Liquid drop micro-fluidic chip packaging clamp

Abstract

The utility model provides a liquid drop micro-fluidic chip packaging clamp. The liquid drop micro-fluidic chip packaging clamp is a sealing device composed of an upper cover, a PCB, a pressing block and a chip. The clamp has universality, on one hand, the clamp can be compatible with various chips such as a liquid drop generation chip, a liquid drop sorting chip and a liquid drop fusion chip, and can be used in various scenes; and on the other hand, the device can be compatible with various pipes, such as Teflon pipes, PE pipes, PEEK pipes and the like in hoses, and stainless steel capillary pipes, glass capillary pipes and the like in hard pipes. According to the utility model, electrode contacts are arranged on the PCB and are contacted with the electrodes of the chips to realize electrical connection, whether the PCB is electrified or not can be selected according to the chips with different functions, and a flexible silica gel cap is used as a connecting piece to realize the sealing effect of the whole device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of microfluidic control, and specifically, to a droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture. Background Art

[0002] Droplet microfluidics is one of the branches of microfluidics. Its feature is to carry out biochemical reactions and achieve biochemical detection in a large number of micro-droplets (micro-units). In some specific application processes, several important links are often required in droplet microfluidics technology: droplet generation, droplet fusion injection, droplet analysis, droplet sorting, and so on. People have developed corresponding droplet microfluidic chips for these specific links. However, these microfluidic chips have different shapes and are difficult to be directly used on a general platform, which results in the need to develop different instruments to match these microfluidic chips.

[0003] The difficulties in developing a unified general encapsulation method can be summarized as follows: (1) There are various forms of microfluidic chips. In terms of materials, there are polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), thermoplastics (PMMA, PC, COC, COP, etc.), glass, silicon, and so on. Different materials have different sealing requirements, which increases the difficulty of sealing the inlet and outlet ducts; (2) The problem of dead volume. Since microfluidics is oriented towards a micro-scale system, the interfaces of the chips need to have the characteristics of small dead volume to facilitate and stably dock with the ducts; (3) The application scenarios of the chips are diverse. For example, high-voltage pulses are required for droplet fusion injection and droplet sorting, which requires excellent electrical shielding performance of the chips; (4) The sizes of the droplets are various. It is often necessary to use microfluidic chips for various droplet sizes, such as a 30-micron droplet generation chip, a 90-micron droplet generation chip, and so on.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a droplet microfluidic encapsulation fixture to solve the above problems. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] To solve the above problems, the utility model provides a droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture, which is a sealing device composed of an upper cover, a PCB board, a pressing block, and a chip. The fixture has versatility. On the one hand, it can be compatible with various chips, such as droplet generation chips, droplet sorting chips, droplet fusion chips, etc., and can be used for various scenarios; on the other hand, it can be compatible with various pipes, such as Teflon tubes, PE tubes, PEEK tubes, etc. in flexible tubes, and stainless steel capillary tubes, glass capillary tubes, etc. in rigid tubes. The utility model also sets electrode contacts on the PCB board to contact the electrodes of the chip to achieve electrical connection, and whether the PCB board is powered on can be selected according to chips with different functions, and a flexible silicone cap is used as a connecting piece to achieve the sealing effect of the whole device.

[0006] A droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, including a sealing device composed of a PCB board, a pressing block and a chip, the PCB board is used for electrical connection with the chip, the pressing block is used for fixedly connecting the PCB board and the chip, and the chip is one or more of a droplet generation chip, a droplet fusion chip, and a droplet sorting chip.

[0007] The versatility of the utility model for the chip is not only reflected in the types of chips, but also has versatility for different models of the same type of chip. For example, it can be compatible with a 30-μm droplet generation chip, a 90-μm droplet generation chip, etc.

[0008] Furthermore, in the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, the PCB board can be selected to be powered on or off according to chips with different functions. The PCB board is also provided with electrode contacts and a large-area ground plane, and the large-area ground plane is used for electrical shielding.

[0009] Furthermore, in the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, the pressing block is provided with through holes for the electrode contacts, and the chip is provided with electrodes. The electrode contacts are in contact with the electrodes of the chip through the through holes on the pressing block for electrical connection.

[0010] If the selected chip is a droplet generation chip, the PCB board is not needed, so it is selected not to be powered on; if a droplet fusion chip or a droplet sorting chip is selected, droplet fusion or droplet sorting requires using a high-voltage pulse to provide dielectrophoretic force, and the PCB board is needed. At this time, the electrode contacts are in contact with the electrodes on the chip to be powered on and operate, providing dielectrophoretic force for droplet fusion or droplet sorting.

