorting hole 33; that is, the hydrophobic surface 34 surrounds and defines the sorting hole 33. Among them, the hydrophobic surface 34 is located at the bottom edge of the bonding layer 3 on both sides of the sorting hole 33 along the flow direction D2 in this embodiment (such as: Figure 3), and the outer surface portions of the light sensing structure 1 and the matching structure 2 located on both sides of the sorting hole 33 along the thickness direction D1 (not shown in the figure). Furthermore, the sorting hole 33 is approximately located at the center of the bonding layer 3 in the flow direction D2, and the sorting hole 33 has a width W33 between 40 micrometers (μm) and 300 micrometers in the flow direction D2, and the liquid outlet direction D3 is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane (or approximately parallel to the plumb line), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0048] The piezoelectric element 4 is disposed outside the bonding layer 3 and outside the sorting channel 5, and the piezoelectric element 4 and the sorting hole 33 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the bonding layer 3 along the liquid outlet direction D3. The droplet generator 100 defines a droplet firing region R extending from the sorting hole 33 toward the piezoelectric element 4.

[0049] It should be additionally explained that the droplet firing region R in this embodiment is approximately located within the projection region of the sorting hole 33 along the liquid outlet direction D3 onto the piezoelectric element 4, and the boundary of the droplet firing region R is 50 microns to 200 microns away from the center of the sorting hole 33 in the liquid outlet direction D3. In other words, the droplet firing region R can cover the entire width W5 of the sorting channel 5 in the liquid outlet direction D3, and the volume covered by the droplet firing region R can be approximately equal to the volume of at least one droplet L1 according to design requirements.

[0050] In addition, the specific range of the droplet firing area R can be adjusted and changed according to design requirements, and is not limited to the range presented in the figure. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the droplet firing area R can be formed by extending from the sorting hole 33 in a fan shape; or, the droplet firing area R can only cover part of the width W5 of the sorting channel 5 in the liquid outlet direction D3 (for example, the droplet firing area R only occupies 30% to 80% of the width W5 of the sorting channel 5 in the liquid outlet direction D3).

[0051] The power supply device 200 in this embodiment adopts an AC power supply, and the power supply device 200 is electrically coupled to the first electrode layer 12 and the second electrode layer 22 of the droplet generator 100, so as to provide the power required for the droplet generator 100 to work together with the light source mechanism 600.

[0052] The pressure balancing device 300 includes a first valve body 301 installed at the input port 31, and a second valve body 302 installed at the output port 32. The pressure balancing device 300 can control the flow rate and pressure of the liquid sample L in the sorting channel 5 through the first valve body 301 and the second valve body 302. For example, the pressure balancing device 300 can make the liquid sample L form a liquid surface L2 in the sorting hole 33 that is coplanar with the outer surface of the bonding layer 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0053] In more detail, the pressure balancing device 300 in this embodiment further includes a gas pressure pump 303, a switch 304 connected to the gas pressure pump 303, a pressure balancing bottle 305 connected to the gas pressure pump 303 and the switch 304, a liquid injection bottle 306 connected to the switch 304 and the first valve body 301, and a second container 307 connected to the second valve body 302. The liquid injection bottle 306 contains the liquid sample L for injection into the sorting channel 5 through the first valve body 301 and the input port 31; and the second container 307 is used to contain the screened liquid sample L flowing out from the output port 32 and the second valve body 302.

[0054] The position of the camera device 400 corresponds to a visible section 51 of the sorting channel 5, and the camera device 400 can be used to capture the real-time image of the liquid sample L in the visible section 51, so as to facilitate the determination of the optimal operation time of the droplet generator 100. It should be noted that the multiple biological particles B (located in the visible section 51) can be divided into at least one target biological particle B1 and at least one non-target biological particle B2. Furthermore, the camera device 400 is along the thickness direction D1 and faces the transparent light sensing structure 1 or the transparent matching structure 2, so as to clearly observe the flow of the liquid sample L in the sorting channel 5 along the flow direction D2.

