Droplet array generation control device and method based on elastic sac compression deformation

Abstract

The present invention provides a droplet array generation control device and method based on elastic liquid capsule compression deformation, which belongs to the field of droplet microfluidics technology, including a steering gear drive mechanism, an elastic liquid capsule and a rigid substrate. The generation and control of the droplet array are divided into two main processes: a compression process and a recovery process. In the compression process, the four-way steering gear rotates to drive the pressure plate to move upward, thereby compressing the elastic liquid capsule to deform, squeezing out the liquid, and forming droplets on the substrate. In the recovery process, the four-way steering gear rotates to drive the pressure plate to move downward, so that the elastic liquid capsule gradually recovers the deformation, and the droplets on the rigid substrate are recovered into the elastic liquid capsule. The present invention can efficiently prepare a variety of patterned droplet arrays and droplets with different spacings and sizes through the matching of the steering gear drive mechanism, the elastic liquid capsule and the rigid substrate to meet the diverse application requirements. This method not only improves the preparation efficiency, but also enhances the flexibility and adaptability of the droplet array.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of droplet microfluidics technology, and in particular to a droplet array generation control device and method based on elastic liquid capsule compression deformation. Background Art

[0002] The technology of synchronous generation and control of massive droplets has important applications in the fields of biochemical detection and analysis, drug screening, additive manufacturing, liquid-based metamaterials, etc. However, the current microfluidic drive control method, whether injection-type or pneumatic-type, has a single drive channel. To achieve multi-channel synchronous injection, it is necessary to use devices such as multi-channel shunt adapters, which face a lot of challenges such as high integration difficulty and high cost. Although the microfluidic chip design can achieve the conversion from single channel to multi-channel, in actual operation, it is difficult to ensure uniform flow resistance everywhere, so it is also difficult to achieve multi-channel synchronous injection, which limits its potential in microfluidic applications. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to develop a simple and cost-effective droplet array generation control method, which is expected to greatly broaden the application of microfluidic technology in different fields such as biochemical detection and analysis, new sensors, and microgravity science. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a droplet array generation control device and method based on compression deformation of an elastic liquid capsule to solve the problems faced in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0005] A droplet array generation control device based on compression deformation of an elastic liquid capsule comprises a steering gear drive mechanism, a rigid substrate and an elastic liquid capsule;

[0006] The steering gear drive mechanism comprises a mechanism base, a steering gear and a pressure plate. Four steering gears operating independently of each other are arranged on the mechanism base. The four steering gears are divided into two groups and arranged symmetrically side by side. A swing arm is arranged on the outward side of the steering gear. The pressure plate is connected to the mechanism base through a tension spring and is driven by the swing arm.

[0007] The rigid base plate is fixedly connected to the mechanism base through the side legs, and an elastic liquid bag is arranged on the lower end surface of the rigid base plate, and the elastic liquid bag is in contact with the pressing plate.

[0008] Preferably, the rigid substrate is evenly distributed with through holes arranged in a matrix, and a surface microstructure is formed at the junction of the upper surface of the rigid substrate and the through holes.

[0009] Preferably, the surface microstructure is funnel-shaped.

[0010] Preferably, the elastic liquid capsule comprises an upper layer and a lower layer, wherein a truncated cone groove is formed in the upper layer structure at a position corresponding to a through hole on each rigid substrate, and a liquid capsule is formed in the lower layer structure at a position corresponding to a through hole on each rigid substrate.

[0011] Preferably, the liquid capsule includes but is not limited to a hemispherical, truncated cone or cylindrical shape.

[0012] Preferably, the liquid capsule preferably includes a hollow cylinder at the top and a hollow hemisphere at the bottom.

[0013] Preferably, the lower base radius of the truncated cone groove is equal to the inner radius of the hollow cylinder.

[0014] Preferably, the outer diameter of the hollow hemisphere is 4-5 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm; the height of the hollow cylinder is 1-3 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm.

[0015] Preferably, the elastic sac material is a polymer elastomer material such as thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), silica gel, PDMS, etc.

[0016] Preferably, the elastic liquid sac is adhered to the geometric center of the side surface of the rigid substrate with the legs by an adhesive, and the elastic liquid sac has the same period as the through holes on the rigid substrate.

[0017] Preferably, the elastic liquid bag can store liquid by means of a vacuum pump, a syringe or extrusion.

