Microfluidic duckbill valve

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of microfluidics, in particular to a microfluidic duckbill valve which comprises a duckbill valve cavity, a first cavity is formed in the duckbill valve cavity, an inlet pipeline is arranged in the first cavity, a duckbill valve body is arranged at one end of the inlet pipeline, and the top of the first cavity is communicated with three outlet pipelines; a first cavity is formed in the duckbill valve cavity, a second cavity is further formed in the duckbill valve cavity, the first cavity is communicated with the second cavity through the outlet pipeline, and a storage container is further arranged in the second cavity; the duckbill valve body can be switched between an open state and a closed state based on the change of the pressure condition in the duckbill valve cavity, when a positive pressure environment exists, the duckbill valve is in an open state, and fluid flows into a storage container from an external pipeline; when a negative pressure environment exists or the duckbill valve is not affected by external force, the duckbill valve is in a closed state, fluid cannot overflow, and the negative pressure valve has the advantages of being simple in structure, reliable in sealing performance and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of microfluidic technology, and in particular to a microfluidic duckbill valve. Background Art

[0002] Thrombelastogram (TEG) is a graph drawn by a thromboelastometry instrument, which is an indicator that reflects the dynamic changes of blood coagulation (including the formation rate of fibrin, the dissolution state and the firmness and elasticity of the coagulation). Although the thromboelastometry instrument has a series of advanced, convenient and innovative features in detection methods, detection processes and detection accuracy, it is based on its inherent characteristics under the premise of its own detection principle. The current thromboelastometry instrument still has a series of shortcomings and deficiencies in terms of patient experience, detection efficiency, degree of automation, etc., which greatly limits its application prospects in hospitals, professional clinical testing institutions, and especially in the field of patient home health monitoring. Patent CN217401807U discloses a microfluidic one-way valve, in which a spherical object is arranged in the one-way valve cavity, and the spherical object can move up and down in the cavity. When the pressure in the external detection pipeline is greater than the pressure in the inlet pipeline, the spherical object moves upward, thereby forming a gap between the spherical object and the through hole of the gasket, and the inlet pipeline is fluidically connected with the second cavity through the gap, the first cavity, and the outlet pipeline. When the pressure in the detection pipeline is less than the pressure in the inlet pipeline, the spherical object is in close contact with the gasket, and the fluid connection between the inlet pipeline and the outlet pipeline is blocked by the spherical object and the gasket; however, in actual application, it is difficult to achieve complete sealing with the spherical object, which may cause blood leakage, thereby affecting operation and contaminating the instrument. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a microfluidic one-way valve with strong sealing performance and no fluid leakage during use.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present application provides a microfluidic duckbill valve, including a duckbill valve cavity, wherein the duckbill valve cavity has a first cavity, an inlet pipeline is arranged in the first cavity, a duckbill valve body is arranged at one end of the inlet pipeline, and the top of the first cavity is connected to three outlet pipelines; the duckbill valve body can switch between an open state and a closed state based on the change of the pressure condition in the duckbill valve cavity.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present application, a second cavity is further provided in the duckbill valve cavity, and the first cavity is fluidically connected to the second cavity via the outlet pipeline.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present application, it is characterized in that a storage container is provided in the second cavity.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present application, it is characterized in that three second cavity communicating holes are arranged on the top of the first cavity; and three first cavity communicating holes are arranged on the bottom of the second cavity.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present application, one end of each of the outlet pipes is communicated with the first cavity communicating hole, and the other end of each of the outlet pipes is communicated with the second cavity communicating hole.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present application, one end of the inlet pipeline is connected to an external pipeline.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present application, when the pressure of the external pipeline is greater than the pressure in the duckbill valve cavity, the duckbill valve body is in an open state.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present application, when the pressure of the external pipeline is less than the pressure in the duckbill valve cavity, the duckbill valve body is in a closed state.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present application, when the duckbill valve is not affected by external force, the duckbill valve body is in a closed state.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0014] Compared with the existing microfluidic one-way valve, the microfluidic duckbill valve provided in the present application has a simpler structure, is more convenient to operate and control, and has reliable sealing, thereby avoiding fluid leakage during use and operation, reducing costs, and improving the success rate of operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The accompanying drawings are used to better understand the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application.

