An arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip and its application method

Abstract

This invention provides an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip and its application method. The chip includes a target curved flow channel, which is a curve with a curvature greater than 0 and bending towards one side; and an array of barrier columns disposed inside the target curved flow channel. The barrier column array includes multiple orderly arranged barrier columns, and particles of different sizes travel different paths when the particle solution flows through the barrier column array. This solution sets up an array of barrier columns formed by multiple orderly arranged barrier columns within a target curved flow channel with a curvature greater than 0 and bending towards one side, thereby shortening the length of the flow channel and reducing the area occupied by the flow channel without sacrificing particle sorting accuracy. Furthermore, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification can efficiently sort particles with adhesive properties, and can also accurately sort larger particles while filtering impurities in particle solutions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of microfluidics, and in particular to an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip and its application method. Background Technology

[0002] A deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) chip is a microfluidic chip based on the principle of deterministic lateral displacement, enabling the purification, separation, and solvent displacement of particle solutions. The chip mainly consists of a barrier channel and openings on both sides, serving as the solution inlet and outlet, respectively. The particle solution is injected into the chip through the inlet, flows through the barrier channel, and finally exits through the outlet. Inside the barrier channel, an array of columns is used to utilize the differences in lateral forces experienced by particles of different sizes, causing them to travel in different directions, thus achieving separation.

[0003] Currently, most existing arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chips use a long strip design for their solution channels, with the obstacle zone channel located in the middle of the solution channel.

[0004] This structural design has obvious limitations: on the one hand, the longer barrier channel directly leads to an increase in the overall length of the chip and a larger area occupied, which brings inconvenience to the installation, operation and spatial layout in practical applications; on the other hand, this type of chip is not good at sorting particles with stickiness, and it is difficult to achieve efficient separation when processing particles with small differences in particle size, which limits its scope of application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this specification is to provide an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip and its application method to solve the problems of existing deterministic lateral displacement chips being too long, occupying a large area, and having poor sorting effect on sticky particles.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this specification provides, in a first aspect, an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip, comprising: a target curve channel, wherein the target curve channel is a curve with a curvature greater than 0 and bending towards one side; and an array of barrier columns disposed inside the target curve channel; wherein the array of barrier columns comprises a plurality of orderly arranged barrier columns, and when the particle solution flows through the array of barrier columns, particles of different sizes travel on different paths.

[0007] In some embodiments, the target curved flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel with more than one turn.

[0008] In some embodiments, the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel is located near the center of the spiral, and the solution outlet is located outside the spiral; or, the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel is located outside the spiral, and the solution outlet is located near the center of the spiral.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least two outlet channels are provided at the solution outlet of the target curve channel, the at least two outlet channels being used to discharge solutions containing particles of different sizes.

[0010] In some embodiments, the obstacle columns in the obstacle column array are arranged in rows and columns, wherein the direction of the rows is parallel to the direction of the lines on both sides of the target curved flow channel, and the direction of the columns is perpendicular to the direction of the lines on both sides of the target curved flow channel.

[0011] In some embodiments, the arrangement direction of any column of barrier columns in the barrier column array is at a preset angle to the perpendicular line of the target curved flow channel on both sides of the column of barrier columns, and the preset angle is located on the side of the perpendicular line facing the particle solution flow direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the preset angle is 8-10°.

[0013] In some embodiments, the target curve channel varies in at least one of the following parameters along the particle solution flow direction: row spacing, column spacing, column tilt angle, cross-sectional shape of the barrier column, and dimensions used to represent the thickness of the barrier column.

[0014] In some embodiments, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip is fabricated by etching a target pattern on a substrate, the target pattern being a curved groove with an internal barrier pillar, the curvature of the curved groove being greater than 0 and bending toward one side of the curve; and a cover plate is disposed on the substrate with the etched target pattern.

[0015] In some embodiments, at least one side solution outlet is sequentially provided on the side wall of the target curved channel away from the center of curvature, along the particle solution flow direction.