[0018] Preferably, the material of the rigid substrate may be aluminum alloy, steel plate, glass, acrylic, resin or the like, and its typical thickness may be 1-3 mm.

[0019] Preferably, the distance between the pressing plate and the rigid substrate is not less than the thickness of the elastic bladder. The typical thickness of the elastic bladder may be 7 mm to 16 mm.

[0020] Preferably, the cross-section of the pressing plate is not smaller than the cross-section of the rigid base.

[0021] Preferably, the material of the pressing plate is aluminum alloy, steel plate or resin.

[0022] The droplet array generation control method based on the compression deformation of the elastic liquid capsule is as follows:

[0023] (1) For a uniform droplet array, during the compression process, the four servos move synchronously to drive the four swing arms to rotate, where the swing arms on the same side rotate in opposite directions. The four swing arms synchronously push the pressure plate to compress the elastic liquid capsule, deform it, and squeeze out the liquid, thereby forming a uniform droplet array of the same size on the substrate. During the recovery process, the four servos move synchronously in the opposite direction, and the pressure plate moves in the opposite direction under the action of the tension spring, so that the elastic liquid capsule gradually recovers its deformation and recovers the uniform droplets on the rigid substrate into the elastic liquid capsule;

[0024] (2) For the gradient droplet array, two servos on the same side move, while the other two servos are stationary; one servo moves, while the three servos are stationary, or the rotation angle of each servo swing arm is controlled individually. During the compression process, the moving servo pushes the pressure plate through the swing arm to compress the elastic liquid sac, causing it to deform and squeeze out the liquid, thereby forming a unilaterally inclined gradient droplet or a diagonally inclined gradient droplet on the substrate. During the recovery process, the moving servo moves in the opposite direction, and the pressure plate moves in the opposite direction under the action of the tension spring, so that the elastic liquid sac gradually recovers its deformation and the gradient droplets on the rigid substrate are recovered into the elastic liquid sac.

[0025] Beneficial effects:

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention utilizes the compression deformation of the elastic liquid capsule to realize the generation and recovery of the droplet array. The shape and size of the droplets can not only be precisely controlled by the microstructure of the rigid substrate, but also by performing hydrophilic and hydrophobic patterning on the surface of the rigid substrate, and using the difference in hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity to fix the droplets in a specific position, forming a regular droplet array. If the pinning area or spacing of the droplets needs to be adjusted, different droplet arrays can be generated by re-preparing the rigid substrate and the elastic liquid capsule. In addition, by individually controlling the operation of the motor, a gradient droplet array can also be achieved.

[0027] In summary, compared with traditional microfluidic chips, the present invention can efficiently control a large number of droplets, not only has an advantage in quantity, but also can accurately control the various forms of droplets. In addition, the present invention is easy to operate, has high control efficiency, low preparation cost, and can be applied to more application scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 A steering gear drive mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3It is an assembly diagram of the elastic liquid sac and the rigid substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the elastic liquid sac structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 The steering gear of the embodiment of the present invention synchronously drives the uniform droplet array;

[0034] Figure 6 The steering gear of the embodiment of the present invention independently drives the inclined gradient droplet array on the same side;

[0035] Figure 7 The steering gear of the embodiment of the present invention independently drives the diagonally inclined gradient droplet array.

[0036] Among them, 1 is the first steering gear, 2 is the second steering gear, 3 is the third steering gear, 4 is the fourth steering gear, 5 is the third swing arm, 6 is the fourth swing arm, 7 is the integrated tension spring seat, 8 is the fixed seat, 9 is the mechanism base, 10 is the first swing arm, 11 is the second swing arm, 12 is the rigid substrate, 13 is the support leg, 14 is the pressure plate, 15 is the surface microstructure, 16 is the through hole, 17 is the elastic liquid capsule, 18 is the upper layer, 19 is the lower layer, 20 is the support leg slot, 21 is the truncated cone groove, 22 is the hollow cylinder, 23 is the hollow hemisphere, 24 is the first droplet array, 25 is the second droplet array, and 26 is the third droplet array. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. However, the following embodiments are limited to explaining the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention should include the entire contents of the claims, and through the description of the following embodiments, those skilled in the art can fully implement the entire contents of the claims of the present invention.

