Structure for detecting airtightness of multiple micro-channels

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of air tightness detection, in particular to a structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple micro-channels, which comprises an upper cover plate, a regulating valve, a lower base and a fixing structure, the lower base is used for placing a micro-fluidic chip with the air tightness to be detected, and the lower base is positioned right below the upper cover plate and is used for tightly covering the upper cover plate and the lower base; the micro-fluidic chip is arranged on the lower base so that the micro-fluidic chip can be clamped, the micro-fluidic chip is provided with an air inlet and a plurality of micro-channels, the air inlet is communicated with a connector installed at the bottom of the lower base, the adjusting valve is rotationally installed at the bottom of the lower base and correspondingly coincides with the single micro-channel, and the air inlet and the single micro-channel are communicated after the air inlet and the single micro-channel coincide with each other. The utility model provides a structure which is simple to operate and does not damage a product, and a more convenient solution can be provided for rapidly detecting a plurality of micro-channels. And the structure is simple, the operation is relatively convenient, and the defect that the product is easy to damage during operation can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of air tightness detection, in particular to an air tightness structure for detecting a plurality of microchannels. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidics refers to the science and technology involved in systems that use microchannels to process or manipulate tiny fluids. After the microfluidic chip is manufactured, it is usually necessary to test its airtightness to avoid leakage of raw materials during use.

[0003] Since there are multiple flow channels in a microfluidic chip, each channel needs to meet the sealing function; however, the existing detection method generally uses a single-channel (usually multi-port sequence) Sentinel Blackbelt or multi-channel concurrent BlackbeltPro instrument for detection. Since each channel of the chip must be connected to a separate test port of the Blackbelt or Blackbelt Pro instrument during detection, all the outlets of the channel are directly blocked. This step is usually completed using a CTS custom fixture. However, for multiple channels, it is necessary to repeatedly connect separate test ports, which is a relatively complicated process and is prone to risks such as product damage. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to develop a structure that is easy to operate and does not damage the product. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microfluidic channels, comprising:

[0007] Upper cover plate and regulating valve;

[0008] A lower base, the lower base is used to place the microfluidic chip to be tested for air tightness, and the lower base is located directly below the upper cover plate;

[0009] A fixing structure, used to cover the upper cover plate and the lower base tightly so that the microfluidic chip is clamped;

[0010] The microfluidic chip has an air inlet and a plurality of microchannels, wherein the air inlet is connected to a joint installed at the bottom of the lower base;

[0011] The regulating valve is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the lower base, and is rotated to coincide with each independent flow channel of the plurality of micro-channels. After the coincidence, a communication state is formed between the air inlet and the independent flow channel.

[0012] Furthermore, the fixing structure includes a pull rod, one end of which is connected to a rotating locking block, and the other end of which passes through the upper cover plate and the lower base and is screwed with a locking nut.

[0013] Furthermore, a through slot for the pull rod to pass through is provided on the upper cover plate, and an avoidance slot for the pull rod to move is provided in the through slot.

[0014] Furthermore, the regulating valve includes a regulator and a connecting pivot, the regulator is clamped on one side of the microfluidic chip, and the connecting pivot is inserted into the regulator and connected to the regulator.

[0015] Furthermore, the lower base is provided with a placement groove for accommodating the microfluidic chip.

[0016] Furthermore, a through hole for accommodating the adjuster is provided on the lower base, the connecting pivot is sleeved on the fixing plate and penetrates through the fixing plate to be connected to the turntable, and the fixing plate is installed at the bottom of the lower base.

[0017] Furthermore, a sealing member is installed in the placement groove.

[0018] Furthermore, a supporting leg is installed at the bottom of the lower base.

