A microfluidic chip

Abstract

The application discloses a micro-fluidic chip, which comprises a flow channel body, a pressure relief opening, a movable diaphragm and a valve structure. The flow channel body is formed with an inlet and an outlet. The valve structure is arranged between the inlet and the outlet of the flow channel body, and is used for controlling the liquid flow in the flow channel body. The pressure relief opening is located upstream of the valve structure along the liquid flow direction in the flow channel body, and is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body and connected to the flow channel body. The movable diaphragm is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body, and is used for covering the pressure relief opening when the flow channel body passes through the liquid. The movable diaphragm is also used for opening the pressure relief opening when the liquid in the flow channel body is cut off. The pressure relief opening arranged on the flow channel body helps to reduce the pressure in the flow channel body, so that the valve structure can be quickly closed in a short time, and the movable diaphragm can cover the pressure relief opening, thereby avoiding the influence of the pressure relief opening on the normal flow of the liquid.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of microfluidic chips, and particularly relates to a microfluidic chip. BACKGROUND

[0002] In a microfluidic chip, in order to control the flow or stop of a liquid, a valve is usually used for control. The valve usually uses air pressure or mechanical force to achieve opening and closing, for example, the valve can achieve the blocking effect of the flowing liquid when the valve is closed, or a rotating structure is used to achieve the effect of blocking the liquid flow. The microfluidic valve can be roughly divided into rotating valves, paraffin valves, paraffin hot melt valves, magnetic moving valves, pneumatic valves, mechanical valves and the like. These valves are widely used in the field of biochemical applications, and in particular, pneumatic microvalves are usually used in single-cell sequencing and other scenarios.

[0003] In the related art, the pneumatic microvalve has certain defects when in use. When the valve is closed, the pressure in the flow channel always exists, which reduces the closing speed of the valve and affects the response effect of the valve. SUMMARY

[0004] To solve at least one of the above technical problems, the present application provides a microfluidic chip which can overcome the problem of valve structure closing delay or lag caused by pressure in the flow channel. The technical solution adopted is as follows.

[0005] The microfluidic chip provided by the present application comprises a flow channel body, a pressure relief opening, a movable diaphragm and a valve structure. The flow channel body forms an inlet and an outlet. The valve structure is arranged between the inlet and the outlet of the flow channel body, and is used to control the flow or block of the liquid in the flow channel body. The pressure relief opening is located upstream of the valve structure along the flow direction of the liquid in the flow channel body, and is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body and is communicated with the flow channel body. The movable diaphragm is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body, and is used to cover the pressure relief opening when the flow channel body passes through the liquid. The movable diaphragm is also used to open the pressure relief opening when the liquid in the flow channel body stops flowing.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present application, the first end of the movable diaphragm is connected to the top wall of the flow channel body, and the second end opposite to the first end of the movable diaphragm is movable relative to the top wall of the flow channel body. The second end of the movable diaphragm is attached to the top wall of the flow channel body when the flow channel body passes through the liquid, so that the movable diaphragm seals the pressure relief opening. When the liquid in the flow channel body stops flowing, the second end of the movable diaphragm is separated from the top wall of the flow channel body, so that the movable diaphragm opens the pressure relief opening.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present application, when the movable diaphragm covers the pressure relief opening, the direction from the first end to the second end is the same as the flow direction of the liquid in the flow channel body.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, the first end of the movable diaphragm is connected to the flow channel body by plasma bonding; or the first end of the movable diaphragm is connected to the flow channel body by hot pressing.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present application, the material of the movable diaphragm is one of polydimethylsiloxane, silica gel, cyclic olefin copolymer, cyclic olefin polymer, polystyrene or resin.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure relief opening is communicated to the atmosphere.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, the pressure relief opening is communicated to the waste liquid pipe.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the valve structure includes a gas chamber, a diaphragm and a control cavity, the diaphragm separates the gas chamber and the control cavity, the control cavity is arranged in the flow channel body, and the diaphragm is used to bulge towards the control cavity and block the control cavity when the gas chamber is inflated.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the top wall of the flow channel body is arranged as a curved surface.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the microfluidic chip includes a first structural layer and a second structural layer, the flow channel body is arranged at least in the first structural layer or the second structural layer, the pressure relief opening is arranged in the first structural layer, the valve structure includes a gas chamber, a diaphragm and a control cavity, the diaphragm separates the gas chamber and the control cavity, the control cavity is arranged in the same structural layer as the flow channel body, the gas chamber is arranged in the second structural layer, and the first structural layer and the second structural layer are connected in a package manner.