[0016] A second aspect of this specification provides an application method for an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip, used in any of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chips described in the first aspect, wherein the target curve flow channel of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip has at least one solution inlet and at least two solution outlets; the method includes: introducing a solution of particles to be processed into the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel, collecting waste liquid from a first solution outlet of the target curve flow channel, and collecting a solution of target particles from at least one other solution outlet of the target curve flow channel; wherein the solution of particles to be processed contains at least one type of particle.

[0017] In some embodiments, when the particle solution to be processed contains one type of particle, the particle solution is concentrated using the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip; when the particle solution to be processed contains two or more types of particles, the target particle is separated from the particle solution to be processed using the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip.

[0018] In some embodiments, at least one side solution outlet is sequentially provided on the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, along the particle solution flow direction; the method further includes: blocking each side solution outlet, opening the main solution outlet, and injecting the particles to be processed from the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel; for any one of the side solution outlets, if the purity of the particle solution at the target side solution outlet is observed to reach the target, the target side solution outlet is opened.

[0019] In some embodiments, at least one side solution outlet is sequentially provided on the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, along the particle solution flow direction; the method further includes: blocking each side solution outlet, opening the main solution outlet, and injecting the particles to be processed from the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel; for any one of the side solution outlets, if it is observed that the particle solution at the target side solution outlet does not contain the target particles, the target side solution outlet is opened.

[0020] The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification features an array of barrier pillars arranged in an orderly fashion within a target curved flow channel with a curvature greater than 0 and bending towards one side. This shortens the flow channel length and reduces the area occupied by the flow channel without sacrificing particle sorting accuracy. Furthermore, when the target curved flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel, the compact structure of the spiral flow channel allows the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification to sort particles of different sizes while occupying a minimal area. In addition, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification can efficiently sort adhesive particles and accurately sort larger particles while filtering impurities in particle solutions. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a planar spiral flow channel;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A detailed schematic diagram of the area within the gray dashed box.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A detailed schematic diagram of the area within the gray dashed box.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the travel paths of large and small particles in an existing deterministic lateral displacement chip.

[0026] Figure 5 A simulation diagram illustrating the path of small particles in an existing deterministic lateral displacement chip;

[0027] Figure 6 A simulation diagram illustrating the travel paths of large and small particles in the target curve flow channel;

[0028] Figure 7 The image was captured by a high-speed camera as the large particle solution flowed into one end of the barrier column array in the target curve flow channel.

[0029] Figure 8 The image was captured by a high-speed camera as a large particle solution passed through a section of an array of barrier columns in the target curve flow channel.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a spiral curved flow channel with multiple solution outlets. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] This specification proposes embedding an array of obstacle pillars arranged in an orderly manner within a unidirectionally curved target flow channel, thereby forming a novel arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip. This arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip comprises a target curved flow channel and an array of obstacle pillars.

[0033] The target curved channel is a curve with a curvature greater than 0 and bends towards one side. "Curvature greater than 0" means that this target curved channel differs from a straight channel. A curved channel with a curvature greater than 0 can generate Dean flow, also known as secondary flow, during the particle solution flow. This solution aims to utilize the effect of Dean flow to solve the aforementioned technical problems. "Bending towards one side" means that the target curved channel differs from an S-shaped curved channel that bends towards both sides. Although an S-shaped curve can also generate Dean flow, when the particle solution flows from the part of the channel that bends towards one side into the part that bends towards the other side, the travel paths of large and small particles in the particle solution are completely disrupted, making it difficult to achieve efficient and stable particle sorting.

[0034] In some embodiments, the target curved channel can be an arc with a small curvature but a long length, or an arc with a large curvature but a short length. To achieve the same particle sorting effect, the larger the curvature of the target curved channel, the shorter the required length; the smaller the curvature of the target curved channel, the longer the required length.

