Multi-direction multi-gear microfluidic injection device and method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-direction and multi-gear micro-fluidic injection device and a method thereof. The device comprises a connector, an injection assembly and a control assembly, the vertical lifting system is connected with the connector and drives the connector to move up and down in the vertical direction; the horizontal rotating system is connected with the connector and drives the connector to rotate clockwise or anticlockwise on the horizontal plane; and the multi-gear injection assembly is connected with the microfluidic interface through a connector, and injection of liquid at different gears is realized through movement of a piston in the multi-gear injection assembly. The piston and the through hole of the connector are designed in sections, and different sections are matched with the design of different diameters, so that the requirements of different liquid volumes at multiple gears can be met. The liquid transfer device can rotate without limitation along with the horizontal rotating system 3 and the micro-fluidic interface 5, and liquid transfer in multiple directions can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of biotechnology instruments, and in particular to a high-precision multi-speed microfluidic injection device capable of multi-directional movement and a method thereof. Background Art

[0002] At present, the conventional microfluidic technology platform is mainly microfluidic chip technology. Since commonly used microfluidic chips can only store a small amount of solution, the microfluidic structure in the microfluidic chip is difficult to transfer a large volume of solution (such as more than 100uL) and cannot achieve liquid volume transfer of multiple different gears. The existing booster device for liquid transfer is generally driven by a cylinder to achieve boosting, which is large in size and cannot be used in conjunction with the microfluidic technology platform. Summary of the invention

[0003] Aiming at the shortcoming that the existing microfluidic chip can only transfer small volume solution, the present invention provides a high-precision multi-speed microfluidic injection device which can move in multiple directions.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] The present invention provides a multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device, comprising:

[0006] Connectors;

[0007] A vertical lifting system, which is connected to the connector and drives the connector to move up and down in a vertical direction;

[0008] A horizontal rotation system, which is connected to the connector and drives the connector to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise on a horizontal plane;

[0009] The multi-speed push injection component is connected to the microfluidic interface through a connector, and the push injection of liquids at different gears is achieved through the movement of the piston in the multi-speed push injection component.

[0010] Furthermore, the vertical lifting system includes a first screw motor, a lifting platform and a guide slide rod. The lifting platform is provided with a through hole matching the guide slide rod. The guide slide rod passes through the through hole. The lifting platform reciprocates vertically along the guide slide rod driven by the first screw motor; the connector is connected to the lifting platform.

[0011] Furthermore, the horizontal rotation system includes a stepper motor, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a belt. The stepper motor is connected to the driving wheel and drives the driving wheel to rotate. The driven wheel is connected to the connector. The belt is sleeved on the driving wheel and the driven wheel. The driving wheel drives the driven wheel and the connector to perform horizontal rotation through the belt, so that the connector drives the microfluidic interface to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The stepper motor, the axle of the driving wheel, and the axle of the driven wheel are all connected to the lifting platform.

[0012] Furthermore, the multi-speed injection system includes a second screw motor, a guide rail and a piston, a hollow piston cavity is provided inside the connector, and the piston reciprocates in the piston cavity under the drive of the second screw motor. The lower end of the piston cavity is connected to the microfluidic interface.

[0013] Furthermore, a sealing ring is sandwiched between the connector and the microfluidic interface.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a position sensor and a controller, wherein the position sensor is connected to the controller and is used to determine the position of each motor, so as to facilitate real-time calibration of the motor's accuracy during program operation.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes an outer frame bracket, and the guide slide rod and the lead screw motor are both connected to the outer frame bracket.

[0016] The present invention also provides a microfluidic push injection liquid transfer method, which uses the multi-directional and multi-speed microfluidic push injection device.