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a microfluidic duckbill valve provided for this application, wherein the storage container is omitted;

[0017] Figure 2 A stereoscopic view of the duckbill valve body provided for this application;

[0018] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the duckbill valve body provided for this application;

[0019] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the duckbill valve body provided for this application;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the microfluidic one-way valve structure provided for the comparative example of this application.

[0021] Description of Reference Numerals

[0022] 1- duckbill valve cavity, 2- second cavity, 3- outlet pipeline, 4- first cavity, 5- inlet pipeline, 6- duckbill valve body, 7- outer wall of duckbill valve cavity, 8- ball, 61- base part, 62- duckbill part, 621- duckbill valve pore, 81- limit buckle, 82- gasket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The specific embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the specific embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided in order to enable a more thorough understanding of the present application and to fully convey the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art.

[0024] It should be noted that certain words are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art should understand that technicians may use different nouns to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not use the difference in nouns as a way to distinguish components, but use the difference in the functions of the components as the criterion for distinction. As mentioned throughout the specification and claims, "including" or "comprising" is an open term, so it should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". The subsequent description of the specification is a preferred embodiment of the implementation of the present application, but the description is based on the general principles of the specification and is not used to limit the scope of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application shall be determined by the attached claims.

[0025] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships in the working state of the present application. They are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present application.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a microfluidic duckbill valve, including a duckbill valve cavity 1, wherein the duckbill valve cavity 1 has a first cavity 4, wherein the first cavity 4 is provided with an inlet pipeline 5, wherein a duckbill valve body 6 is provided at one end of the inlet pipeline 5, and wherein the top of the first cavity 4 is connected with three outlet pipelines 3; the duckbill valve body 6 can be switched between an open state and a closed state based on changes in the pressure conditions within the duckbill valve cavity 1.

[0027] The three outlet pipelines 3 are in communication with the second cavity 2. A storage container can be arranged in the second cavity 2. The storage container is in communication with the outlet pipeline 3. The inlet pipeline 5 can be connected to an external pipeline. When the fluid (liquid or gas) in the external pipeline needs to be transferred to the storage container, when the pressure in the external pipeline is greater than the pressure in the inlet pipeline 5 (i.e., the inlet pipeline 5 is provided with a positive pressure), the positive pressure can be generated by a pressure system (not shown) in fluid communication with the external pipeline or the inlet pipeline 5. The pressure system may include an air pump, etc. A positive pressure is generated by a pressure system such as an air pump to a system connected to the external pipeline or the inlet pipeline 5, and then a positive pressure can be generated in the inlet pipeline 5 and the first cavity 4. Due to the positive pressure, the fluid in the external pipeline moves in the direction of entering the inlet pipeline 5.

[0028] like Figure 2-Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the duckbill valve body 6 is composed of a base part 61 and a duckbill part 62, the base part 61 is made of acrylic plate, the duckbill part 62 is made of silicone, a duckbill valve aperture 621 is opened at the top center of the duckbill part, the duckbill valve aperture 621 is a rectangular slit, and the base part 61 and the duckbill part 62 are combined and fixed by means of socket connection.

[0029] When the duckbill valve cavity 1 is subjected to positive pressure, the duckbill valve pore 621 remains open, and the fluid flows into the first cavity 4 through the inlet pipe 5. After the first cavity 4 is filled, the fluid flows out from the outlet pipe 3 and finally enters the storage container.

[0030] In one embodiment, when the pressure in the external pipeline is less than the pressure in the inlet pipeline 5 (i.e., the inlet pipeline 5 is provided with a negative pressure), the duckbill valve aperture 621 is closed, and the external pipeline is isolated from the first cavity 4. The negative pressure can also be generated by a pressure system (not shown) that is in fluid communication with the external pipeline or the inlet pipeline 5. The pressure system may include an air pump, etc. A negative pressure is generated by a pressure system such as an air pump to a system connected to the detection pipeline or the inlet pipeline 5, and then a negative pressure can be generated in the inlet pipeline 5 and the first cavity 4. Under this negative pressure, the duckbill valve aperture 621 is closed, and the external pipeline is isolated from the first cavity 4, so that the fluid in the inlet pipeline 5 cannot flow into the outlet pipeline 3.