[0035] When the target curve flow channel is an arc flow channel, other types of flow channels and particle solution processing components can be set on the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip to connect with the target curve flow channel, so that the arrangement of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip is more compact and does not waste the space on the chip.

[0036] In some embodiments, the target curved flow channel can be a planar spiral flow channel with more than one turn. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a planar spiral flow channel. The portion with a black background represents the planar spiral flow channel itself. The black background is the visual effect of the scaled-down array of barrier columns. The planar spiral flow channel can have two, three, ten, or more loops.

[0037] When the target curve flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel, due to the compact layout of the planar spiral flow channel, the target curve flow channel can serve as the main body of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip. No other particle solution processing components or other types of flow channels are set on the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip, only the planar spiral flow channel, solution inlet flow channel, and solution outlet flow channel are set.

[0038] Apart from the solution inlet and solution outlet channels, the widths of the aforementioned target curve channels can be mostly almost equal, i.e., of uniform width. Uniform width target curve channels facilitate channel design and production.

[0039] The barrier column array is positioned inside the target curved flow channel, i.e., embedded within it. The barrier column array comprises multiple orderly arranged barrier columns; as the particle solution flows through the array, particles of different sizes take different paths. Figure 2 for Figure 1 A detailed illustration of the area within the gray dashed box, from... Figure 2 The obstacle pillars are clearly visible in an array.

[0040] The arrangement of the barrier column array within the target curved flow channel can be in rows or columns. The rows are parallel to the side walls of the target curved flow channel, and the columns are perpendicular to the side walls. Correspondingly, the array parameters of the barrier column array within the target curved flow channel include row spacing, column spacing, column tilt angle, cross-sectional shape of the barrier column, and dimensions representing the thickness of the barrier column. These parameters can be the same or different in a continuous barrier column array.

[0041] The row spacing of the barrier column array refers to the distance between two adjacent barrier columns along a line parallel to the side walls of the target curved flow channel. For example, Figure 3 for Figure 1 A detailed schematic diagram of the gray dashed box area, where the spacing x is the line spacing, A is one side wall of the target curved flow channel, and B is the cross-section of the obstacle column.

[0042] The column spacing of the barrier column array refers to the distance between two adjacent barrier columns along the perpendicular direction of the side walls of the target curved flow channel. For example, Figure 3 The spacing y in the text is the column spacing.

[0043] The column tilt angle of the barrier column array refers to the angle between the arrangement direction of a column of barrier columns and the perpendicular lines to the two side walls of the target curved flow channel at that column of barrier columns. In some embodiments, the arrangement direction of any column of barrier columns in the barrier column array forms a preset angle with the perpendicular lines to the two side walls of the target curved flow channel at that column of barrier columns, and the preset angle is located on the side of the perpendicular line facing the particle solution flow direction. This preset angle is the column tilt angle. Figure 3 As shown, the preset angle can be 8-10°.

[0044] The cross-sectional shape of the barrier post can be circular, elliptical, rectangular, square, or irregular.

[0045] In some embodiments, when the target curved flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel with more than one turn, the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel is located near the center of the spiral, and the solution outlet is located on the outside of the spiral. In other embodiments, when the target curved flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel with more than one turn, the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel is located on the outside of the spiral, and the solution outlet is located near the center of the spiral.

[0046] The working principle and beneficial effects of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this manual are explained below.

[0047] An "array of barrier pillars arranged in an orderly manner" is typically the structure found in deterministic lateral displacement chips. Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the travel paths of large and small particles in an existing deterministic lateral displacement chip. The red path represents the travel path of the large particle, and the green path represents the travel path of the small particle. Figure 4 As can be seen from the data, in existing deterministic lateral displacement chips, when the particle solution is injected from the lower left, the small particles are basically along the injection direction (the injection direction is...). Figure 4 Large particles move in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow, while large particles move in the inclined row direction (the arrangement of the barrier columns perpendicular to the direction of the particle solution is called a "column", and the arrangement parallel to the direction of the particle solution is called a "row") towards the upper right. As a result, at the solution outlet on the right, there will be a stratified flow phenomenon with large particles in the upper right and small particles in the lower right, which means that particle sorting is achieved. Figure 4 In this context, angle θ is the angle between the particle injection direction and the large particle's travel direction.