[0017] Wherein, the method comprises the following steps:

[0018] 1) Select a suitable piston to connect the microfluidic interface to the liquid storage or transfer device;

[0019] 2) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward and connect with the microfluidic interface;

[0020] 3) driving the progressive motor to drive the liquid storage or transfer device to rotate to the position where the liquid is to be taken;

[0021] 4) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward until the liquid taking component extends into the liquid; driving the second screw motor to drive the piston to take out the liquid;

[0022] 5) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move upward, driving the stepping motor to drive the liquid storage or transfer device to rotate to the position to be discharged;

[0023] 6) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward until the liquid taking component extends into the liquid discharge container; driving the second screw motor to drive the piston to push out the liquid;

[0024] 7) Drive the first screw motor to drive the connector to move upward to height 1 (at this time, the liquid taking component leaves the container to be discharged), completing the transfer of the liquid.

[0025] The present invention adopts the above technical solution, which has the following advantages:

[0026] 1. Small space: At present, the airflow drive cylinder of most microfluidic chips on the market is a separate component. The present invention drives the liquid transfer through the connector 1, the vertical lifting system 2, the horizontal rotation system 3, and the multi-speed injection system 4, and does not require an additional space for placing the cylinder.

[0027] 2. Light weight: In the present invention, the cylinder piston is in the microfluidic interface 5, and no additional cylinder accessories are required.

[0028] 3. Unlimited rotation: The cylinder of common microfluidic technology needs to have an air tube connected to the microfluidic interface, and the air tube cannot rotate unlimitedly. In the present invention, the cylinder is built into the microfluidic interface 5 and can rotate unlimitedly with the horizontal rotation system 3 and the microfluidic interface 5. It can realize multi-directional liquid transfer.

[0029] 4. The through holes of the piston and the connector of the present invention are both designed in sections, and different section stages combined with different diameter designs can meet the requirements of different liquid volumes in multiple gears. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the connector 1 and the piston 19 of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a liquid transfer device used as an example in the present invention.

[0034] Description of the accompanying drawings: The symbols in the accompanying drawings represent the following:

[0035] 1 connector, 2 vertical lifting system, 3 horizontal rotation system, 4 multi-speed injection system, 5 microfluidic interface, 6 sealing ring, 7 position sensor, 8 outer frame bracket, 9 first screw motor, 10 lifting platform, 11 guide slide, 12 stepper motor, 13 driving wheel, 14 driven wheel, 15 belt, 17 second screw motor, 18 guide rail, 19 piston, 20 tip component, 101 bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided in order to enable a more thorough understanding of the present invention and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0037] The present invention provides a high-precision multi-speed microfluidic injection system capable of multi-directional movement, comprising:

[0038] Connector 1, vertical lifting system 2, horizontal rotation system 3, multi-speed injection system 4, microfluidic interface 5, sealing ring 6, position sensor 7 and outer frame bracket 8.

[0039] The connector 1 is provided with a through hole inside, and the diameter of the through hole decreases from top to bottom. The through holes in the connector 1 can be 2-3 sections (or more sections) of circular holes with different diameters, and the diameters of the circular holes decrease from top to bottom, so that the circular holes of different diameters can cooperate with pistons of different sizes to achieve the transfer of liquid samples with different precision ranges. The connector can be made of metal material, or it can be made of other polymer materials with high strength and long service life like metal material. Generally speaking, it is preferably made of metal material. The lower end of the connector 1 is provided with a joint matching the microfluidic interface 5, and the cross-section of the joint (that is, the outer surface of the lower end of the entire connector 1, which does not conflict with the circular through hole) is non-circular. The non-circular refers to the shape that is not circular and can satisfy the property of synchronous rotation after connection, such as square, semicircular, hexagonal, etc. The lower end of the connector 1 is provided with a microfluidic interface, which can drive the microfluidic interface to rotate horizontally after being connected, and the planar structure of the connection can also achieve a sealing effect with the cooperation of the sealing ring 6, such as Figure 2 As shown, when the joint at the lower end of the connector is inserted into the microfluidic interface 5, a sealing ring 6 made of elastic material is sandwiched between the connector 1 and the microfluidic interface 5 to achieve a sealing effect.