[0011] The function of electrical shielding is to reduce the electric field induction between devices and cut off the propagation path of electromagnetic waves, thereby eliminating interference. In addition, for the fixture material of the utility model to achieve effective electrical shielding, theoretically, as long as it is a material with good electrical conductivity purposes, it can be selected. For example, metal materials such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, etc. can be selected, and the scheme of plastic plus surface electroplating is also possible. However, considering the cost, the fixture material selected for the utility model is aluminum.

[0012] Furthermore, the electrode contacts include semiconductor test probes, and the front end of the semiconductor test probes includes spring thimbles.

[0013] A semiconductor test probe generally consists of four basic components: a needle tip, a needle tail, a spring, and a needle tube. These four basic components are formed after being riveted and pre-pressed by precision instruments. Since semiconductor products are very precise, the requirements for test probes are even more stringent. Depending on the test environment and the type of test product, the requirements for the probes are different, including the gold plating thickness of the probe outer tube and the probe needle tip, as well as the material of the spring, which all have very strict conditions. After the spring is electroplated, it not only has a high service life, does not rust, but also enhances the durability and conductivity of the probe. This is because the electroplating process can improve the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the spring, thus ensuring that the probe can still maintain good electrical conductivity after long-term use.

[0014] Furthermore, in the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, the pressing block is provided with a silica gel cap and a fixing hole. A through hole is provided inside the silica gel cap, one end is connected to a catheter, and the other end is connected to the chip.

[0015] Silica gel material has properties such as inertness, flexibility, and biocompatibility. It is a good sealing material that can be compatible with various types of tubes, including flexible tubes (such as commonly used Teflon tubes, PE tubes, PEEK tubes, etc.) and rigid tubes (such as stainless steel capillary tubes, glass capillary tubes, etc.). Therefore, silica gel is selected as the raw material for the sealing cap. On the one hand, the silica gel cap has a flexible interface and a small dead volume, and can tightly fix the catheter. The catheter connects the sample inlet pipeline and the sample outlet pipeline. In some application scenarios, the sorted positive droplets need to be introduced into the well plate, achieving one droplet per well plate. Such a design can make the dead volume in the droplet export link almost zero, and there is no droplet jamming during the export process. On the other hand, the silica gel cap is embedded in the pressing block, and the pressing block fixes the silica gel cap and the chip through bonding or mechanical pressing to achieve a sealed connection. The through hole of the silica gel cap corresponds to the sample inlet or sample outlet on the chip one by one.

[0016] Furthermore, in the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, it further includes an upper cover. The upper cover is provided with an observation window and a fixing hole. The PCB board and the pressing block are provided with through holes for the observation window. The observation window is used to observe the chip through the through holes on the PCB board and the pressing block. The fixing hole of the upper cover and the fixing hole of the pressing block are used to fix the upper cover and the pressing block.

[0017] To ensure the alignment of the observed area of different chips and the observation holes of the fixture, the present utility model adjusts the position of its flow channel for different chips.

[0018] Furthermore, in the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, the pressing block is provided with pipelines for connecting the sample inlet catheter and the sample outlet catheter. The pipelines are respectively a flow oil pipeline, an interval oil pipeline, a droplet inlet pipeline, a propulsion phase pipeline, a positive outlet pipeline, and a negative outlet pipeline. Different functional chips should be used in combination with corresponding functional pipelines.

[0019] Further, the pipeline is respectively connected to the silicone caps through conduits to input samples into the chip or output droplets from the chip.

[0020] Further, in the droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture, the PCB board is provided with through holes for the silicone caps. The upper end of the silicone cap is connected to a conduit, and the conduit passes through the through holes of the PCB board and leads into the sample inlet pipeline or the sample outlet pipeline. Therefore, the through holes are used to provide connection space.

[0021] Further, in the droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture, the PCB board, the pressing block, and the chip are provided with corresponding positioning posts. The pressing block is respectively provided with rectangular depressions on the upper and lower sides. The depression on the upper side of the pressing block is fixed to the PCB board through the positioning posts, and the depression on the lower side of the pressing block is fixed to the chip through the positioning posts.

[0022] The outer dimensions of different functional chips are the same after injection molding, and the positioning posts are all located at the same positions to ensure the universality of the fixture.