[0055] Specifically, the boundary of the visible section 51 is 100 to 300 microns away from the center of the sorting hole 33 in the flow direction D2, and the visible section 51 covers the entire width W5 of the sorting channel 5 in the liquid outlet direction D3, and the droplet firing area R is located within the visible section 51. From another perspective, the visible section 51 can also be called a screening section, the section of the sorting channel 5 located upstream of the visible section 51 can be called an unscreened section, and the section of the sorting channel 5 located downstream of the visible section 51 can be called a screened section, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0056] The control device 500 is electrically coupled to the piezoelectric element 4 of the droplet generator 100 to selectively trigger the piezoelectric element 4 in conjunction with the real-time image. It should be noted that when the piezoelectric element 4 (or the light source mechanism 600) is in operation, the pressure balancing device 300 is in an open state through the first valve body 301 and the second valve body 302 is in a closed state (e.g., Figures 4 to 6 ) to maintain the pressure of the liquid specimen L in the sorting channel 5.

[0057] According to the above, if Figure 1 , Figure 5 ,and Figure 6 When it is known from the real-time image that the biological particle B (such as at least one of the target biological particles B1) is in the droplet firing area R, the control device 500 can trigger the piezoelectric element 4 (such as the piezoelectric element 4 vibrates and generates sound waves) to drive the liquid specimen L in the droplet firing area R to pass through the sorting hole 33 to form a droplet L1 coated with the biological particle B (such as at least one of the target biological particles B1), and the droplet L1 is contained in the first container 700.

[0058] In addition, if the biological particles B (such as at least one of the target biological particles B1) are far away from the sorting hole 33, the control device 500 can also trigger the piezoelectric element 4 multiple times to continuously form multiple droplets L1, and at least one of the droplets L1 is coated with the biological particles B (such as at least one of the target biological particles B1).

[0059] Accordingly, the biological particle enrichment device 1000 disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can facilitate the use of the piezoelectric element 4 to quickly and accurately perform the sorting and enrichment operations of the biological particles B (or at least one of the target biological particles B1) through the structural configuration of the droplet generator 100. Among them, the droplet generator 100 adopts a structure that can be mass-produced, thereby helping to reduce the overall equipment cost.

[0060] In addition, in order to enable the droplet generator 100 to accurately form the droplet L1 coated with the target biological particle B1 and effectively achieve the enrichment operation of the target biological particle B1, the droplet generator 100 is preferably operated in conjunction with the light source mechanism 600. Figure 2 , Figure 4 ,and Figure 5As shown, the light source mechanism 600 is adjacent to the camera device 400, and the light source mechanism 600 can illuminate at least one of the target biological particles B1 in the visible section 51, so as to apply a dielectrophoresis (DEP) force F1 to at least one of the target biological particles B1 through the light sensing structure 1, and drive it to move into the droplet firing region R. Furthermore, the light source mechanism 600 can also illuminate at least one of the non-target biological particles B2 in the visible section 51, so as to apply a dielectrophoresis force F2 to at least one of the non-target biological particles B2 through the light sensing structure 1, and drive it to move away from the droplet firing region R.

[0061] Accordingly, the biological particle enrichment device 1000 disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can use the droplet generator 100 in combination with the light source mechanism 600 to quickly and accurately allow only the target biological particle B1 to exist in the droplet firing area R, thereby allowing the target biological particle B1 to be concentrated in the first container 700 by forming the droplet L1.

[0062] also, Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, after the target biological particles B1 in the droplet firing area R are concentrated in the first container 700, the second valve body 302 can be opened again to allow the liquid specimen L that does not cover the target biological particles B1 in the visible section 51 to flow to the second container 307, thereby allowing the plurality of non-target biological particles B2 to be concentrated in the second container 307, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0063] For example, if Figure 1 , Figure 8 ,and Fig. 9 As shown, the light source mechanism 600 can illuminate and drive at least one of the target biological particles B1 to move away from the droplet firing area R, and the light source mechanism 600 can illuminate and drive at least one of the non-target biological particles B2 to move into the droplet firing area R, so that the non-target biological particles B2 can be concentrated in the first container 700 by forming the droplet L1, and the plurality of target biological particles B1 can be concentrated in the second container 307.