[0038] Example 1: Four servos rotate synchronously to form a uniform droplet array

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a droplet array generation control device and method based on elastic sac compression deformation, and the generation and control of a uniform droplet array is mainly achieved through the precise movement of four-way steering gears. Figure 5 ), during the compression process, the four servos move synchronously to drive the four swing arms to rotate, and the swing arms on the same side rotate in opposite directions, such as Figure 2As shown, the four swing arms synchronously push the pressure plate 14 to compress the elastic liquid capsule 17, deform it, squeeze out the liquid, and thus form a uniform liquid drop array (first liquid drop array 24) of the same size on the rigid substrate 12. In the recovery process, the four servos synchronously move in the opposite direction, and the pressure plate moves in the opposite direction under the action of the tension spring, so that the elastic liquid capsule 17 gradually recovers its deformation and recovers the uniform liquid droplets on the rigid substrate 12 into the elastic liquid capsule.

[0040] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the steering gear drive mechanism is composed of several key parts, mainly including steering gears (first steering gear 1, second steering gear 2, third steering gear 3 and fourth steering gear 4), swing arms (third swing arm 5, fourth swing arm 6, first swing arm 10 and second swing arm 11), integrated tension spring seat 7, fixing seat 8, mechanism base 9 and pressure plate 14.

[0041] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 4 As shown, the elastic liquid capsule 17 is composed of two layers, wherein the upper layer 18 is a silicone layer with a truncated cone groove 21, and the lower layer 19 is a silicone structure integrating a hollow cylinder 22 and a hollow hemisphere 23. By bonding the upper and lower layers, a plurality of independent sealed chambers are formed, and each chamber is responsible for controlling a droplet.

[0042] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid substrate 12 is designed with through holes 16 and fine surface microstructures 15. These surface microstructures are specifically used to accurately define the size and period of the droplets, thereby ensuring the uniformity and consistency of the droplet array. In addition, the rigid substrate 12 also serves as a supporting structure for the elastic liquid capsule 17, which is attached to the side with the legs 13 by an adhesive, and the other side is provided with surface microstructures 15. These surface microstructures 15 work together with the elastic liquid capsule 17 attached to the opposite side to jointly limit the size and period of the droplets. The rigid substrate 12 mounts the legs 13 on the mechanism base 9 through the leg slots 20, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the droplet array generation process.

[0043] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is no specific requirement for the shape of the elastic liquid capsule 17. The shape of the elastic liquid capsule 17 is not limited to a hemispherical shape, but may also be a truncated cone, a cylinder, etc., as long as the silica spherical shell can physically separate the droplets contained therein.

[0044] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner and outer diameters of the hollow hemisphere 23 are respectively equal to the inner and outer diameters of the hollow cylinder 22, and the lower radius of the truncated cone groove 21 is equal to the inner radius of the hollow cylinder 22. The hollow cylinder 22 is used to increase the liquid storage volume of the elastic liquid capsule 17. The outer diameter of the hollow hemisphere 23 is 4-5 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm. The height of the hollow cylinder 22 is 1-3 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm.

[0045] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper truncated cone groove 21 structure of the elastic liquid sac 17 is to increase the liquid storage capacity. There are no specific requirements for its structural shape and size, and the thickness is 1-6 mm.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid substrate 12 is printed from a photosensitive resin material, and its design includes array-distributed through holes 16, legs 13, and surface microstructures 15. The through holes 16 serve as channels for the elastic liquid capsule 17, the legs 13 are used to fix the position of the elastic liquid capsule 17, and the surface microstructures 15 are used to limit the size and period of the droplets. The diameter of the through hole 16 is 1.2 mm. The thickness of the rigid substrate 12 is 1-2 mm.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid substrate 12 and the elastic sac 17 are adhered together by an adhesive, and the elastic sac 17 is fixed at the geometric center of the supporting side surface of the rigid substrate 12 to ensure a one-to-one correspondence between the elastic sac 17 and the through hole 16 .

[0048] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the four swing arms are at the same height, the first steering gear 1 and the third steering gear 3 are installed diagonally, and the second steering gear 2 and the fourth steering gear 4 are installed diagonally. The first swing arm 10 and the third swing arm 5 have the same rotation direction, and the second swing arm 11 and the fourth swing arm 6 have the same rotation direction.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper surface of the pressing plate 14 is a plane, and the maximum stroke of the pressing plate 14 is 8 mm.

[0050] In the disclosed example, the servo drive mechanism uses four servos, the position sensor resolution of each servo does not exceed 0.088°, the vertical rising speed of the pressure plate 14 is 0.1-1.0 mm / s, and the volume of liquid stored in a single elastic liquid capsule 17 is 180-250 microliters.

