Microfluidic slide assembly

Abstract

The utility model provides a microfluidic slide glass assembly, the microfluidic slide glass assembly comprises a plurality of mutually connected and detachable slide glass units, each slide glass unit comprises at least one droplet generation subunit, each droplet generation subunit comprises a flow channel structure and a plurality of liquid storage tanks communicated with the flow channel structure, the bottom of each liquid storage tank is provided with a through hole, and the through hole is communicated with the flow channel structure. And the liquid storage tank is communicated with the flow channel structure through the through hole. According to the application, the plurality of slide glass units are detachably connected together, so that the simultaneous use of the plurality of slide glass units can be realized, the reaction flux is increased, and the liquid drop output efficiency is improved; when the micro-fluidic slide glass assembly is used, the number of the required slide glass units can be selected according to actual needs, and the redundant slide glass units are detached from the micro-fluidic slide glass assembly, so that the flexible selection of the number of the slide glass units is realized, the operation process can be simplified, the cost is saved, and the cleanliness of the detached idle slide glass units is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of microfluidics technology, and in particular to a microfluidics slide assembly. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidic chips, also known as labs on a chip, can integrate routine biochemical reactions within a few square centimeters and have been widely used in biology and chemistry. Specifically, droplet-based microfluidic chips utilize micron-scale flow channels to encapsulate single cells and reactants within picoliter- to nanoliter-sized droplets, creating multiple, mutually undisturbed microreaction systems and enabling single-cell analysis. Microfluidic droplet generation has the advantages of high throughput, uniform droplet size, simple operation, and easy fabrication of microfluidic chips, making it a mainstream technology for droplet generation.

[0003] However, as the cost of sequencing single cells continues to decrease, the droplet generation efficiency and processing throughput of existing microfluidic chips are limited and need to be further improved. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve at least one of the above defects, it is necessary to provide a microfluidic slide assembly.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a microfluidic slide assembly, comprising: a plurality of interconnected and detachable slide units, each of the slide units comprising at least one droplet generation subunit, each of the droplet generation subunits comprising a flow channel structure and a plurality of liquid reservoirs connected to the flow channel structure, each of the liquid reservoirs having a through hole at the bottom, the liquid reservoir being connected to the flow channel structure via the through hole.

[0006] In some possible embodiments, the carrier unit includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are stacked, and a sealing film located between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid storage tank is located on the first substrate, the flow channel structure is located on the first substrate or the second substrate, and the sealing film is used to seal the flow channel structure. In the microfluidic carrier assembly, all the first substrates or the second substrates on which the flow channel structure is set are independently arranged, and all the first substrates or the second substrates that are not set with the flow channel structure can be detachably connected to form a carrier connection seat.

[0007] In some possible embodiments, the first substrate includes at least one droplet generating subunit, the liquid reservoir is located on the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, the flow channel structure is located on the side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, the flow channel structure and the liquid reservoir are an integrally formed structure, and in the microfluidic carrier assembly, all the first substrates are independently arranged, and all the second substrates can be detachably connected to form the carrier connecting seat.

[0008] In some possible embodiments, two adjacent second substrates in the carrier connector are connected via a breakable connection structure.

[0009] In some possible embodiments, the connection structure has a broken portion, and along the stacking direction of the first substrate and the second substrate, the thickness of the broken portion is smaller than the thickness of other portions of the connection structure.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, a plurality of spaced connection structures are provided between two adjacent second substrates in the carrier connector.

[0011] In some possible embodiments, the first substrate is an injection-molded part, and the carrier connector is an injection-molded part.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the first substrate includes a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to each other, the second surface faces the second substrate, the plurality of liquid storage tanks are protruded from the first surface, the plurality of liquid storage tanks include a first liquid storage tank, the bottom of the first liquid storage tank is provided with a first through hole passing through the second surface, and the first liquid storage tank is connected to the flow channel structure through the first through hole.

[0013] In some possible embodiments, along the stacking direction of the first substrate and the second substrate, the first liquid storage tank includes a first cavity, a second cavity, and a third cavity that are connected in sequence, the end of the third cavity away from the second cavity is connected to the first through hole, the second cavity includes a first end connected to the first cavity and a second end connected to the third cavity, and at least a portion of the inner surface of the second cavity is an inclined surface, and the second end corresponding to the inclined surface is inclined in a direction close to the second surface.