[0064] In addition, although the droplet generator 100 is described in this embodiment as having one sorting hole 33 and a corresponding operating mechanism, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the droplet generator 100 may be formed with a plurality of sorting holes 33 arranged at intervals along the flow direction D2 and a corresponding operating mechanism, so that a plurality of different types can be screened out from a plurality of biological particles B through the plurality of sorting holes 33.

[0065] [Example 2]

[0066] See also Figures 10 to 13 As shown, this is the second embodiment of the present invention. Since this embodiment is similar to the above-mentioned first embodiment, the similarities between the two embodiments will not be described in detail, and the differences between this embodiment and the above-mentioned first embodiment are roughly described as follows:

[0067] In this embodiment, the photoelectric layer 13 can produce a better photoelectric coupling effect through a specific structural configuration. Further, the photoelectric layer 13 includes a collector layer 131 (collector layer) formed on the first substrate 11, a plurality of base regions 1321 (base regions) formed in the collector layer 131, and a plurality of emitter regions 1331 (emitter regions) respectively formed in the plurality of base regions 1321. From another perspective, the collector layer 131 is an N-type layer; the plurality of base regions 1321 are located at the same height as the first electrode layer 12 and are collectively defined as a base layer 132, and the base layer 132 is a P-type layer; the plurality of emitter regions 1331 are located at the same height as the first electrode layer 12 and are collectively defined as an emitter layer 133, and the emitter layer 133 is a heavily doped N-type layer.

[0068] In more detail, the collector layer 131 in this embodiment includes a connection layer 1311 formed on the first substrate 11, and a plurality of collector blocks 1312 formed on the connection layer 1311 and spaced apart from each other. A first groove 1313 is formed at one end (e.g., top) of each collector block 1312 away from the first electrode layer 12.

[0069] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the plurality of collector blocks 1312 are electrically coupled to each other through the connection layer 1311, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the collector layer 131 may omit the connection layer 1311 according to design requirements, and the plurality of collector blocks 1312 are directly formed on the first substrate 11, and the first substrate 11 may be a low-doped N-type layer, so that the first substrate 11 and the collector layer 131 can be used together as a collector.

[0070] The multiple base blocks 1321 are respectively formed in the first groove-shaped portions 1313 of the multiple collector blocks 1312 (that is, a base block 1321 is formed on the inner side of each collector block 1312), and a plurality of second groove-shaped portions 1322 spaced apart from each other are formed at one end (e.g., the top) of each base block 1321 away from the first electrode layer 12.

[0071] Furthermore, the plurality of emitter blocks 1331 are formed corresponding to the plurality of base blocks 1321 (that is, one emitter block 1331 is formed inside each base block 1321). Each emitter block 1331 includes a plurality of emitter pads 1332, which are respectively formed in the plurality of second grooves 1322 corresponding to the base block 1321.

[0072] As described above, any one of the base blocks 1321, the corresponding collector block 1312, and the corresponding emitter block 1331 together constitute a vertical transistor 130. The insulating layer 14 is a silicon nitride layer or a silicon oxide layer in this embodiment, but is not limited thereto; wherein the insulating layer 14 covers and separates the plurality of vertical transistors 130, and one end (e.g., the top) of each emitter pad 1332 away from the first electrode layer 12 is exposed outside the insulating layer 14. In other words, the insulating layer 14 may cover the connection layer 1311 and the ring side surface of each vertical transistor 130.

[0073] It should be noted that, since the plurality of vertical transistors 130 in this embodiment adopt substantially the same structure, for ease of description, only the structure of one of the vertical transistors 130 is described below, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the structures of the plurality of vertical transistors 130 may also be slightly different from each other.