[0015] The embodiments of the present application have at least the following beneficial effects: by arranging the pressure relief opening on the top wall of the flow channel body and upstream of the valve structure, and by arranging the movable diaphragm to open the pressure relief opening when the liquid in the flow channel body is cut off, the pressure in the flow channel body caused by the closing action of the valve structure when cutting off the liquid can be discharged through the pressure relief opening, thereby helping to reduce the pressure in the flow channel body, so that the valve structure can be quickly closed in a short time, solving the problem of large resistance when the valve structure is closed due to the increase of the gas pressure in the flow channel body, overcoming the problem of delay or lag of the valve structure caused by resistance, so that the valve structure has the effect of fast response, realizes the cutting off of the liquid, and thereby improves the operation efficiency. On the basis of arranging the pressure relief opening, the movable diaphragm is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body, so that the movable diaphragm can cover the pressure relief opening when the flow channel body passes through the liquid, which can avoid the influence of the pressure relief opening on the normal flow of the liquid, and ensure the normal use of the microfluidic chip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] The application will be further illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be noted that the examples embodied in the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the application, and cannot be understood as a limitation to the application.

[0017] Figure 1 An example structure schematic diagram of a microfluidic chip provided for the embodiments of the application is shown in the following figure.

[0018] Figure 2 An A-A cross-sectional view of the microfluidic chip provided for the embodiments of the application is shown in the following figure. Figure 1

[0019] Figure 3 A B-B cross-sectional view of the microfluidic chip provided for the embodiments of the application is shown in the following figure. Figure 1

[0020] Figure 4 Another example structure schematic diagram of a microfluidic chip provided for the embodiments of the application is shown in the following figure.

[0021] Reference signs: 100, microfluidic chip; 10, flow channel body; 11, inlet; 12, outlet; 13, pressure relief opening; 20, valve structure; 21, air chamber; 22, thin film; 23, control cavity; 30, movable diaphragm; 31, first end; 32, second end; 110, first structure layer; 120, second structure layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The embodiments of the application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference signs represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the application, and cannot be understood as a limitation to the application.

[0023] In the description of the application, it should be understood that if the terms “center”, “middle”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential” and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the application.

[0024] ​​In the description of the application, the meaning of several is one or more, the meaning of multiple is two or more, greater than, less than, more than, etc. are understood as not including the number, above, below, etc. are understood as including the number. If it is described as first, second, it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or the sequence of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In the description of the application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", "connect" should be understood broadly, for example: it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0026] In the description of the application, if the description of the terms "as an embodiment", "an embodiment", "some examples", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "example", "specific example", "some examples" appears, it means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in combination with the embodiment or example are contained in at least one embodiment or example of the application. In the specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0027] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2The application provides a microfluidic chip 100, which comprises a flow channel body 10, a pressure relief opening 13, a movable diaphragm 30 and a valve structure 20. The flow channel body 10 is formed with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12. The valve structure 20 is arranged between the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 of the flow channel body 10, and is used for controlling the flow or blockage of liquid in the flow channel body 10. The pressure relief opening 13 is located upstream of the valve structure 20 along the flow direction of the liquid in the flow channel body 10, and is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body 10 and communicated with the flow channel body 10. The movable diaphragm 30 is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body 10, and is used for covering the pressure relief opening 13 when the flow channel body 10 passes through liquid, and is also used for opening the pressure relief opening 13 when the liquid in the flow channel body 10 is blocked. By arranging the pressure relief opening 13 on the top wall of the flow channel body 10 and arranging the pressure relief opening 13 upstream of the valve structure 20, and by arranging the movable diaphragm 30 to open the pressure relief opening 13 when the liquid in the flow channel body 10 is blocked, the rising air pressure in the flow channel body 10 caused by the closing action of the valve structure 20 when the liquid is blocked by the valve structure 20 can be discharged through the pressure relief opening 13, thereby helping to reduce the pressure in the flow channel body 10, so that the valve structure 20 can be quickly closed in a short time, solving the problem that the resistance is large when the valve structure 20 is closed due to the increase of air pressure in the flow channel body 10, overcoming the problem of delay or lag in closing of the valve structure 20 caused by resistance, so that the valve structure 20 has the effect of rapid response, realizes the blockage of liquid, and improves the operation efficiency. On the basis of arranging the pressure relief opening 13, the movable diaphragm 30 is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body 10, so that the movable diaphragm 30 can cover the pressure relief opening 13 when the flow channel body 10 passes through liquid, which can avoid the influence of the pressure relief opening 13 on the normal flow of liquid, and ensure the normal use of the microfluidic chip 100.

