Multi-row micro-fluidic chip unit and chip group

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of micro-fluidic chips, and particularly relates to a multi-row micro-fluidic chip monomer and a chip group. The micro-fluidic chip monomer comprises a reaction carrier and a plurality of three-way valves integrated on the reaction carrier, and is characterized in that the three-way valves have first, second and third openings, each air hole on the reaction carrier is connected with the second opening of one three-way valve, the first and third openings of the three-way valve are on the same straight line, the directions of the first and third openings of the three-way valve are perpendicular to the plane of the reaction carrier, and the three-way valves are arranged in parallel; the reaction carrier is provided with a connecting and matching structure for laminating and connecting the reaction carriers; and the first and third openings of the three-way valves have matching connecting structures. The chip group is formed by sequentially connecting the connecting and matching structures provided on the reaction carriers and the matching connecting structures of the first and third openings of the three-way valves at the same position air holes. The multi-row micro-fluidic chip provided by the application can be freely assembled according to the actual working needs of various working scenes and the number of samples, so as to simultaneously process multiple samples.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of microfluidic chips, and in particular relates to a multi-connected microfluidic chip monomer and a chip set. Background Art

[0002] Miniaturized microfluidic chip nucleic acid extraction technology can concentrate complex nucleic acid extraction processes on a single chip and has become one of the increasingly important tools in the field of nucleic acid extraction.

[0003] The microfluidic nucleic acid extraction chip devices currently in use directly connect a single microfluidic chip to the device, and can only process one microfluidic chip (one sample) at a time. The sample processing efficiency is low and it is difficult to meet the actual needs of simultaneous detection of multiple samples. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to address the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a multi-connected microfluidic chip unit and a chip set, which can simultaneously process multiple samples after being loaded after being connected to a device.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0006] A multi-connected microfluidic chip monomer comprises a reaction carrier and a plurality of three-way valves integrated on the reaction carrier, wherein the three-way valves have first, second, and third openings, each air hole on the reaction carrier is connected to the second opening of a three-way valve, the first and third openings of the three-way valves are on the same straight line, the first and third openings of the three-way valves are perpendicular to the plane of the reaction carrier, and the three-way valves are arranged in parallel; a connecting and matching structure is provided on the reaction carrier for stacking the reaction carriers; the first and third openings of the three-way valves have a matching connection structure.

[0007] A precision microvalve is provided in the air hole, and the flow direction of gas and liquid in the chip channel is precisely controlled by the microvalve and the micropump of the host.

[0008] Other settings on the reaction carrier can be conventionally designed according to the needs of the extraction process, for example, a number of independent liquid storage chambers, sample addition chambers, main reaction chambers, a number of air holes, waste liquid chambers and storage chambers are provided; each independent liquid storage chamber, sample addition chamber and main reaction chamber is connected to one air hole respectively through a microfluidic channel, and a plurality of microfluidic channels are integrated on the reaction carrier, and the main reaction chamber is connected to each independent liquid storage chamber, sample addition chamber, waste liquid chamber and storage chamber respectively through the microfluidic channels.

[0009] More specifically, taking the magnetic bead method as an example, there are 5 liquid storage chambers, namely the lysis liquid chamber, the magnetic bead suspension liquid chamber, the washing liquid chamber, the elution liquid chamber, and the buffer liquid chamber; then there are 7 air holes.

[0010] On the basis of the above, the present invention further provides a multi-row microfluidic chip group, which includes a plurality of the above-mentioned multi-row microfluidic chip monomers, and each monomer is connected in sequence through a connecting and matching structure provided on the reaction carrier, and a matching connection structure of the first and third openings of the three-way valve at the air hole at the same position, thereby forming a chip group with multiple layers of reaction carriers, and the three-way valves at the same position on each reaction carrier are also connected in sequence to form a gas channel.

[0011] During use, after the microfluidic chip is loaded with samples and placed in the microfluidic chip extraction device, the gas source channel of the device is connected to the chip pores through a three-way valve, and the connecting channels between the liquid storage chamber and the pores, the liquid storage chamber and the reaction pool, the liquid adding chamber and the pores, and the liquid adding chamber and the reaction pool. The device can achieve pressure difference and control the liquid flow between the liquid storage chamber and the reaction pool, the liquid adding chamber and the reaction pool, the magnetic bead chamber and the reaction pool, the reaction pool and the waste liquid chamber, and the reaction pool and the storage chamber by micro-controlling the air pressure of each pore, thereby realizing the cleavage, washing, elution, purification and other processes in the nucleic acid extraction process, producing high-purity nucleic acid final products, which are temporarily stored in the liquid storage chamber of the microfluidic chip, waiting to be transferred or detected.