[0074] In this embodiment, the one end of the collector block 1312, the one end of the base block 1321, and the one end of each of the emitter pads 1332 are preferably arranged in a coplanar manner, and the width of any one of the emitter pads 1332 must be greater than its thickness, and the spacing between any two adjacent emitter pads 1332 must be less than 5 micrometers (μm), but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the thickness of the base block 1321 can be 15% to 35% of the thickness of the collector block 1312, and the thickness of any one of the emitter pads 1332 is 5% to 20% of the thickness of the base block 1321, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0075] Furthermore, when viewed from the perspective of the biological particles B, any slight change in the photoelectric layer 13 will have a significant impact on the biological particles B. Therefore, in the following description of this embodiment, the size configuration and multiple arrangements of the multiple emitter pads 1332 of the vertical transistor 130 are proposed to facilitate the sorting of the biological particles B with a more gradual electric field difference, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0076] In the upright transistor 130 of the present embodiment, the plurality of emitter pads 1332 include a first pad 1332a arranged along an inner annular path P1, a center pad 1332d located inside the inner annular path P1, a second pad 1332b arranged along an outer annular path P2, and a third pad 1332c arranged along an amplified annular path P3. The outer annular path P2 surrounds the inner annular path P1, and the amplified annular path P3 is located between the inner annular path P1 and the outer annular path P2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments not shown in the present invention, the center pad 1332d and / or the third pad 1332c may also be omitted according to design requirements; or, at least two amplified annular paths P3 are provided between the inner annular path P1 and the outer annular path P2.

[0077] Specifically, the width of the center pad 1332d, the width of the first pad 1332a, and the width of the second pad 1332b are different from each other, and the width of the third pad 1332c is between the width of the first pad 1332a and the width of the second pad 1332b. In this embodiment, the widths of the plurality of emitter pads 1332 are preferably gradually reduced from the outer annular path P2 toward the center pad 1332d; that is, the plurality of emitter pads 1332 are arranged from large to small according to their widths as follows: the second pad 1332b, the third pad 1332c, the first pad 1332a, and the center pad 1332d, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0078] In addition, the number of the first pads 1332a, the number of the second pads 1332b, and the number of the third pads 1332c in this embodiment are each single and in a square ring shape, but the specific configuration quantity and appearance of the first pads 1332a, the second pads 1332b, and the third pads 1332c can be adjusted and changed according to design requirements, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0079] As described above, any of the vertical transistors 130 can be used to illuminate the light source mechanism 600 so that it can generate multiple non-uniform electric fields through the distribution of multiple emitter pads 1332, thereby applying multiple dielectrophoretic forces to the biological particles (such as: at least one target biological particle).

[0080] Accordingly, the photoelectric layer 13 used in the biological particle enrichment device 1000 in this embodiment has a specific structural design, which makes it easy to generate multiple electric fields and their derived electric field differences (similar to the effect of tip discharge) through the multiple emitter pads 1332 of any one of the vertical transistors 130 in a non-contact photoelectric coupling manner, and can be used to accurately move (or capture) the target biological particles to any area.

[0081] [Technical Effects of Embodiments of the Invention]

[0082] In summary, the biological particle enrichment equipment and biological particle enrichment device disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention can facilitate the use of the piezoelectric element to quickly and accurately perform the sorting and enrichment operations of the biological particles (or at least one target biological particle) through the structural configuration of the droplet generator. Among them, the droplet generator adopts a structure that can be mass-produced, thereby helping to reduce the overall equipment cost.

[0083] Furthermore, the biological particle enrichment device disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can also use the droplet generator in conjunction with the light source mechanism to ensure that only the target biological particles exist in the droplet firing area quickly and accurately, thereby concentrating the target biological particles by forming the droplets.