[0014] In some possible embodiments, the angle between the inclined surface and the second surface is less than or equal to 5°, and / or the inner diameter of the third cavity decreases successively from one end close to the second cavity to one end close to the first through hole to form a tapered cavity.

[0015] In some possible embodiments, the sealing film includes a base material layer and an adhesive layer stacked on the periphery of one side of the base material layer. The sealing film is adhered to the surface of the first substrate or the second substrate on which the flow channel structure is formed, and the adhesive layer is located on the outside of the flow channel structure.

[0016] In some possible embodiments, the minimum distance between the through holes on two adjacent slide units is greater than or equal to 8 mm.

[0017] The microfluidic slide assembly provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize the simultaneous use of multiple slide units by detachably connecting multiple slide units together, thereby increasing the reaction flux and improving the droplet production efficiency; when in use, the required number of slide units can be selected according to actual needs, and the excess slide units can be detached from the microfluidic slide assembly, thereby realizing flexible selection of the number of slide units, simplifying the operating process, saving costs, and ensuring the cleanliness of the detached idle slide units.

[0018] On the other hand, by independently setting the first substrate or the second substrate with the flow channel structure, and detachably connecting the first substrate or the second substrate without the flow channel structure, the substrate with the flow channel structure is separately molded on the premise of realizing the detachability of the carrier unit. The molding is easy, and the dimensional accuracy of the flow channel structure is higher, which is conducive to improving the yield rate and avoiding the problem of excessive difference in flow channel size caused by the overall molding of multiple substrates with flow channel structures.

[0019] On the other hand, by designing the bottom of the first liquid storage tank into a special-shaped surface, it can be adapted to an automated pipetting platform, effectively reducing the problem of liquid hanging on the wall and bottom when sucking out the droplets. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a microfluidic slide assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the microfluidic slide assembly shown.

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the slide unit obtained by disassembling the microfluidic slide assembly shown.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the first substrate.

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of the first substrate from another perspective.

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 4 sectional view of the first substrate.

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the sealing membrane.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of a first substrate according to another embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A structural schematic diagram of the first substrate from another perspective.

[0030] Figure 10 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle carrier board connector.

[0031] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of two adjacent second substrates in the middle carrier connector.

[0032] Figure 12 for Figure 1 Partial cross-section along AA.

[0033] Description of main component symbols

[0034]

[0035] .

[0036] The following specific implementation methods will further illustrate the present application in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "mounted on" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is referred to as being "disposed on" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be a central component. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes all and any combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0039] In order to further improve the droplet generation efficiency and processing throughput of the existing microfluidic chip, the applicant of this application has previously researched and developed an integrated microfluidic chip, which has multiple droplet generation subunits arranged at intervals, which can improve the flux and droplet generation efficiency. However, this integrated structure also has some problems. First, the multiple droplet generation units are a whole. When the multiple microchannels are integrally injection molded, it is difficult to ensure that the injection molding accuracy of the microchannels of each droplet generation subunit is consistent, which requires high injection molding technology and reduces the yield of the finished product. Secondly, in actual use, when the sample volume is less than the number of droplet generation subunits, it is necessary to add special reagents to the idle droplet generation subunits to seal them. When the droplet generation subunit is used again, the sealed reagent must be sucked out, which increases the complexity of the operation and increases the cost. In addition, the idle droplet generation subunits are also at risk of being contaminated by reagents or the environment, affecting subsequent use.

[0040] To do this, see Figure 1 As shown, the present embodiment provides a microfluidic slide assembly 100, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The microfluidic slide assembly 100 includes a plurality of interconnected and detachable slide units 10. Each slide unit 10 includes at least one droplet generation subunit 20. The droplet generation subunit 20 is used to generate droplets. Each droplet generation subunit 20 includes a flow channel structure 1 and a plurality of liquid reservoirs 2 connected to the flow channel structure 1. The flow channel structure 1 can be used to form droplets from a liquid, and the liquid reservoirs 2 can be used to store the liquid or to store the generated droplets. Specifically, a through hole 21 is provided at the bottom of the liquid reservoir 2, and the liquid reservoir 2 is connected to the flow channel structure 1 through the through hole 21.