[0028] Exemplarily, the pressure relief opening 13 adopts a hole structure, and the diameter is tens of microns to hundreds of microns, and the size of the pressure relief opening 13 can be adjusted according to the actual pressure relief requirement. Correspondingly, the size of the movable diaphragm 30 can also be adaptively adjusted according to the size of the pressure relief opening 13, so that the movable diaphragm 30 can cover the pressure relief opening 13.

[0029] In some embodiments, the first end 31 of the movable diaphragm 30 is connected to the top wall of the flow channel body 10, and the second end 32 opposite to the first end 31 of the movable diaphragm 30 is movable relative to the top wall of the flow channel body 10; when the flow channel body 10 is filled with liquid, the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 is attached to the top wall of the flow channel body 10 to seal the pressure relief opening 13, and when the liquid in the flow channel body 10 stops flowing, the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 is separated from the top wall of the flow channel body 10 to open the pressure relief opening 13. By connecting the first end 31 of the movable diaphragm 30 to the top wall of the flow channel body 10 and setting the second end 32 to be movable relative to the top wall of the flow channel body 10, the positioning of the movable diaphragm 30 in the flow channel body 10 and the sealing and opening of the pressure relief opening 13 can be achieved. Specifically, the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 can be lifted or lowered relative to the first end 31; when the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 is lifted, the movable diaphragm 30 is attached to the top wall of the flow channel body 10 to achieve the sealing effect of the pressure relief opening 13; when the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 is lowered, the movable diaphragm 30 is separated from the top wall of the flow channel body 10 to open the pressure relief opening 13. When the valve structure 20 controls the liquid in the flow channel body 10 to flow, the liquid flows into the flow channel body 10 from the inlet 11 and fills the entire flow channel body 10, and at this time the liquid can lift the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 to make the movable diaphragm 30 attached to the top wall of the flow channel body 10, so that the movable diaphragm 30 seals the pressure relief opening 13; when the valve structure 20 controls the liquid in the flow channel body 10 to stop flowing, the liquid in the flow channel body 10 stops flowing, and the lifting effect of the liquid on the diaphragm disappears, at this time the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 will fall under the action of its own gravity, thereby opening the pressure relief opening 13 and releasing the pressure in the flow channel body 10. When the pressure in the flow channel body 10 decreases, the valve can quickly respond to the closing command and complete the liquid cutoff.

[0030] In some embodiments, when the movable diaphragm 30 seals the pressure relief opening 13, the direction from the first end 31 to the second end 32 is the same as the flow direction of the liquid in the flow channel body 10. That is, by setting the first end 31 of the movable diaphragm 30 on one side of the pressure relief opening 13 close to the inlet 11 of the flow channel body 10 and setting the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 on the other side of the pressure relief opening 13 close to the outlet 12 of the flow channel body 10, the movement direction of the second end 32 of the movable diaphragm 30 can conform to the flow direction of the liquid in the flow channel body 10 during the process of the movable diaphragm 30 from opening to sealing the pressure relief opening 13, thereby avoiding the influence of the liquid flow resistance on the movable diaphragm 30.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first end 31 of the movable diaphragm 30 is connected to the flow channel body 10 by plasma bonding. For example, when the material of the flow channel body 10 is PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane), the side of the movable diaphragm 30 can be connected to the flow channel body 10 by plasma bonding.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first end 31 of the movable diaphragm 30 is connected to the flow channel body 10 by thermal compression bonding. For example, when the material of the flow channel body 10 is plastic, the side of the movable diaphragm 30 can be connected to the flow channel body 10 by thermal compression bonding. The connection between the movable diaphragm 30 and the flow channel body 10 can be easily achieved by plasma bonding and thermal compression bonding, and the operation is easy. Depending on the material of the flow channel body 10, the connection between the movable diaphragm 30 and the flow channel body 10 can be flexibly selected.