[0031] In a specific embodiment of the present application, when the duckbill valve is not affected by external force, the duckbill valve body is in a closed state.

[0032] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the duckbill valve body 6 is composed of a base portion 61 and a duckbill portion 62 .

[0033] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the duckbill portion 62 is made of rubber material, and the rubber material is selected from one or more of chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber and ethylene propylene rubber.

[0034] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the external pipeline is usually carried by a microfluidic chip or a detection card, and the microfluidic chip or the detection card is made of an acrylic plate.

[0035] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the outer wall 7 of the duckbill valve cavity is made of acrylic plate, which is in direct contact with the microfluidic chip or the detection card, and the outer wall 7 of the duckbill valve cavity is combined and fixed with the microfluidic chip or the detection card by means of UV shadowless glue and irradiation with ultraviolet light. When the outer wall 7 of the duckbill valve cavity is combined and fixed with the microfluidic chip or the detection card, the duckbill valve cavity 1 and the base part 61 of the duckbill valve body 6 are pressed and fixed, and the duckbill part 62 of the duckbill valve body 6 is just embedded in the first cavity 4, and is attached and fastened to the duckbill valve cavity 1.

[0036] In a specific embodiment of the present application, when the inlet pipeline 5 is configured with positive pressure, the duckbill valve pore 621 remains open, and the fluid flows into the first cavity 4 through the inlet pipeline 5. After the first cavity 4 is filled, the fluid flows out from the outlet pipeline 5 and finally enters the storage container.

[0037] In a specific embodiment of the present application, when the inlet pipeline 5 is configured with negative pressure, the fluid flows from top to bottom through the outlet pipeline 3 and enters the first cavity 4. Under the action of the negative pressure, the duckbill valve pore 621 remains closed to prevent the liquid or gas in the outlet pipeline 3 from entering the first cavity 4.

[0038] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the duckbill valve cavity 1 further comprises a second cavity 2 , and the first cavity 4 is connected to the second cavity 2 .

[0039] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the first cavity 4 is connected to the second cavity 2 via an outlet pipe 3 .

[0040] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the number of the outlet pipeline 3 is one, for example, one, two, or three.

[0041] In a specific embodiment of the present application, one inlet pipeline is provided.

[0042] In a specific embodiment of the present application, three second cavity connecting holes are arranged at the top of the first cavity 4, and three first cavity connecting holes are arranged at the bottom center of the second cavity 2; one end of the outlet pipe 3 is connected with the three first cavity connecting holes, and the other end of the outlet pipe 3 is connected with the three second cavity connecting holes, that is, one end of the outlet pipe 3 is located at the top of the first cavity 4 and is connected with the first cavity 4, and the other end of the outlet pipe 3 is located at the bottom of the second cavity 2 and is connected with the second cavity 2.

[0043] In a specific embodiment of the present application, a storage container is disposed in the second cavity 2 , and the bottom of the storage container has an opening. When the fluid enters the second cavity 2 through the outlet pipe 3 , the fluid enters the storage container through the opening.

[0044] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the storage container is detachably connected to the second cavity 2 to facilitate replacement and cleaning of the storage container.

[0045] Example

[0046] This embodiment provides a microfluidic duckbill valve, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, it includes a duckbill valve cavity 1, the duckbill valve cavity 1 has a first cavity 4 and a second cavity 2, an inlet pipeline 5 is arranged in the first cavity 4, a duckbill valve body 6 is arranged at one end of the inlet pipeline 5, and the top of the first cavity 4 is connected with three outlet pipelines 3; a storage container is arranged in the second cavity 2, the three outlet pipelines 3 are connected with the second cavity 2, the storage container is connected with the outlet pipeline 3, the inlet pipeline 5 is connected with an external pipeline, and the external pipeline is connected with a positive air compressor, and the duckbill valve body 6 is composed of a base part 61 and a duckbill part 62, and a duckbill valve hole 621 is opened at the top center of the duckbill part.