[0041] The slide unit 10 includes a first substrate 3 and a second substrate 4 stacked together. The droplet generation subunit 20 is located on the first substrate 3, that is, both the flow channel structure 1 and the liquid reservoir 2 are located on the first substrate 3. To achieve sealing of the flow channel structure 1, a sealing film 5 is provided on the surface of the first substrate 3 facing the second substrate 4, which is used to seal the flow channel structure 1. In the microfluidic slide assembly 100, all first substrates 3 with flow channel structures 1 are independently provided, while all second substrates 4 without flow channel structures 1 can be detachably connected to form a slide connector 30. Specifically, in this embodiment, the flow channel structure 1 and the liquid reservoir 2 are integrally formed on the first substrate 3, and each first substrate 3 is individually molded. This makes molding easier, improves the dimensional accuracy of the flow channel structure 1, and facilitates improved product yield. This effectively solves the problem of large channel dimensional differences caused by integral molding of a substrate with multiple microfluidic channels, as previously described. Furthermore, since both the flow channel structure 1 and the liquid reservoir 2 are on the first substrate 3, there is no need for a sealed connection to the second substrate 4, making assembly easier. There is no matching dimensional tolerance between the flow channel structure 1 and the liquid reservoir 2 during molding, reducing the molding difficulty. In addition, all the second substrates 4 in the carrier connector 30 can be detachably connected, and the number of second substrates 4 can be flexibly selected according to actual needs. Further, in combination with the independently arranged first substrate 3, a microfluidic carrier assembly 100 with the required number of carrier units 10 can be formed, which is beneficial to improving the processing throughput and droplet generation efficiency, simplifying the operating process, saving costs, and ensuring the cleanliness of the idle carrier units 10 that have been detached.

[0042] There is no limit to the number of droplet generation subunits 20 on a single first substrate 3 and it can be designed according to actual needs. Specifically, in this embodiment, one first substrate 3 has one droplet generation subunit 20, that is, one flow channel structure 1 and multiple liquid storage tanks 2 connected to the flow channel structure 1. In other embodiments, such as Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, a plurality (eg, two) of droplet generation subunits 20 may be provided on a first substrate 3 .

[0043] It is understandable that in other embodiments, since the molding accuracy requirements of the liquid storage tank are not high, the liquid storage tank can also be set on the second substrate, and the flow channel structure can be set only on the first substrate. At this time, a sealing film with a double-sided adhesive layer is required to achieve the connection and sealing between the flow channel structure and the liquid storage tank.

[0044] See also Figures 4 to 6 As shown, refer to Figure 3 The first substrate 3 includes a first surface 31 and a second surface 32 that are oppositely disposed, with the second surface 32 facing the second substrate 4. A plurality of liquid reservoirs 2 are protruding from the first surface 31, and the flow channel structure 1 is formed on the second surface 32. In some embodiments, the flow channel structure 1 and the liquid reservoirs 2 are integrally formed by injection molding, and the first substrate 3 is an injection-molded part.

[0045] The flow channel structure 1 includes a dispersed phase channel 11, a continuous phase channel 12, and a confluence channel 13. The dispersed phase channel 11 is connected to a corresponding reservoir 2 storing dispersed phase liquid, and the continuous phase channel 12 is connected to a corresponding reservoir 2 storing continuous phase liquid. The dispersed phase channel 11 and the continuous phase channel 12 converge at the confluence channel 13. Thus, the dispersed phase liquid and the continuous phase liquid can converge at the confluence channel 13 through the dispersed phase channel 11 and the continuous phase channel 12, respectively, and further generate droplets. The generated droplets then enter the corresponding reservoir 2 storing droplets. Different dispersed phase liquids enter different dispersed phase channels 11, and the continuous phase liquid enters the continuous phase channel 12. At the intersection of the continuous phase channel 12 and the dispersed phase channel 11, the dispersed phase liquid (e.g., aqueous phase liquid) is broken into multiple water-in-oil droplets due to the shear force of the continuous phase liquid (e.g., oil phase liquid) and the interfacial tension between the two phases. The droplets pass through the confluence channel 13 and are collected in the reservoir 2 for storing droplets. In addition, according to actual needs, the flow channel structure 1 may further include a functional cavity (not shown).