[0048] Figure 5 This is a simulation diagram illustrating the path of a small particle in an existing deterministic lateral displacement chip, where the red route represents the particle's path. From Figure 4 and Figure 5 As can be seen, smaller particles need to traverse multiple columns to move to the next column, which is equivalent to adding one column to the path of larger particles. Figure 4 Small and medium-sized particles need to pass through approximately 10 columns before they can move on to the next column. Figure 5 Small and medium-sized particles need to pass through about 20 columns before they can move to the next column. Figure 5 The legend "uMagnitude" below refers to the order of magnitude of the fluid velocity obtained from the simulation.

[0049] After embedding the "obstacle column array composed of orderly arranged obstacle columns" into a unidirectional curved flow channel to obtain the target curved flow channel provided in this specification, the travel paths of large and small particles undergo significant changes. Figure 6This is a simulation diagram illustrating the travel paths of large and small particles in the target curved flow channel. The black curve represents the path of the large particles, and the red curve represents the path of the small particles. Figure 6 It can be seen from this that, Figure 6 and Figure 5 When the row spacing, column spacing, shape and size of the barrier columns are basically the same, the small particles continue to move along the inclined row direction, while the large particles move in the opposite direction of the bend of the target curve channel (i.e. towards the outside of the channel), and can move to the next row after passing through fewer columns (about 5 columns), which is one row more distance from the path of the small particles.

[0050] On the one hand, comparison Figure 5 and Figure 6 It can be observed that the travel directions of large and small particles are different. In the existing deterministic lateral displacement chip, the "large" particles continue to travel along the inclined row direction, while in the target curve flow channel, the "small" particles continue to travel along the inclined row direction. In the existing deterministic lateral displacement chip, the "small" particles gradually move to the next row, while in the target curve flow channel, the "large" particles gradually move to the next row.

[0051] This is because, as the particle solution flows through the target curved channel, the centrifugal force generated by the circular motion of the particle solution forces it to deflect outwards (i.e., in the opposite direction to the center of curvature). Simultaneously, the constraint of the channel wall creates a reverse pressure gradient, pushing the particle solution back inwards. This convergence forms a pair of symmetrical vortices (Deyn vortices) on a section perpendicular to the channel axis. This secondary flow exerts a radial force on the suspended particles—the Dean force—the direction of which is determined by the direction of the vortices. The motion of particles in the Dean flow is the result of the combined action of the Dean force and inertial lift, and the magnitude of this force is closely related to the particle size.

[0052] Normally, the inertial effect of small particles is weak, and the inertial lift is negligible. Their motion is mainly dominated by Dean's force, which propels the small particles to move with the circulation of Dean's vortex, causing them to deviate along the vortex direction on the flow channel cross-section, and their final travel path is closer to Dean's vortex. However, in the target curve flow channel mentioned above, the design of the barrier column array weakens Dean's force to some extent. The closer to the inner side of the flow channel (i.e., in the direction of the center of curvature), the more Dean's force is weakened. This means that even if small particles are located on the outer side of the flow channel, they will be pushed towards the inner side of the flow channel by Dean's force, causing the small particles to gather towards the inner side of the flow channel (i.e., in the direction of the center of curvature). Furthermore, the smaller the particles and the closer they are to the inner side of the flow channel, the stronger the effect.

[0053] Large particles exhibit significant inertial effects, with inertial lift dominating and far exceeding the Dean force. Normally, inertial lift propels large particles towards their equilibrium position in the flow channel cross-section (typically near the channel's central axis or in a stable region far from the wall) to counteract the Dean force. However, in the aforementioned target curve flow channel, the design of the barrier pillars decomposes the vortices, significantly reducing the Dean force and further increasing the gap between the Dean force and inertial lift. This allows large particles to gradually move towards the outer side of the flow channel (i.e., in the opposite direction of the curvature center) under the influence of inertial lift, until they reach near the channel wall. Larger particles experience greater inertial lift, resulting in particles that ultimately stratify and move closer to the outer side of the flow channel.