[0033] In some embodiments, the material of the movable diaphragm 30 is one of PDMS, silicone, COC, COP, PS, or resin. PDMS, silicone, COC, COP, PS, or resin are common diaphragm materials, which can reduce the manufacturing cost and difficulty of the movable diaphragm 30.

[0034] For example, the material of the movable diaphragm 30 can also be PC.

[0035] In some embodiments, the pressure relief opening 13 is connected to the atmosphere. By connecting the pressure relief opening 13 to the atmosphere, the pressure in the flow channel body 10 can be quickly released when the movable diaphragm 30 opens the pressure relief opening 13, so that the valve structure 20 can quickly cut off the liquid in the flow channel body 10.

[0036] In some embodiments, the pressure relief opening 13 is connected to a waste liquid pipe. By connecting the pressure relief opening 13 to the waste liquid pipe, the liquid that may overflow can be collected by the waste liquid pipe when the valve structure 20 cuts off the liquid in the flow channel body 10, avoiding pollution at the pressure relief opening 13.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 3In some embodiments, the valve structure 20 comprises an air chamber 21, a diaphragm 22 and a control chamber 23, the diaphragm 22 separating the air chamber 21 and the control chamber 23, the control chamber 23 being arranged in the flow channel body 10, the diaphragm 22 being used to bulge towards the control chamber 23 and block the control chamber 23 when the air chamber 21 is inflated. It can be understood that the control chamber 23 can be in communication with the flow channel body 10, by arranging the air chamber 21, the diaphragm 22 and the control chamber 23 in the valve structure 20, the driving of the diaphragm 22 can be realized by using the pressure change of the air chamber 21, by pressurizing the air chamber 21, the diaphragm 22 bulges towards the control chamber 23 and blocks the control chamber 23, thereby realizing the shutoff of the liquid in the flow channel body 10.

[0038] Optionally, the diaphragm 22 has elasticity (deformability) and can deform and bulge towards the flow channel body 10 under the pressurization of the air chamber 21, and the diaphragm 22 can retract when the air pressure of the air chamber 21 decreases, thereby restoring the passing ability of the liquid in the flow channel body 10; the valve structure 20 can also be provided with a pneumatic structure (such as a gas pump, etc.), which is in communication with the air chamber 21 and is used to adjust the air pressure in the air chamber 21, for example, the air chamber 21 is connected with gas to increase the pressure of the air chamber 21, so as to realize the bulging of the diaphragm 22. Of course, in other examples, the air chamber 21 can be in communication with other microfluidic structures, and the air pressure in the air chamber 21 is adjusted by using the microfluidic structure, which is not limited here.

[0039] In some embodiments, the top wall of the flow channel body 10 is arranged as an arc surface. By arranging the top wall of the flow channel body 10 as an arc surface, when the liquid in the flow channel body 10 is cut off by using the valve structure 20, the shape of the bulging diaphragm 22 can be fitted with the top wall of the flow channel body 10, thereby improving the shutoff effect of the valve structure 20.

[0040] Optionally, the valve structure 20 can be any form of active microvalve structure, and the specific structure of the valve structure 20 is not limited in the present embodiment. The microfluidic chip 100 provided by the present application can also be connected to a microfluidic channel with an active microvalve structure, and arranged upstream of the microvalve structure along the flow direction of the liquid. In the process of closing the microvalve structure, the pressure in the flow channel can be discharged by using the microfluidic chip 100 of the present application, thereby improving the response efficiency of the microvalve structure.