[0019] Furthermore, each independent flow channel in the plurality of micro-channels has an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet is correspondingly connected to the regulator, and the air outlet is blocked by a seal.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0021] The utility model fixes the microfluidic chip by tightening the upper cover plate and the lower base through the locking block and the locking nut, and the upper cover plate and the lower base can be loosened to remove the microfluidic chip conveniently. By setting the regulating valve, the rotating turntable is rotated to the corresponding angle, so that the regulating valve and a single microchannel of multiple microchannels on the microfluidic chip to be detected overlap, and then air is blown from the joint and fixed at a pressure, and then maintained for a period of time, and finally the air tightness of a single channel is determined according to the pressure relief value. It is a structure that can be operated simply and does not damage the product, and can provide a more convenient solution for rapid detection of multiple microchannels. Moreover, the air tightness of each microchannel can be detected by simply rotating the turntable to make the regulating valve overlap with each microchannel in the multiple microchannels individually, the detection efficiency is relatively high, the structure is simple and the operation is relatively convenient, and the disadvantage of easily damaging the product during operation can be avoided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 For this utility model Figure 1Schematic diagram of the top view.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the separation of the regulator and the microfluidic chip of the utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 For this utility model Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the top view.

[0027] Figure 6 For this utility model Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the middle regulator.

[0028] Figure 7 For this utility model Figure 6 The regulator is further broken down into a schematic diagram.

[0029] In the figure: 1-locking block, 2-upper cover, 3-microfluidic chip, 4-lower base, 5-connector, 6-locking nut, 7-fixed plate, 8-turntable, 9-regulating valve, 10-seal, 11-regulator, 12-connecting pivot, 13-pull rod, 14-through groove, 15-avoidance groove, 16-leg, 17-guide column, 18-microchannel, 19-air inlet, 20-bump, 21-housing, 22-spiral pad, 23-annular pad, 24-sealing pad, 25-clamp ring, 26-empty groove, 27-sealing block, 28-through hole, 29-placement groove, 30-through hole, 31-plug-in part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper end", "lower end", "inner", "outer", "front end", "rear end", "two ends", "one end", "the other end" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "provided with", "sleeved", "sleeved", "connected", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] See also Figures 1 to 7 , the utility model provides a technical solution:

[0034] A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microfluidic channels, comprising:

[0035] Upper cover plate 2 and regulating valve 9;

[0036] A lower base 4, the lower base 4 is used to place the microfluidic chip 3 to be tested for air tightness, and the lower base 4 is located directly below the upper cover plate 2;

[0037] A fixing structure, used to cover the upper cover plate 2 and the lower base 4 tightly so that the microfluidic chip 3 is clamped;

[0038] The microfluidic chip 3 has an air inlet 19 and a plurality of microchannels 18, and the air inlet 19 is connected to a connector 5 installed at the bottom of the lower base 4;

[0039] The regulating valve 9 is rotatably installed at the bottom of the lower base 4, and is rotated to coincide with the independent flow channel of each of the multiple microchannels 18. After the coincidence, a connection is formed between the air inlet 19 and the independent flow channel, and the regulating valve 9 blocks other microchannels 18 except the independent flow channel.

[0040] Specifically, the fixing structure includes a pull rod 13, one end of which is connected to a rotating locking block 1, and the other end of which passes through the upper cover plate 2 and the lower base 4 and is screwed with a locking nut 6. A through slot 14 for the pull rod 13 to penetrate is provided on the upper cover plate 2, and an avoidance slot 15 for the pull rod 13 to move is provided in the through slot 14.