[0046] In some embodiments, the second surface 32 of the first substrate 3 is recessed toward the first surface 31 to form the flow channel structure 1 , thereby improving the molding accuracy of the flow channel structure 1 .

[0047] In some embodiments, the first substrate 3 may be an injection-molded part, which is beneficial for improving precision, reducing costs and facilitating mass production.

[0048] In some embodiments, because microfluidic droplet generation requires a highly hydrophobic dispersion of the flow channel structure 1 (for example, when forming water-in-oil droplets, the flow channel structure 1 must be hydrophobic), the first substrate 3 can be made of a hydrophobic material, thereby facilitating the formation of a flow channel structure 1 with a hydrophobic dispersion, thereby facilitating droplet formation. In other embodiments, the second surface 32 of the first substrate 3 can be modified to achieve a good hydrophobic dispersion on the surface of the flow channel structure 1.

[0049] like Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the sealing film 5 includes a base material layer 51 and an adhesive layer 52 stacked on the periphery of one side of the base material layer 51. The sealing film 5 is adhered to the surface of the first substrate 3, and the adhesive layer 52 is located on the outside of the flow channel structure 1, so that the sealing film 5 is adhered to the second surface 32 of the first substrate 3 to achieve sealing of the flow channel structure 1. At the same time, the adhesive layer 52 will not extend excessively into the flow channel structure 1 to avoid clogging the flow channel and affecting droplet generation.

[0050] In some embodiments, substrate layer 51 may be a rigid plastic film. Firstly, rigid plastic film is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Secondly, rigid plastic film helps enhance the overall structural strength of sealing film 5. Rigid plastic film materials may include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyethylene, polymaleic anhydride ester, polypropylene, polycarbonate, or nylon.

[0051] In some embodiments, the adhesive layer 52 may be a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA). A sealed connection is achieved by laminating the first substrate 3 and the sealing film 5 and pressing them together. The PSA may be, but is not limited to, a silicone-based PSA, an acrylic PSA, a tacky block copolymer PSA, a polyurethane PSA, or a vinyl acetate PSA.

[0052] In some embodiments, the surface of a portion of the substrate layer 51 constitutes the inner surface of the flow channel structure 1 . Therefore, this portion of the substrate layer 51 also needs to be subjected to a phase-dispersing treatment to further improve the phase-dispersing effect of the entire flow channel structure 1 .

[0053] The multiple liquid storage tanks 2 include a first liquid storage tank 2a, and the bottom of the first liquid storage tank 2a is provided with a first through hole 21a that passes through the second surface 32. The first liquid storage tank 2a is connected to the flow channel structure 1 through the first through hole 21. The first liquid storage tank 2a can be used to store continuous phase liquid, and can also be used to store droplets generated in the flow channel structure 1. Specifically, the number of first liquid storage tanks 2a is two. One first liquid storage tank 2a-1 is used to store continuous phase liquid and is connected to the continuous phase channel 12 through the first through hole 21a-1. Another first liquid storage tank 2a-2 is used to store generated droplets, and the confluence channel 13 of the flow channel structure 1 is connected to the first through hole 21a-2 at the bottom of the first liquid storage tank 2a-2, so that the droplets formed in the flow channel structure 1 can enter the first liquid storage tank 2a-2 through the first through hole 21a-2, so that a pipetting mechanism such as a pipette gun or a pipette can take out the droplets from the first liquid storage tank 2a-2.