[0012] Each air hole has a built-in precision microvalve that uses positive and negative pressure to achieve liquid drive, which is used to control the precise flow of airflow while preventing gas from cross-flowing between different chips.

[0013] A specific connection and matching structure on a monomer reaction carrier of a microfluidic chip can be in the form of fixed snaps: for example, there are four snaps on the four corners of each microfluidic chip for fixing the relative position. When several chips need to be assembled, precise positioning can be achieved through the corresponding snaps on the four corners of each microfluidic chip, and they are tightly fastened to each other to form a parallel whole.

[0014] The three-way valve in this invention is the key to this technology. When a single microfluidic chip is connected to the device, the device's gas source channel connects to the chip's air holes through the improved three-way valve. The valves in the first and second opening directions involved in the connection automatically open, while the valve in the third opening direction, which is not involved in the connection, automatically closes. Furthermore, a sealing device is provided on the three-way valve.

[0015] When a microfluidic nucleic acid extraction device processes multiple samples at once, each sample is loaded onto a single microfluidic chip. The chips are then connected via a three-way valve, automatically opening all holes involved in the connection and closing the third hole of the last microfluidic chip not involved in the connection. All participating chips are then connected to the microfluidic chip extraction device in parallel via the three-way valve, establishing connectivity with the device's gas source. The three-way valve's integrated sealing feature automatically seals the connection.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention offers the following advantages: the multi-chip array provided by the present invention can be freely assembled to meet the actual needs of various working scenarios and the number of samples, enabling simultaneous processing of multiple samples. This overcomes the drawback of existing equipment, which can only process one chip (one sample) at a time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a single microfluidic chip of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the reaction carrier plane of the microfluidic chip monomer.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a working diagram of a single three-way valve.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of multiple three-way valves.

[0021] 1: Sample loading chamber, 2: Air hole, 3: Lysis solution chamber, 4: Magnetic bead suspension chamber, 5: Wash solution chamber, 6: Elution solution chamber; 7: Buffer chamber; 8: Fixing clip, 9: Main reaction chamber; 10: Waste liquid chamber; 11: Storage chamber; 21: First opening, 22: Second opening, 23: Third opening, 100: Reaction carrier; 200: Three-way valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the following detailed description is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but it should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] A multi-connected microfluidic chip unit comprises a reaction carrier and several three-way valves integrated on the reaction carrier. The three-way valves have first, second, and third openings. Each air hole on the reaction carrier is connected to the second opening of a three-way valve. The first and third openings of the three-way valves are collinear and perpendicular to the plane of the reaction carrier. The three-way valves are arranged in parallel. The reaction carriers are provided with a connecting structure for stacking the reaction carriers. The first and third openings of the three-way valves have a matching connecting structure. Microvalves are located in the air holes. The following is a description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Schematic diagram of a multi-connected microfluidic chip unit Figure 1, including a reaction carrier 100 and seven micro three-way valves 200 integrated and installed outside the seven air holes of the reaction carrier. The three-way valves are arranged in parallel; the length of the three-way valves is basically the same as the thickness of the reaction carrier; the reaction carrier is provided with a connecting and matching structure for stacking and fixing the reaction carriers in position. The three-way valves on each air hole are also connected to each other through a built-in bayonet. The specific planar schematic diagram of the reaction carrier is shown in FIG. Figure 2 Taking five liquid reservoirs as an example, reaction carrier 100 has five liquid reservoirs (lysate chamber 3, magnetic bead suspension chamber 4, wash chamber 5, eluent chamber 6, buffer chamber 7), a sample loading chamber 1, a main reaction chamber 9, seven air holes 2, a waste liquid chamber 10, and a storage chamber 11. The air holes 2 are equipped with microvalves, and the seven air holes 2 are connected to the lysate chamber 3, magnetic bead suspension chamber 4, wash chamber 5, eluent chamber 6, buffer chamber 7, sample loading chamber 1, and main reaction chamber 9 through microfluidic channels. Multiple microfluidic channels are integrated within the microfluidic chip, connecting the main reaction chamber 9 to the liquid reservoirs (lysate chamber 3, magnetic bead suspension chamber 4, wash chamber 5, eluent chamber 6, buffer chamber 7), sample loading chamber 1, waste liquid chamber 10, and storage chamber 11 through these channels. Blue lines represent airway pathways, and green lines represent liquid pathways. The collected sample is added to the sample loading chamber 1, which is equipped with a structure to prevent sample backflow. After adding the sample, the lid is closed. There are 7 air holes 2, each of which is equipped with a precision microvalve to control the precise flow of airflow and switch between positive and negative pressure to achieve liquid drive. After adding the sample, the lysate in the lysate chamber 3 is pushed by the air pressure and injected into the sample loading chamber 1. There are 4 fixing buckles 8 on the 4 corners of each microfluidic chip unit for fixing the relative position. When several chip units need to be assembled, precise positioning is achieved through the corresponding buckles on the 4 corners of each microfluidic chip, and they are tightly fastened to form a parallel whole.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a single three-way valve. Three-way valve 200 has a first opening 21, a second opening 22, and a third opening 23. The first opening 21 serves as the airway inlet and is interconnected with the third opening 23. The device air source interface structure is identical to the third opening 23, enabling smooth connection with the first and third openings 21, 23. During operation, the three-way valve connects to the device air source through the first opening 21, allowing gas to flow into the first opening 21. The second opening 22 serves as the airway outlet, connecting to the microfluidic chip's pores. Gas flows into the microfluidic chip through the second opening 22 and controls the flow of liquid within the chip. Arrows indicate the direction of the working airflow within a single microfluidic chip. The third opening 23 of the three-way valve also serves as a gas channel. When a single microfluidic chip is used for nucleic acid extraction, the third opening 23 automatically closes.