[0041] In the utility model, the upper cover plate 2 and the lower base 4 are tightened and covered by the pull rod 13. The upper cover plate 2 has a through slot 14, and the lower base 4 has a pull rod hole for the pull rod 13 to pass through. At the same time, the through slot 14 and the pull rod hole are staggered, so that the locking block 1 can rotate with the surface of the upper cover plate 2 as a fulcrum to apply force. Figure 3As shown, first, a rotatable locking block 1 is installed on the top of the tie rod 13, and then the bottom end passes through the through slot 14, and then moves to the avoidance slot 15, so that the bottom of the tie rod 13 is aligned with the tie rod hole on the lower base 4, and then the bottom passes through the tie rod hole and is tightened by the locking nut 6. Initially, the locking block 1 and the tie rod 13 are basically kept in a horizontal state, and the locking nut 6 is tightened and then the locking block 1 is rotated to achieve the compression and covering between the upper cover plate 2 and the lower base 4. Open the upper cover plate 2 and the lower base 4, and turn the locking nut 6 from the horizontal state to the vertical state. If the upper cover plate 2 and the lower base 4 need to be disassembled, the locking nut 6 is unscrewed to pull out the tie rod 13.

[0042] Specifically, the lower base 4 is provided with a placement groove 29 for accommodating the microfluidic chip 3. The placement groove 29 is paved with a sealing member 10. By providing the placement groove 29 on the lower base 4, it is convenient to place the microfluidic chip 3 in the placement groove 29, and the sealing member 10 is installed in the placement groove 29 to seal (i.e., block the air outlet a at the other end) when testing the air tightness of the microfluidic chip 3, so as to ensure the accuracy of the test result.

[0043] Specifically, the bottom of the lower base 4 is provided with legs 16. The legs 16 are installed to facilitate placing the airtight structure for detecting multiple microchannels on a desktop or a detection area.

[0044] The utility model rotates the turntable 8 to a corresponding angle to overlap a single microchannel of the multiple microchannels 18 on the microfluidic chip 3 to be tested, then blows air from the joint 5 and fixes it at a pressure, maintains it for a period of time, and finally determines the air tightness of the single channel based on the pressure relief value.

[0045] Specifically, each independent channel in the plurality of microchannels 18 has an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet is correspondingly connected to the regulator 11 , and the air outlet is blocked by the seal 10 .

[0046] The regulating valve 9 includes a regulator 11 and a connecting pivot 12. The regulator 11 is clamped on one side of the microfluidic chip 3. The connecting pivot 12 is inserted into the regulator 11 and connected to the regulator 11. The lower base 4 is provided with a through hole 30 for accommodating the regulator 11. The connecting pivot 12 is sleeved on the fixing plate 7 and connected to the turntable 8 after passing through the fixing plate 7. The fixing plate 7 is installed at the bottom of the lower base 4. The fixing plate 7 has a guide column 17 on one side, which is inserted into the insertion port on the lower base 4 to facilitate the installation of the fixing plate 7 and ensure that the connecting pivot 12 is aligned and plugged into the bottom end socket of the plug-in portion 31.

[0047] The following is a detailed introduction:

[0048] like Figures 4 to 7As shown, the regulator 11 includes a shell 21, and the inner side of the top of the shell 21 has several bumps 20, which are 4 in this embodiment. The microfluidic chip 3 has a retaining ring 25, and the outer side of the retaining ring 25 also has bumps 20. Therefore, the shell 21 is directly engaged with the bumps 20 on the inner side and the bumps 20 on the outer side of the retaining ring 25 through direct mutual cooperation, that is, the shell 21 is rotatably engaged with the retaining ring 25.

[0049] Figure 4 The dotted line indicates that it can be clearly seen that the microfluidic chip 3 has an air inlet 19 and a plurality of microchannels 18 communicating with the air inlet 19. The shell 21 has a spiral pad 22, and the annular pad 23 is sleeved on the plug-in portion 31. The bottom end of the plug-in portion 31 extends into the spiral pad 22, and the annular pad 23 rests on the annular upper end surface of the spiral pad 22. The bottom end of the plug-in portion 31 has an empty groove 26, and the empty groove 26 has a sealing gasket 24. The top end of the plug-in portion 31 is installed with a sealing block 27, and the sealing block 27 and the empty groove 26 have through holes 28. The upper end of the connecting pivot 12 is cross-shaped and matched to be inserted into the bottom end of the plug-in portion 31. The bottom of the connecting pivot 12 passes through the end fixing plate 7 and is connected to the turntable 8.