[0054] As can be seen from the above analysis, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification can achieve relatively accurate sorting of large and small particles.

[0055] To verify the impact of the target curve flow channel on the path of large particles, the inventors conducted experimental verification. Figure 7 This image, captured by a high-speed camera, shows a large particle solution flowing into the target curved flow channel from one end of the barrier column array. Numerous filamentous patterns can be seen on the left side of the barrier column array, representing the moving large particles. It can be observed that the large particles are distributed throughout the width of the flow channel. Figure 8 This is an image taken by a high-speed camera as a large particle solution passes through a section of an array of barrier columns in a target curved flow channel. The filamentary patterns within the red circles represent images of moving large particles. Figure 7 and Figure 8 It can be seen that after passing through a barrier column array, the large particle solution will gather towards the outside of the target curved channel (i.e., the opposite direction of the curvature center).

[0056] It is important to note that Figure 7 and Figure 8 The image clearly shows black, lumpy impurities in the solution. Some large impurities are stuck between the barrier columns and cannot move, hence the clear image.

[0057] On the other hand, in comparison Figure 5 and Figure 6 It can also be observed that, compared to existing deterministic lateral displacement chips, the particle solution can increase the distance of the travel paths of large and small particles by one row by passing through fewer columns in the target curve channel. This means that large and small particles can be separated more quickly in the target curve channel, thereby shortening the channel length and reducing the area occupied by the channel. Furthermore, when the target curve channel is a planar spiral channel, the compact structure of the spiral channel allows the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification to achieve the sorting of particles of different sizes while occupying a minimal area.

[0058] It is important to note that after the barrier column array decomposes the eddies, the resulting eddies disturb the particle solution near the barrier columns, exerting a certain shearing effect on sticky particles, thereby separating the sticky particles and further sorting them. Therefore, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification can also achieve efficient sorting of sticky particles.

[0059] Compared to existing spiral microfluidic channels, the target curve channel provided in this specification is equipped with an array of barrier columns, which can trap larger impurity particles (the particle size of the impurity particles is larger than the spacing between the barrier columns), thus ensuring that the sorting results of larger particles are not affected by impurities. For smaller impurity particles, the Dean force causes them to aggregate towards the inner side of the target curve channel, while larger particles aggregate towards the outer side of the target curve channel (i.e., the opposite direction of the center of curvature). Therefore, the solution containing larger particles will not contain either large or small impurity particles, thereby improving the purity of the sorted larger particles to a certain extent.

[0060] In summary, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification, by setting up an array of barrier pillars formed by multiple orderly arranged barrier pillars within a target curved flow channel with a curvature greater than 0 and bending towards one side, shortens the flow channel length and reduces the area occupied by the flow channel without sacrificing particle sorting accuracy. Furthermore, when the target curved flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel, the compact structure of the spiral flow channel allows the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification to achieve the sorting of particles of different sizes while occupying a minimal area. In addition, the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip provided in this specification can efficiently sort adhesive particles and accurately sort larger particles while filtering impurities in particle solutions.

[0061] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip may be fabricated by: etching a target pattern on a substrate, the target pattern being a curved groove with an internal barrier pillar, the curvature of the curved groove being greater than 0 and bending toward one side of the curve; and providing a cover plate on the substrate with the etched target pattern.

[0062] The two etched walls of the aforementioned curved groove (not parallel to the substrate surface) are the two side walls of the target curved flow channel.

[0063] In some embodiments, at least two outlet channels are provided at the solution outlet of the target curve channel, and the at least two outlet channels are respectively used to guide out solutions containing particles of different sizes.