[0023] The present utility model provides a droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. The droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture provided by the present utility model is a sealing device composed of an upper cover, a PCB board, a pressing block, and a chip;

[0025] 2. A silicone cap is provided on the pressing block as a connecting piece, which seals and connects the conduit and the chip on the one hand, and can be compatible with a variety of pipe materials on the other hand;

[0026] 3. The present utility model can be compatible with a variety of chips, such as droplet generation chips, droplet sorting chips, droplet fusion chips, etc., and can be applied to a variety of application scenarios to realize the universality of the fixture.

[0027] 4. Electrode contacts are provided on the PCB board, which are in contact with the electrodes of the chip through the through holes on the pressing block to achieve electrical connection, and whether the PCB board is powered on can be selected according to chips with different functions; Description of the Drawings

[0028] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture for Example 1;

[0029] Figure 2 Top view schematic diagram of the upper cover for Example 1;

[0030] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the PCB board structure for Example 1;

[0031] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the pressing block structure for Example 1;

[0032] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the chip structure for Example 1. Detailed implementation manners

[0033] The following further describes in detail the preferred embodiments of the present utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following described embodiments are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present utility model and do not impose any limitations on it. The raw materials and equipment used in the specific embodiments of the present utility model are all known products and are obtained by purchasing commercially available products.

[0034] Embodiment 1. The droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture provided by the present utility model

[0035] The structural schematic diagram of the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture provided in this embodiment is as Figures 1 to 5 shown Figure 1 is the overall structural schematic diagram of the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture Figure 2 is the top view schematic diagram of the upper cover Figure 3 is the structural schematic diagram of the PCB board Figure 4 is the structural schematic diagram of the pressing block Figure 5 is the structural schematic diagram of the chip

[0036] As Figure 1 shown in the overall structural schematic diagram of the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture, the droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture provided by the present utility model is a sealing device composed of an upper cover 1, a PCB board 2, a pressing block 3, and a chip 4. In theory, the manufacturing materials of the upper cover, the PCB board, and the pressing block can be selected as long as they are materials for good electrical conductivity purposes. For example, metal materials such as aluminum, copper, and stainless steel can be selected, and a plastic plus surface electroplating solution can also be selected. However, considering cost, the fixture material selected in the present utility model is aluminum, and the metal material effectively realizes electrical shielding. In addition, setting a large area of ground on the PCB board can also effectively realize electrical shielding.