[0047] Comparative Example

[0048] This comparative example provides a microfluidic one-way valve. Compared with the microfluidic duckbill valve in the embodiment, the duckbill valve body is replaced by a spherical object 8, which has an arc surface. The spherical object 8 can move relative to the top of the first cavity in the first gun chamber, and is connected with the outlet pipeline at the top of the first cavity; a limit buckle 81 with an arc surface is arranged at the top of the first cavity, and the limit buckle 81 limits the movement of the spherical object; at the same time, a gasket 82 is arranged on the inlet pipeline, and a through hole is arranged on the gasket 82, the spherical object is located between the gasket 82 and the top of the first cavity, and the spherical object is partially located in the through hole, and the inlet pipeline is connected with the first cavity through the through hole.

[0049] Experimental example

[0050] The same storage container is set up with the microfluidic duckbill valve and the microfluidic one-way valve in the embodiment and the comparative example, and they are respectively connected to the same test cards. An anticoagulant tube containing 2 ml of fluid (the fluid is synthetic blood) is connected to the test card. Positive pressure airflow and negative pressure airflow are respectively introduced into the test card (the airflow remains stable throughout the process). The situation in the microfluidic duckbill valve and the microfluidic one-way valve during the flow of the fluid in the anticoagulant tube to the microfluidic duckbill valve or the microfluidic one-way valve and when the fluid flows out, is observed. The above operation is repeated ten times and recorded.

[0051] The results are as follows:

[0052] The microfluidic duckbill valve in the embodiment is kept open when positive pressure is applied and kept closed when negative pressure is applied, so that the fluid flows into the storage container stably, and no fluid remains in the first cavity or flows back into the detection card.

[0053] When the microfluidic one-way valve in the comparative example is used, the effect is stable in some cases, that is, when positive pressure is introduced, the ball moves up, and when the first cavity is filled, the fluid flows into the storage container through the outlet pipeline. When negative pressure is introduced, the ball blocks the inlet pipeline.

[0054] When the microfluidic one-way valve in the comparative example is used, there are some unstable situations, which are recorded in Table 1 below.

[0055] Table 1 Abnormal situation of comparative example 1

[0056]

[0057] Compared with the microfluidic one-way valve in the comparative example, the microfluidic duckbill valve of the present application has a simple structure, convenient control, reliable sealing, can be easily introduced into the pre-treatment equipment of the thromboelastograph, and ensures quantitative blood blowing each time.

[0058] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A microfluidic duckbill valve, characterized in that: include: A duckbill valve cavity, wherein the duckbill valve cavity has a first cavity, an inlet pipeline is arranged in the first cavity, a duckbill valve body is arranged at one end of the inlet pipeline, and the top of the first cavity is connected with three outlet pipelines; The duckbill valve body can be switched between an open state and a closed state based on changes in pressure conditions within the duckbill valve cavity.

2. The duckbill valve according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second cavity is also disposed in the duckbill valve cavity, and the first cavity is connected to the second cavity through the outlet pipeline.

3. The duckbill valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: A storage container is disposed in the second cavity.

4. The duckbill valve according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the first cavity is provided with three second cavity communication holes; The bottom of the second cavity is provided with three first cavity communication holes.

5. The duckbill valve according to claim 4, characterized in that: One end of each of the outlet pipes is communicated with the first cavity communicating hole, and the other end of each of the outlet pipes is communicated with the second cavity communicating hole.

6. The duckbill valve according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: One end of the inlet pipeline is externally connected to an external pipeline.

7. The duckbill valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the pressure of the external pipeline is greater than the pressure in the duckbill valve cavity, the duckbill valve body is in an open state.

8. The duckbill valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the pressure of the external pipeline is lower than the pressure in the duckbill valve cavity, the duckbill valve body is in a closed state.

9. The duckbill valve according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the duckbill valve is not affected by external force, the duckbill valve body is in a closed state.

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