[0050] The utility model rotates the turntable 8 in use, so that the connecting pivot 12 rotates the plug-in part 31 and the sealing block 27, so that the through hole 28 corresponds to one of the microchannels 18 (or independent channels), and the other microchannels 18 are directly blocked. The joint 5 is blown and fixed at a pressure, and the microchannel that should overlap the through hole 28 enters the empty groove 26 through the air inlet 19, and then maintained for a period of time, and finally the independent channel is depressurized, and the air tightness of the single channel is determined according to the pressure relief value.

[0051] In the utility model, both the pressure relief and the injection pressure are checked by a pressure testing instrument connected to the joint 5. If there is no problem, the instrument can directly release the pressure and then carry out the next pressure test cycle.

[0052] Principle: The gas enters from the joint 5, then passes through the air channel b between the air inlet 19 and the regulating valve 9, then passes through the air hole c located at the center of the microfluidic chip 18 and arranged on the microfluidic chip 3, and then enters the empty groove 26 through the sealing block 27 and the air hole c on the plug-in part 31. Due to the presence of the sealing gasket 24, the through hole 28 of the empty groove 26 coincides with the through hole 28 of the sealing block 27 and the air inlet d of the microchannel 18 (independent channel) whose air tightness needs to be tested. The air inlet d of other microchannels 18 is blocked by the sealing block 27, and the air outlet a of other microchannels 18 is blocked by the sealing member 10, so each independent channel in multiple microchannels 18 can be tested separately. When the blown gas is maintained for a period of time, the independent channel is finally depressurized, and the air tightness of the single channel is determined according to the pressure relief value.

[0053] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels, characterized in that: include: An upper cover plate (2) and a regulating valve (9); A lower base (4), the lower base (4) being used to place a microfluidic chip (3) to be tested for air tightness, and the lower base (4) being located directly below the upper cover plate (2); A fixing structure, used to cover the upper cover plate (2) and the lower base (4) tightly so that the microfluidic chip (3) is clamped; The microfluidic chip (3) has an air inlet (19) and a plurality of microchannels (18), wherein the air inlet (19) is connected to a connector (5) installed at the bottom of the lower base (4); The regulating valve (9) is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the lower base (4) and is rotated to coincide with an independent flow channel of each of the plurality of micro-channels (18). After the coincidence, the air inlet (19) is connected to the independent flow channel.

2. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing structure comprises a pull rod (13), one end of which is connected to a rotating locking block (1), and the other end of which passes through the upper cover plate (2) and the lower base (4) and is screwed with a locking nut (6).

3. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The upper cover plate (2) is provided with a through slot (14) for the pull rod (13) to penetrate, and the through slot (14) has an avoidance slot (15) for the pull rod (13) to move.

4. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The regulating valve (9) comprises a regulator (11) and a connecting pivot (12); the regulator (11) is clamped on one side of the microfluidic chip (3); and the connecting pivot (12) is inserted into the regulator (11) and connected to the regulator (11).

5. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower base (4) is provided with a placement groove (29) for accommodating the microfluidic chip (3).

6. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The lower base (4) is provided with a through hole (30) for accommodating the regulator (11); the connecting pivot (12) is sleeved on the fixing plate (7) and penetrates the fixing plate (7) to be connected to the rotating disk (8); the fixing plate (7) is installed at the bottom of the lower base (4).

7. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: A sealing member (10) is installed in the placement groove (29).

8. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: A supporting leg (16) is installed at the bottom of the lower base (4).

9. A structure for detecting the air tightness of multiple microchannels as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: Each independent flow channel in the plurality of micro-channels (18) has an air inlet and an air outlet, wherein the air inlet is correspondingly connected to the regulator (11) and the air outlet is blocked by a sealing member (10).

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