[0051] The beneficial effect achieved by the above-mentioned embodiment 1 is that the size of the droplet array can be synchronously controlled simply and efficiently through the drive of the servo engine, without the need for a complex control device, with low preparation cost and high control accuracy.

[0052] Specific embodiment 2: Four servos rotate independently to form a gradient droplet array

[0053] Embodiment 2 of the present invention provides a droplet array generation control device and method based on elastic sac compression deformation. The generation and control of the gradient droplet array is mainly achieved through the precise movement of the four-way steering gear. Figure 6 and Figure 7), the main control methods are: two servos on the same side move, and the other two servos are stationary; one servo moves, and three servos are stationary, or the rotation angle of each servo swing arm is controlled separately. During the compression process, the moving servo pushes the pressure plate 14 through the swing arm to compress the elastic liquid capsule 17, deform it, and squeeze out the liquid, thereby forming a single-sided inclined gradient droplet (the second droplet array 25) or a diagonally inclined gradient droplet (the third droplet array 26) on the rigid substrate 12. In the recovery process, the moving servo moves in the opposite direction, and the pressure plate 14 moves in the opposite direction under the action of the tension spring, so that the elastic liquid capsule 17 gradually recovers its deformation, and the gradient droplets on the rigid substrate 12 are recovered into the elastic liquid capsule.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the steering gear drive mechanism is composed of several key parts, mainly including steering gears (first steering gear 1, second steering gear 2, third steering gear 3, fourth steering gear 4), swing arms (third swing arm 5, fourth swing arm 6, first swing arm 10, second swing arm 11), integrated tension spring seat 7, fixing seat 8, mechanism base 9 and pressure plate 14.

[0055] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 4 As shown, the elastic liquid capsule 17 is composed of two layers, wherein the upper layer 18 is a silicone layer with a truncated cone groove 21, and the lower layer 19 is a silicone structure integrating a hollow cylinder 22 and a hollow hemisphere 23. By bonding the upper and lower layers, a plurality of independent sealed chambers are formed, and each chamber is responsible for controlling a droplet.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid substrate 12 is designed with through holes 16 and fine surface microstructures 15. These surface microstructures are specifically used to accurately define the size and period of the droplets, thereby ensuring the uniformity and consistency of the droplet array. In addition, the rigid substrate 12 also serves as a supporting structure for the elastic liquid capsule 17, which is attached to the side with the legs 13 by an adhesive, and the other side is provided with surface microstructures 15. These surface microstructures 15 work together with the elastic liquid capsule 17 attached to the opposite side to jointly limit the size and period of the droplets. The rigid substrate 12 mounts the legs 13 on the mechanism base 9 through the leg slots 20, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the droplet array generation process.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is no specific requirement for the shape of the elastic liquid capsule 17. The shape of the elastic liquid capsule 17 is not limited to a hemispherical shape, but may also be a truncated cone, a cylinder, etc., as long as the silica spherical shell can physically separate the droplets contained therein.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner and outer diameters of the hollow hemisphere 23 are respectively equal to the inner and outer diameters of the hollow cylinder 22, and the lower radius of the truncated cone groove 21 is equal to the inner radius of the hollow cylinder 22. The hollow cylinder 22 is used to increase the liquid storage volume of the elastic liquid capsule 17. The outer diameter of the hollow hemisphere 23 is 4-5 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm. The height of the hollow cylinder 22 is 1-3 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper truncated cone groove 21 structure of the elastic liquid sac 17 is to increase the liquid storage capacity. There are no specific requirements for its structural shape and size, and the thickness is 1-6 mm.

[0060] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid substrate 12 is printed from a photosensitive resin material, and its design includes array-distributed through holes 16, legs 13, and surface microstructures 15. The through holes 16 serve as channels for the elastic liquid capsule 17, the legs 13 are used to fix the position of the elastic liquid capsule 17, and the surface microstructures 15 are used to limit the size and period of the droplets. The diameter of the through hole 16 is 1.2 mm. The thickness of the rigid substrate 12 is 1-2 mm.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the rigid substrate 12 and the elastic sac 17 are adhered together by an adhesive, and the elastic sac 17 is fixed at the geometric center of the supporting side surface of the rigid substrate 12 to ensure a one-to-one correspondence between the elastic sac 17 and the through hole 16 .