[0064] When the target curve flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel, the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel can be located near the center of the spiral, and the solution outlet can be located on the outside of the spiral; alternatively, the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel can be located on the outside of the spiral, and the solution outlet can be located near the center of the spiral.

[0065] In some embodiments, at least one side solution outlet is sequentially provided on the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, along the particle solution flow direction. The main solution outlet refers to the solution outlet at the end of the target curved flow channel, while the side solution outlet is provided on the outside of the curved portion of the target curved flow channel. Figure 9 As shown, multiple side solution outlets can be sequentially arranged on the outermost wall of the outermost ring of the spiral curved flow channel. The "outermost edge" refers to the side wall of the flow channel that is away from the center of curvature.

[0066] By sequentially setting multiple solution outlets along the particle solution flow direction on the side wall away from the center of curvature of the target curved channel, the largest particles that have been sorted and aggregated on the outermost side in a laminar flow manner can be guided out in advance, providing channel width space for the sorting of particles of other sizes, thereby gradually improving the sorting accuracy of particles of other sizes.

[0067] For example, without multiple side outlets, the channel outlet width L is used to sort particles of five sizes, with each particle occupying an average of 1 / 5 of the width. After the side outlets guide the sorted largest particles, which are already aggregated in laminar flow on the outermost side, out in advance, the remaining largest particles in the particle solution can continue to move towards the side wall of the target curved channel away from the center of curvature, and aggregate on the outermost side of the channel to form laminar flow. This causes the remaining four particle sizes to redistribute the width space within the channel; the four particle sizes occupy an average of 1 / 5 of the channel width L. Each particle occupies a width of L / 4. After the remaining largest particles, which are sorted and aggregated on the outermost side in a laminar flow manner, are pre-extracted, the remaining largest particles in the particle solution can continue to move towards the side wall away from the center of curvature of the target curved channel, and aggregate on the outermost side of the channel to form a laminar flow. This causes the remaining three particle sizes to redistribute the width space within the channel. The three particle sizes occupy a channel width of L, with each particle occupying an average width of L / 3... and so on, gradually increasing the channel width space occupied by the remaining particles, thereby gradually improving the sorting accuracy of the remaining particles.

[0068] This specification provides an application method for an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip, applicable to any of the aforementioned arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chips. The target curve flow channel of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip has at least one solution inlet and at least two solution outlets. The method includes: introducing a particle solution to be processed into the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel; collecting waste liquid from a first solution outlet of the target curve flow channel; and collecting a solution of target particles from at least one other solution outlet of the target curve flow channel. The particle solution to be processed contains at least one type of particle.

[0069] When the particle solution to be processed contains only one type of particle, an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip is used to concentrate the particle solution. In other words, the aforementioned arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip can be used for particle concentration.

[0070] When the particle solution contains two or more types of particles, an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip is used to separate the target particles from the solution. In other words, the aforementioned arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip can be used for particle separation.

[0071] In some embodiments, at least one side solution outlet is provided on the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, along the particle solution flow direction. Accordingly, the application method of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip further includes: blocking each side solution outlet, opening the main solution outlet, and injecting the particles to be processed from the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel; for any one of the side solution outlets, opening the target side solution outlet when the purity of the particle solution at the target side solution outlet is observed to reach the target.

[0072] By setting each side outlet to open only when the purity of the particle solution near it reaches the target, the side outlets can export a higher purity target particle solution in advance. Furthermore, the flow channel width occupied by remaining particles can be gradually increased, thereby progressively improving the sorting accuracy of the remaining particles. The principle behind improving the sorting accuracy of remaining particles can be found in the above text.

[0073] In some embodiments, at least one side solution outlet is provided on the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, along the particle solution flow direction. Accordingly, the application method of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip further includes: blocking each side solution outlet, opening the main solution outlet, and injecting the particles to be processed from the solution inlet of the target curved flow channel; for any one of the side solution outlets, if it is observed that the particle solution at the target side solution outlet does not contain target particles, opening the target side solution outlet.