[0037] As Figure 2 the top view schematic diagram of the upper cover Figure 3 the structural schematic diagram of the PCB board, Figure 4 the structural schematic diagram of the pressing block, and Figure 5As shown in the schematic diagram of the chip structure, the PCB board and the pressure block are the core devices of the present utility model. The fixing ports 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the upper cover respectively correspond to the fixing ports 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the pressure block, and the fixing ports correspond to each other in pairs to fix the upper cover and the pressure block. 9 is an observation window, and 15 and 27 are through holes of the observation window on the PCB board and the pressure block respectively. The situation on the chip can be observed through these two through holes of the observation window 9. 14 are 4 electrode contacts of the PCB board, 26 are 4 through holes of the electrode contacts on the pressure block, and 34 are 4 electrodes on the chip. The electrode contacts of the PCB board pass through the corresponding through holes on the pressure block and contact the corresponding electrodes on the chip to achieve electrical connection. Whether the PCB board is powered on is selected according to the chips with different functions. When the chip is a droplet generation chip, dielectrophoretic force is not required, so it is not powered on; when the chip is a droplet fusion chip or a droplet sorting chip, the PCB board is needed, and the electrode contacts contact the electrodes on the chip to be powered on and operate, providing dielectrophoretic force for droplet fusion or droplet sorting. The electrode contacts are semiconductor test probes, and the convex part at the top of the electrode contacts is a spring thimble, which has corrosion resistance and wear resistance after electroplating process, so as to ensure that the probe can still maintain good electrical conductivity after long-term use. 28 and 29 are 6 silicone caps, which are embedded in the pressure block, and the grooves at the embedding positions are bonded with glue to achieve a sealing effect. There are through holes in the middle of these 6 silicone caps, and the through holes are connected to conduits. The silicone caps are compatible with a variety of pipe materials, including flexible pipes (such as commonly used Teflon pipes, PE pipes, PEEK pipes, etc.) and rigid pipes (stainless steel capillary tubes, glass capillary tubes, etc.). The conduits connected to the upper ends of the 3 silicone caps shown in figure 28 are respectively connected to the drag oil pipeline 40, the spacer oil pipeline 41, and the droplet inlet 42 from top to bottom, and the conduits connected to the upper ends of the 3 silicone caps shown in figure 29 are respectively connected to the propulsion phase pipeline 37, the positive outlet 38, and the negative outlet 39 from top to bottom; the lower ends of the 3 silicone caps shown in figure 28 correspond to the sample ports shown as 36 on the chip one by one, and the lower ends of the 3 silicone caps shown in figure 29 correspond to the sample ports shown as 35 on the chip one by one. Different functional chips should be used in combination with different functional pipes. There are also 6 through holes for the silicone caps on the PCB board, as shown in 16 and 17. The upper ends of the silicone caps are connected to conduits, and the conduits pass through the through holes on the PCB board and lead into the sample inlet pipeline or the sample outlet pipeline, so the through holes are used to provide connection space. 10, 11, 12, and 13 are 4 positioning posts of the PCB board, 22, 23, 24, and 25 are 4 positioning posts of the pressure block, and 30, 31, 32, and 33 are 4 positioning posts of the chip. The positioning posts at the same positions on the PCB board, the pressure block, and the chip correspond to each other. There are rectangular depressions on the upper and lower parts of the pressure block. The depression on the pressure block is fixed to the PCB board through the positioning posts, and the depression on the lower part of the pressure block is fixed to the chip through the positioning posts. The injection-molded shapes and sizes of different functional chips are the same, and the positions of the positioning posts are also the same. The positioning posts can only fix the pressure block and the chip, and the sealed connection between the silicone caps on the pressure block and the chip is achieved through pressure block bonding or mechanical pressing.For chips with different functions, adjust their flow channels to make the positions of the sample ports on different functional chips consistent, so as to correspond to the lower through holes of the silica gel caps. By setting the external dimensions, sample port positions, and electrode positions of different chips to be the same, the versatility of the present utility model is ensured.

[0038] Although the present utility model is disclosed as above, the present utility model is not limited thereto. It can be extended according to its application scope in the field of microfluidics. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the present utility model shall be subject to the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture, characterized in that A sealing device comprising a PCB board, a pressing block, and a chip. The PCB board is used for electrical connection with the chip. The pressing block is used for fixedly connecting the PCB board and the chip. The chip is one or more of a droplet generation chip, a droplet fusion chip, and a droplet sorting chip.

2. The droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that The PCB board can be powered on or off according to chips with different functions. The PCB board is also provided with electrode contacts and a large-area ground plane, and the large-area ground plane is used for electrical shielding.

3. The droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture according to claim 2, wherein The electrode contacts include semiconductor test probes, and the semiconductor test probes include spring thimbles.

4. The droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture according to claim 3, wherein The pressing block is provided with a silicone cap and a fixing hole. A through hole is provided inside the silicone cap, one end is connected to a conduit, and the other end is connected to the chip.

5. The droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture according to claim 4, characterized in that It further includes an upper cover. The upper cover is provided with an observation window and a fixing hole. The PCB board and the pressing block are provided with through holes of the observation window. The observation window is used to observe the chip through the through holes on the PCB board and the pressing block. The fixing hole of the upper cover and the fixing hole of the pressing block are used to fix the upper cover and the pressing block.

6. The droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture according to claim 5, wherein, The pressing block is provided with a pipeline for connecting the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit.

7. The droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture according to claim 6, characterized in that The inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are connected to the silicone cap for inputting samples into the chip or outputting droplets from the chip.

8. The droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture according to claim 7, wherein, The PCB board is provided with a through hole for the silicone cap to provide a connection space, and the pressing block is provided with a through hole for the electrode contact.

9. The droplet microfluidic chip encapsulation fixture according to claim 8, wherein, The chip is provided with an electrode, and the electrode contact contacts the electrode of the chip through the through hole on the pressing block for electrical connection.

10. The droplet microfluidic chip packaging fixture according to claim 9, characterized in that, The PCB board, the pressing block, and the chip are provided with corresponding positioning posts. The pressing block is respectively provided with rectangular depressions on the upper and lower sides. The depression on the upper side of the pressing block is fixed to the PCB board through the positioning post, and the depression on the lower side of the pressing block is fixed to the chip through the positioning post.

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