[0062] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first steering gear 1 and the third steering gear 3 are installed diagonally, and the second steering gear 2 and the fourth steering gear 4 are installed diagonally. The first swing arm 10 and the third swing arm 5 rotate in the same direction, and the second swing arm 11 and the fourth swing arm 6 rotate in the same direction.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper surface of the pressing plate 14 is a plane, and the maximum stroke of the pressing plate is 8 mm.

[0064] In the disclosed example, the servo drive mechanism uses four servos, the position sensor resolution of each servo does not exceed 0.088°, the vertical rising speed of the pressure plate 14 is 0.1-1.0 mm / s, and the volume of liquid stored in a single elastic liquid capsule 17 is 180-250 microliters.

[0065] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, gradient droplets can be realized not only by the independent movement of the servo, but also by designing various structures on the surface of the pressure plate to realize droplet arrays of various shapes.

[0066] In summary, the present invention proposes a simple and efficient new method, which uses steering gear drive technology to achieve precise control of a large number of droplet arrays. Compared with conventional microfluidic chip technology, this method can control more droplets, and these droplets have larger volumes and diverse morphologies. In addition, the operation process of the present invention is simple and the control efficiency is significantly improved, so that it can be adapted to a wider range of application fields.

[0067] The above description is only a specific implementation of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest range consistent with the principles and novel features applied for herein.

Claims

1. A droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation, characterized in that: It includes a steering gear drive mechanism, a rigid base plate and an elastic liquid capsule; The steering gear drive mechanism comprises a mechanism base, a steering gear and a pressure plate. Four steering gears operating independently of each other are arranged on the mechanism base. The four steering gears are divided into two groups and arranged symmetrically side by side. A swing arm is arranged on the outward side of the steering gear. The pressure plate is connected to the mechanism base through a tension spring and is driven by the swing arm. The rigid substrate is fixedly connected to the mechanism base through the side legs, and an elastic liquid bag is arranged on the lower end surface of the rigid substrate, and the elastic liquid bag is in contact with the pressing plate; The rigid substrate is evenly distributed with through holes arranged in a matrix, and a surface microstructure is formed at the junction of the upper surface of the rigid substrate and the through holes.

2. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface microstructure is funnel-shaped.

3. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic liquid capsule comprises an upper layer and a lower layer, wherein a truncated cone groove is formed at a position corresponding to a through hole on each rigid substrate in the upper layer structure, and a liquid capsule is formed at a position corresponding to a through hole on each rigid substrate in the lower layer structure.

4. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The liquid capsule includes a hemispherical shape, a truncated cone shape or a cylindrical shape.

5. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 3, characterized in that: The liquid capsule comprises a hollow cylinder at the top and a hollow hemisphere at the bottom.

6. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the hollow hemisphere is 4-5 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm. The height of the hollow cylinder is 1-3 mm, and the wall thickness is 0.8-1.2 mm.

7. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic liquid capsule material is thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer, silica gel or PDMS.

8. The droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic liquid bag stores liquid by means of a vacuum pump, a syringe or extrusion.

9. A droplet array generation control device based on elastic sac compression deformation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The control method of the control device is as follows: (1) For a uniform droplet array, during the compression process, the four servos move synchronously to drive the four swing arms to rotate, where the swing arms on the same side rotate in opposite directions. The four swing arms synchronously push the pressure plate to compress the elastic liquid capsule, deform it, and squeeze out the liquid, thereby forming a uniform droplet array of the same size on the substrate. During the recovery process, the four servos move synchronously in the opposite direction, and the pressure plate moves in the opposite direction under the action of the tension spring, so that the elastic liquid capsule gradually recovers its deformation and recovers the uniform droplets on the rigid substrate into the elastic liquid capsule; (2) For the gradient droplet array, two servos on the same side move, while the other two servos are stationary; one servo moves, while the three servos are stationary, or the rotation angle of each servo swing arm is controlled individually. During the compression process, the moving servo pushes the pressure plate through the swing arm to compress the elastic liquid sac, causing it to deform and squeeze out the liquid, thereby forming a unilaterally inclined gradient droplet or a diagonally inclined gradient droplet on the substrate. During the recovery process, the moving servo moves in the opposite direction, and the pressure plate moves in the opposite direction under the action of the tension spring, so that the elastic liquid sac gradually recovers its deformation and the gradient droplets on the rigid substrate are recovered into the elastic liquid sac.

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