[0040] The vertical lifting system 2 is composed of a first screw motor 9, a lifting platform 10 and a guide slide 11. The guide slide 11 is fixedly connected to the outer frame bracket 8. The lifting platform 10 moves back and forth in the vertical direction along the guide slide 11 under the drive of the first screw motor 9. The lifting platform 10 is provided with a bearing 101, and the connector 1 is fixed on the inner ring of the bearing 101; the connector 1 can move back and forth in the vertical direction with the lifting platform 10; it can also rotate in the bearing with the central axis of the connector 1 as the axis under the drive of the horizontal rotation system 3. When the connector 1 can move back and forth in the vertical direction with the lifting platform 10, it drives the suction head component 20 with the microfluidic interface 5 to move back and forth in the vertical direction.

[0041] The horizontal rotation system 3 is composed of a stepper motor 12, a driving wheel 13, a driven wheel 14 and a belt 15, and is used to drive the connector 1 to perform horizontal rotation. Specifically, the stepper motor 12 drives the driving wheel 13 to rotate, the driving wheel 13 drives the driven wheel 14 to rotate through the belt 15, and the driven wheel 14 drives the connector 1 connected thereto to rotate. Then, the connector 1 drives the microfluidic interface 5 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise (the rotation is based on the central axis of the connector. After the square connector is vertically inserted into the microfluidic interface, the connector can drive the microfluidic interface to rotate).

[0042] The multi-speed push injection system 4 is composed of a second screw motor 17, a guide rail 18 and a piston 19. The second screw motor 17 pushes the piston 19 inside the connector 1 to move up and down along the guide rail 18, and performs a micro-control function of the airflow through the microfluidic interface 5. The piston 19 can be a piston of different diameters, and the diameter of the piston matches the inner diameter of the through hole in the connector 1. The matching between the two can realize the push injection function of different precision gears. For example, a micro-push injection of 10ul can use a thinner piston for push injection, so that the same piston running distance can output a relatively small amount of airflow; similarly, a large-capacity airflow control can use a larger diameter piston for boosting.

[0043] The microfluidic interface 5 of the present invention has a groove at one end, and the shape of the groove matches the shape of the connector of the connector 1, so that the connector 1 drives the microfluidic interface 5 to rotate. The other end of the microfluidic interface is connected to a liquid storage or transfer device. In this embodiment, a liquid transfer device is exemplified as Figure 3 As shown, the other end of the microfluidic interface 5 is connected to the suction head component 20 , and the suction head component 20 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise under the drive of the connector 1 through the microfluidic interface 5 .

[0044] As a further solution of this embodiment, a position sensor 7 may be included. The position sensor 7 may be two, respectively connected to the first screw motor and the second screw motor, and may be a trigger switch such as an optical coupler or a micro switch, which is used to determine the position of each motor, so as to facilitate real-time calibration of the motor's accuracy during program operation. For example, the position sensor is generally installed on the running route of the moving part. When the motor drives the moving part to move, the contact installed on the moving part will contact the position sensor, and the position sensor will give a feedback signal to the processor, at which time the processor will automatically determine the specific position of the moving part. When there is a deviation between the number of motor running steps given by the processor and the number of steps output when the position sensor is actually triggered, the software will automatically compensate for the deviation to ensure the running accuracy of the moving part.

[0045] The outer frame bracket 8 is a standard rectangular parallelepiped frame and can be fixed on any plane structure, and is used to fix the device of this embodiment on any bracket or carrier.

[0046] The method of using the multi-directional and multi-speed microfluidic injection device of the present invention:

[0047] 1) Select a suitable piston according to the volume of the liquid to be transferred, and connect the microfluidic interface to the liquid storage or transfer device;

[0048] 2) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward to height 1 and connect with the microfluidic interface;

[0049] 3) driving the progressive motor to drive the liquid storage or transfer device to rotate to the position where the liquid is to be taken;

[0050] 4) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward to height 2 (at this time, the liquid taking component extends into the liquid); driving the second screw motor to drive the piston to take out the liquid;

[0051] 5) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move upward to a height of one, and driving the stepping motor to drive the liquid storage or transfer device to rotate to a position to be discharged;

[0052] 6) Drive the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward to height 2 (at this time, the liquid taking component extends into the container to be discharged); drive the second screw motor to drive the piston to push out the liquid;

[0053] 7) Drive the first screw motor to drive the connector to move upward to height 1 (at this time, the liquid taking component leaves the container to be discharged), completing the transfer of the liquid.