[0041] In some embodiments, the microfluidic chip 100 comprises a first structure layer 110 and a second structure layer 120, the flow channel body 10 is arranged at least on the first structure layer 110 or the second structure layer 120, the pressure relief opening 13 is arranged on the first structure layer 110, the valve structure 20 comprises a gas chamber 21, a diaphragm 22 and a control cavity 23, the diaphragm 22 separates the gas chamber 21 and the control cavity 23, the control cavity 23 is arranged on the same structure layer as the flow channel body 10, the gas chamber 21 is arranged on the second structure layer 120, and the first structure layer 110 and the second structure layer 120 are encapsulated and connected. By arranging the flow channel body 10, the pressure relief opening 13 and the valve structure 20 on different structure layers respectively, not only the rapid connection and assembly of the flow channel body 10, the pressure relief opening 13 and the valve structure 20 can be realized by the encapsulated and connected first structure layer 110 and the second structure layer 120, but also the structure of the microfluidic chip 100 is easy to realize, and the manufacturing efficiency of the microfluidic chip 100 is improved.

[0042] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 4 Optionally, the flow channel body 10 is arranged on the side of the first structure layer 110 close to the second structure layer 120, the pressure relief opening 13 is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body 10, and the control cavity 23 is arranged on the first structure layer 110 corresponding to the flow channel body 10; or the flow channel body 10 can be arranged on the side of the second structure layer 120 close to the first structure layer 110, the first structure layer 110 is provided with passages corresponding to the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 of the flow channel body 10 respectively, the pressure relief opening 13 is arranged on the side of the first structure layer 110 close to the second structure layer 120, and the control cavity 23 is arranged on the second structure layer 120 corresponding to the flow channel body 10.

[0043] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the purpose of the present application. In addition, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip, characterized by: The microfluidic chip comprises a flow channel body, a valve structure, a pressure relief opening, and a movable diaphragm. The flow channel body is formed with an inlet and an outlet. The valve structure is arranged between the inlet and the outlet of the flow channel body and is used to control the flow or block of liquid in the flow channel body. The pressure relief opening is located upstream of the valve structure along the direction of liquid flow in the flow channel body and is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body and communicates with the flow channel body. The movable diaphragm is arranged on the top wall of the flow channel body and is used to cover the pressure relief opening when the flow channel body passes through liquid and is also used to open the pressure relief opening when the liquid in the flow channel body stops flowing. The first end of the movable diaphragm is connected to the top wall of the flow channel body, and the second end opposite to the first end is movable relative to the top wall of the flow channel body. When the flow channel body passes through liquid, the second end of the movable diaphragm is attached to the top wall of the flow channel body so that the movable diaphragm seals the pressure relief opening.

2. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein: When the liquid in the flow channel body stops flowing, the second end of the movable diaphragm is separated from the top wall of the flow channel body so that the movable diaphragm opens the pressure relief opening. When the movable diaphragm covers the pressure relief opening, the direction from the first end to the second end is the same as the direction of liquid flow in the flow channel body.

3. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein: The first end of the movable diaphragm is connected to the flow channel body by plasma bonding.

4. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein: The first end of the movable diaphragm is connected to the flow channel body by hot pressing.

5. The microfluidic chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The material of the movable diaphragm is one of polydimethylsiloxane, silica gel, cyclic olefin copolymer, cyclic olefin polymer, or polystyrene.

6. The microfluidic chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The material of the movable diaphragm is resin.

7. The microfluidic chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The pressure relief opening communicates with the atmosphere.

8. The microfluidic chip of claim 7, wherein: The pressure relief opening communicates with a waste liquid pipe.

9. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein: The valve structure comprises a gas chamber, a membrane, and a control cavity. The membrane separates the gas chamber and the control cavity. The control cavity is arranged in the flow channel body. The top wall of the flow channel body is arranged as a curved surface. The microfluidic chip comprises a first structure layer and a second structure layer. The flow channel body is arranged in at least one of the first structure layer or the second structure layer. The pressure relief opening is arranged in the first structure layer. The valve structure comprises a gas chamber, a membrane, and a control cavity. The membrane separates the gas chamber and the control cavity. The control cavity is arranged in the same structure layer as the flow channel body. The gas chamber is arranged in the second structure layer. The first structure layer and the second structure layer are connected by encapsulation.

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