[0084] The contents disclosed above are only preferred feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings are included in the patent scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A biological particle enrichment device, characterized in that: The biological particle enrichment device is used to separate at least one biological particle from a liquid sample containing a plurality of biological particles, and the biological particle enrichment device comprises: A droplet generator comprising: A light sensing structure, comprising: a first substrate; A first electrode layer and a photoelectric layer are formed on opposite sides of the first substrate respectively; and an insulating layer covering the photovoltaic layer; a matching structure, which is spaced apart from the light sensing structure and at least one of which is transparent; wherein the matching structure comprises a second substrate and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate, and the second electrode layer faces the light sensing structure; a bonding layer connected between the light sensing structure and the matching structure along a thickness direction to jointly surround and define a sorting channel arranged along a flow direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and at least one of the matching structure and the bonding layer forms an input port located upstream of the sorting channel and an output port located downstream of the sorting channel; wherein the bonding layer has a sorting hole connected to the sorting channel along a liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flow direction and the thickness direction; and a piezoelectric element disposed on the bonding layer, and the piezoelectric element and the sorting hole are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the bonding layer along the liquid outlet direction; wherein the droplet generator is defined with a droplet firing area extending from the sorting hole toward the piezoelectric element; a power supply device electrically coupled to the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; a pressure balancing device, comprising a first valve body installed at the input port, and a second valve body installed at the output port; wherein the pressure balancing device can control the flow rate and pressure of the liquid sample in the sorting channel through the first valve body and the second valve body; a camera device, the position of which corresponds to a visible section of the sorting channel, and the camera device can be used to capture a real-time image of the liquid sample in the visible section; wherein the droplet firing area is located within the visible section; and A control device electrically coupled to the piezoelectric element; wherein, when it is known from the real-time image that the biological particle is in the droplet firing area, the control device can trigger the piezoelectric element to drive the liquid specimen in the droplet firing area to pass through the sorting hole to form a droplet coated with the biological particle.

2. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of biological particles located in the visible section have at least one target biological particle, and the biological particle enrichment device further comprises: A light source mechanism can illuminate at least one of the target biological particles in the visible section to impart a dielectrophoretic force to the at least one of the target biological particles through the light sensing structure and drive the target biological particles to move into the droplet firing area.

3. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of biological particles located in the visible section have at least one non-target biological particle; wherein the light source mechanism can illuminate at least one of the non-target biological particles in the visible section, so as to impart a dielectrophoretic force to at least one of the non-target biological particles through the light sensing structure and drive it to move away from the droplet firing area.

4. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The photovoltaic layer comprises: A collector layer formed on the first substrate; wherein the collector layer comprises a plurality of collector blocks arranged at intervals, and a first groove portion is formed at one end of each collector block away from the first electrode layer; A plurality of base blocks are respectively formed in the first groove portions of the plurality of collector blocks, and a plurality of second groove portions spaced apart from each other are formed at one end of each base block away from the first electrode layer; and A plurality of emitter blocks are formed corresponding to the plurality of base blocks respectively; wherein each of the emitter blocks includes a plurality of emitter pads, which are respectively formed in a plurality of the second groove-shaped portions corresponding to the base blocks; wherein any one of the base blocks, the corresponding collector block, and the corresponding emitter block together constitute a vertical transistor; wherein the insulating layer covers and separates the plurality of vertical transistors, and one end of each of the emitter pads away from the first electrode layer is exposed outside the insulating layer; Among them, any one of the vertical transistors can be used to provide light for the light source mechanism to generate multiple non-uniform electric fields through the distribution of multiple emitter pads, thereby applying multiple dielectrophoretic forces to at least one of the target biological particles.

5. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 4, characterized in that: In each of the vertical transistors, the plurality of emitter pads include a first pad arranged along an inner annular path and a second pad arranged along an outer annular path, and the outer annular path surrounds the inner annular path; wherein the width of the first pad is different from the width of the second pad.

6. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: In each of the vertical transistors, the plurality of emitter pads include a third pad arranged along an amplified annular path, and the amplified annular path is located between the inner annular path and the outer annular path, and the width of the third pad is between the width of the first pad and the width of the second pad.

7. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the piezoelectric element or the light source mechanism is in operation, the pressure balancing device maintains the pressure of the liquid sample in the sorting channel by opening the first valve body and closing the second valve body.

8. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The droplet generator has a hydrophobic surface surrounding the sorting hole, and the pressure balancing device can make the liquid sample form a liquid surface in the sorting hole that is coplanar with the outer surface of the adhesion layer.

9. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The biological particle enrichment device comprises a first container for accommodating the droplets; the pressure balancing device comprises: A pressure pump; a switch connected to the air pressure pump; A pressure balance bottle connected to the air pressure pump and the switch; a liquid injection bottle connected to the switch and the first valve body, and the liquid injection bottle is used to contain the liquid sample so as to be injected into the sorting channel through the first valve body and the input port; and A second receiving device is connected to the second valve body.

10. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sorting hole has a width in the flow direction ranging from 40 micrometers to 300 micrometers, and the boundary of the visible section is spaced from the center of the sorting hole by 100 micrometers to 300 micrometers in the flow direction.

11. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The droplet firing area is located within a projection area of ​​the sorting hole along the liquid outlet direction and projected onto the piezoelectric element.

12. The biological particle enrichment device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The boundary of the droplet firing area is 50 micrometers to 200 micrometers away from the center of the sorting hole in the liquid discharge direction.

13. A biological particle enrichment device, characterized in that: The biological particle enrichment device is used to separate a target biological particle from a liquid sample containing a plurality of biological particles, and the biological particle enrichment device comprises: A droplet generator comprising: A light sensing structure, comprising: a first substrate; A first electrode layer and a photoelectric layer are formed on opposite sides of the first substrate respectively; and an insulating layer covering the photovoltaic layer; a matching structure, which is spaced apart from the light sensing structure and at least one of which is transparent; wherein the matching structure comprises a second substrate and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate, and the second electrode layer faces the light sensing structure; a bonding layer connected between the light sensing structure and the matching structure along a thickness direction to jointly surround and define a sorting channel arranged along a flow direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and at least one of the matching structure and the bonding layer forms an input port located upstream of the sorting channel and an output port located downstream of the sorting channel; wherein the bonding layer has a sorting hole connected to the sorting channel along a liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flow direction and the thickness direction; and a piezoelectric element disposed on the bonding layer, and the piezoelectric element and the sorting hole are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the bonding layer along the liquid outlet direction; wherein the droplet generator is defined with a droplet firing area extending from the sorting hole toward the piezoelectric element; and A light source mechanism can illuminate the target biological particles in the droplet generator to apply a dielectrophoretic force to the target biological particles through the light sensing structure and drive them to move into the droplet firing area; wherein the piezoelectric element can operate to drive the liquid sample in the droplet firing area to pass through the sorting hole to form a droplet coated with the target biological particles.

14. A droplet generator, characterized in that: The droplet generator comprises: A light sensing structure, comprising: a first substrate; A first electrode layer and a photoelectric layer are formed on opposite sides of the first substrate respectively; and an insulating layer covering the photovoltaic layer; a matching structure, which is spaced apart from the light sensing structure and at least one of which is transparent; wherein the matching structure comprises a second substrate and a second electrode layer formed on the second substrate, and the second electrode layer faces the light sensing structure; a bonding layer connected between the light sensing structure and the matching structure along a thickness direction to jointly surround and define a sorting channel arranged along a flow direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and at least one of the matching structure and the bonding layer is formed with an input port located upstream of the sorting channel and an output port located downstream of the sorting channel; wherein the bonding layer has a sorting hole connected to the sorting channel along a liquid outlet direction perpendicular to the flow direction and the thickness direction; and A piezoelectric element is disposed on the bonding layer, and the piezoelectric element and the sorting hole are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the bonding layer along the liquid outlet direction; wherein the droplet generator is defined with a droplet firing area extending from the sorting hole toward the piezoelectric element.

15. The droplet generator according to claim 14, characterized in that: The droplet generator has a hydrophobic surface surrounding the sorting hole, the sorting hole has a width between 40 microns and 300 microns in the flow direction, the droplet firing area is located within the projection area of ​​the sorting hole along the liquid outlet direction onto the piezoelectric element, and the boundary of the droplet firing area is 50 microns to 200 microns away from the center of the sorting hole in the liquid outlet direction.

Images