[0074] By setting each side outlet to open when the particle solution near it does not contain target particles, the non-target particle solution can be discharged in advance, gradually increasing the proportion of target particles in the remaining particle solution, thereby gradually increasing the concentration and purity of the target particles. It also gradually increases the flow channel width occupied by the remaining particles, thus gradually improving the sorting accuracy of the remaining particles. The principle for improving the sorting accuracy of remaining particles can be found in the above text.

[0075] The above description is merely an embodiment of one or more embodiments of this specification and is not intended to limit the scope of these embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this specification should be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip, characterized in that, include: The target curve flow channel is a curve with a curvature greater than 0 and bending towards one side; An array of barrier columns is disposed inside the target curve flow channel; the array of barrier columns includes multiple orderly arranged barrier columns, and particles of different sizes travel different paths when the particle solution flows through the array of barrier columns; The obstacle columns in the obstacle column array are arranged in rows and columns, wherein the direction of the rows is parallel to the direction of the lines on both sides of the target curved flow channel, and the direction of the columns is perpendicular to the direction of the lines on both sides of the target curved flow channel. The arrangement direction of any column of barrier columns in the barrier column array is at a preset angle to the perpendicular line of the target curved flow channel on both sides of the column of barrier columns. The preset angle is located on the side of the perpendicular line facing the direction of particle solution flow.

2. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target curve flow channel is a planar spiral flow channel with more than one turn.

3. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 2, characterized in that, The solution inlet of the target curve flow channel is located near the center of the spiral, and the solution outlet is located on the outside of the spiral. or, The solution inlet of the target curve flow channel is located on the outside of the spiral, and the solution outlet is located near the center of the spiral.

4. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two outlet channels are provided at the solution outlet of the target curve flow channel, and the at least two outlet channels are used to discharge solutions with particles of different sizes.

5. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset angle is 8-10°.

6. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target curve channel varies in at least one of the following parameters along the particle solution flow direction: row spacing, column spacing, column tilt angle, cross-sectional shape of the barrier column, and dimensions used to represent the thickness of the barrier column.

7. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip is fabricated in the following manner: A target pattern is etched on a substrate. The target pattern is a curved groove with an internal barrier pillar. The curvature of the curved groove is greater than 0 and it bends toward one side of the curve. A cover plate is placed on a substrate with the target pattern etched on it.

8. The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, On the side wall of the target curved channel away from the center of curvature, at least one side solution outlet is sequentially provided along the direction of particle solution flow.

9. A method for applying an arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip, characterized in that, The arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the target curve channel of the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip has at least one solution inlet and at least two solution outlets; The method includes: A solution of particles to be treated is introduced into the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel, waste liquid is collected from the first solution outlet of the target curve flow channel, and a solution of target particles is collected from at least one other solution outlet of the target curve flow channel; wherein, the solution of particles to be treated contains at least one type of particle.

10. The application method according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the particle solution to be processed contains one type of particle, the particle solution is concentrated using the aforementioned arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip. When the particle solution to be processed contains two or more types of particles, the target particles are separated from the particle solution using the arc-shaped deterministic lateral displacement chip.

11. The application method according to claim 9, characterized in that, On the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, at least one side outlet is sequentially provided along the particle solution flow direction; the method further includes: Block all side solution outlets, open the main solution outlet, and inject the particles to be treated into the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel; For any one of the side branch solution outlets, if the purity of the particle solution at the target side branch solution outlet is observed to reach the target, the target side branch solution outlet is opened.

12. The application method according to claim 9, characterized in that, On the side wall of the target curved flow channel away from the center of curvature, at least one side outlet is sequentially provided along the particle solution flow direction; the method further includes: Block all side solution outlets, open the main solution outlet, and inject the particles to be treated into the solution inlet of the target curve flow channel; For any one of the side branch solution outlets, if it is observed that the particle solution at the target side branch solution outlet does not contain the target particles, the target side branch solution outlet is opened.

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