[0054] The device in this embodiment controls the rotation speed and direction of the three motors in the device to control the suction head component 20 to complete the three actions of descending, ascending and rotating, and absorbs and releases the pressure liquid generated by the piston movement; so that the suction head component 20 can transfer the solution in different areas.

[0055] Finally, it should be noted that the present invention has been described in detail above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be implemented over a wide range of equivalent parameters, concentrations and conditions without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without unnecessary experimentation. Although the present invention provides specific embodiments, it should be understood that further improvements may be made to the present invention. In short, according to the principles of the present invention, this application intends to include any changes, uses or improvements to the present invention, including changes made by conventional techniques known in the art that depart from the scope disclosed in this application. Some of the basic features may be applied within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device, characterized in that: include: Connectors; A vertical lifting system, which is connected to the connector and drives the connector to move up and down in a vertical direction; A horizontal rotation system, which is connected to the connector and drives the connector to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise on a horizontal plane; The multi-speed push injection component is connected to the microfluidic interface through a connector, and the push injection of liquids at different gears is achieved through the movement of the piston in the multi-speed push injection component.

2. The multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical lifting system includes a first screw motor, a lifting platform and a guide slide rod. The lifting platform is provided with a through hole matching the guide slide rod. The guide slide rod passes through the through hole. The lifting platform moves vertically back and forth along the guide slide rod driven by the first screw motor. The connector is connected to the lifting platform.

3. The multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal rotation system includes a stepper motor, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a belt. The stepper motor is connected to the driving wheel and drives the driving wheel to rotate. The driven wheel is connected to the connector. The belt is sleeved on the driving wheel and the driven wheel. The driving wheel drives the driven wheel and the connector to perform horizontal rotation through the belt, so that the connector drives the microfluidic interface to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. The stepper motor, the axle of the driving wheel, and the axle of the driven wheel are all connected to the lifting platform.

4. The multi-directional and multi-speed microfluidic injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multi-speed injection system comprises a second screw motor, a guide rail and a piston. A hollow piston cavity is provided inside the connector. The piston reciprocates in the piston cavity under the drive of the second screw motor.

5. The multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring is sandwiched between the connector and the microfluidic interface.

6. The multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a position sensor and a controller. The position sensor is connected to the controller and is used to determine the position of each motor, so as to facilitate real-time calibration of the motor's accuracy during program operation.

7. The multi-directional and multi-position microfluidic injection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an outer frame bracket, and the guide slide rod and the lead screw motor are both connected to the outer frame bracket.

8. A microfluidic injection liquid transfer method, characterized in that: Use the multi-directional and multi-speed microfluidic injection device described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The steps include: 1) Select a suitable piston to connect the microfluidic interface to the liquid storage or transfer device; 2) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward and connect with the microfluidic interface; 3) driving the progressive motor to drive the liquid storage or transfer device to rotate to the position where the liquid is to be taken; 4) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward until the liquid taking component extends into the liquid; driving the second screw motor to drive the piston to take out the liquid; 5) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move upward, driving the stepping motor to drive the liquid storage or transfer device to rotate to the position to be discharged; 6) driving the first screw motor to drive the connector to move downward until the liquid taking component extends into the liquid discharge container; driving the second screw motor to drive the piston to push out the liquid; 7) Drive the first screw motor to drive the connector to move upward to height 1 (at this time, the liquid taking component leaves the container to be discharged), completing the transfer of the liquid.

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