[0027] Figure 421 and 23. The third opening 23 of the valve is connected to the control panel 21 through the third opening 21. The third opening 23 of the valve is connected to the control panel 21 through the third opening 23. Figure 4 Indicated by the arrow.

[0028] A microfluidic chip set is described. Taking the assembly of three microfluidic chip units as an example, each microfluidic chip unit has seven air holes and is therefore integrated with seven micro three-way valves. During chip assembly, the reaction carriers 100 of the three microfluidic chip units are stacked and connected via fixing clips 8. The three-way valves at the same position on each reaction carrier are sequentially connected through the first and third openings to form seven rows of three-way valves. The first opening of the first three-way valve in each group is directly connected to the host airway port.

Claims

1. A multi-connected microfluidic chip monomer, comprising a reaction carrier and a plurality of three-way valves integrated on the reaction carrier, characterized in that: The three-way valve has a first, second and third openings, each air hole on the reaction carrier is connected to the second opening of a three-way valve, the first and third openings of the three-way valve are on the same straight line, the first and third opening directions of the three-way valve are perpendicular to the plane of the reaction carrier, and the three-way valves are arranged in parallel; a connecting and matching structure is provided on the reaction carrier for stacking the reaction carriers; the first and third openings of the three-way valve have a matching connection structure; the reaction carrier is provided with a plurality of independent liquid storage chambers, a sample addition chamber, a main reaction chamber, a plurality of air holes, a waste liquid chamber and a storage chamber; the liquid storage chamber, the sample addition chamber and the main reaction chamber are respectively connected to one air hole through a microfluidic channel, and a plurality of microfluidic channels are integrated on the reaction carrier, and the main reaction chamber is respectively connected to the liquid storage chamber, the sample addition chamber, the waste liquid chamber and the storage chamber through the microfluidic channels.

2. The multi-connected microfluidic chip monomer according to claim 1, characterized in that: A precision microvalve is provided in the air hole, and the flow direction of gas and liquid in the chip channel is precisely controlled by the microvalve and the micropump of the host.

3. The multi-connected microfluidic chip monomer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reaction carrier is provided with 5 independent liquid storage chambers, namely, a lysis liquid chamber, a magnetic bead suspension liquid chamber, a washing liquid chamber, an elution liquid chamber, and a buffer liquid chamber; and there are 7 air holes.

4. A multi-row microfluidic chipset, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of multi-linked microfluidic chip monomers according to claim 1, wherein each monomer is connected in sequence through a connecting and matching structure provided on a reaction carrier and a matching and connecting structure of the first and third openings of a three-way valve at a pore at the same position.

5. The multi-row microfluidic chipset according to claim 4, characterized in that: A micro valve is provided in the air hole.

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