[0054] In some embodiments, along the stacking direction a of the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4, the first liquid reservoir 2a includes a first chamber 22, a second chamber 23, and a third chamber 24, which are sequentially connected. The end of the third chamber 24, which is away from the second chamber 23, is connected to the first through-hole 21a. The second chamber 23 includes a first end 231 connected to the first chamber 22 and a second end 232 connected to the third chamber 24. At least a portion of the inner surface of the second chamber 23 is an inclined surface 233, and the second end 232 corresponding to the inclined surface 233 is inclined in a direction approaching the second surface 32. In other words, the distance H between the inclined surface 233 and the second surface 32 of the first substrate 3 decreases from the first end 231 to the second end 232. That is, the second end 232 corresponding to the inclined surface 233 is close to the second surface 32, and the first end 231 corresponding to the inclined surface 233 is inclined in a direction away from the second surface 32, forming an acute angle α between the inclined surface 233 and the second surface 32. The inner walls and bottom surfaces of the liquid reservoirs of existing microfluidic chips are prone to liquid buildup. When transferring product droplets using an automated pipetting platform, the pipette tip can only aspirate vertically, preventing the complete removal of the liquid. In this embodiment, the bottom second chamber 23 of the first liquid reservoir 2a is formed with a shaped, inclined surface 233 with a certain gradient. This problem of liquid buildup on the inner walls of the second chamber 23 is reduced, allowing the complete removal of the liquid from the first liquid reservoir 2a using a conventional automated pipetting platform. This design is particularly suitable for the first liquid reservoir 2a-2, which stores generated droplets, to facilitate complete removal of the droplets.

[0055] In some embodiments, the angle α between the inclined surface 233 and the second surface 32 is less than or equal to 5°. A moderate inclination can help the liquid on the inner wall of the first liquid storage tank 2a to gather toward the bottom of the second cavity 23, so as to facilitate the use of a vertical pipette or pipette to suck out all the liquid.

[0056] In some embodiments, the inclined surface 233 may also be a curved surface convex toward the second surface 32 with a smaller curvature, so that the liquid in the second cavity 23 can further gather toward the bottom of the inclined surface 233 for easy absorption.

[0057] In some embodiments, the inner diameter L1 of the third cavity 24 decreases gradually from the end near the second cavity 23 to the end near the first through hole 21, forming a tapered cavity. The tapered third cavity 24, combined with the second cavity 23 having the profiled inclined surface 233, can further cause liquid to accumulate at the bottom of the first liquid reservoir 2a, facilitating aspiration.

[0058] It can be understood that the inclined surface 233 has a smooth transition with the inner surface of the first cavity 22 and the inner surface of the third cavity 24, so that the second cavity 23 and the third cavity 24 constitute a special-shaped curved surface structure with a smooth inner wall, which can further achieve the liquid gathering at the bottom of the special-shaped curved surface structure for easy suction.

[0059] The plurality of liquid reservoirs 2 further comprises a second liquid reservoir 2b, the bottom of the second liquid reservoir 2b is provided with a second through hole 21b penetrating the second surface 32. The second liquid reservoir 2b is used to store the dispersed phase liquid, so that the dispersed phase liquid can enter the flow channel structure 1 from the second through hole 21b to further form liquid droplets. Specifically, the number of second liquid reservoirs 2b can be two, which are used to store different dispersed phase liquids, and are in communication with different dispersed phase channels 11 through corresponding second through holes 21b, so as to facilitate the addition of different dispersed phase liquids into the flow channel structure 1.

[0060] In some embodiments, along the stacking direction a, the second liquid reservoir 2b comprises a fourth cavity 25 and a fifth cavity 26 in communication with each other, the inner diameter L2 of the fifth cavity 26 decreases from one end close to the fourth cavity 25 to one end close to the second through hole 21b, to form a tapered cavity. The second liquid reservoir 2b has a tapered bottom, which is beneficial for the liquid to enter the flow channel structure 1.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 as shown, and in combination with Figures 1 to 3 , all the second substrates 4 in the carrier connecting seat 30 are detachably connected, thereby forming a detachable integrated structure. In the microfluidic slide assembly 100 in the embodiment, a plurality of independent first substrates 3 have flow channel structures 1 and liquid reservoirs 2, and the integrated carrier connecting seat 30 with a plurality of detachable second substrates 4 forms a corresponding base for the first substrates 3. By mounting the independent first substrates 3 on the corresponding second substrates 4, an integrated microfluidic slide assembly 100 with a plurality of slide units 10 can be formed. The assembled microfluidic slide assembly 100 can be disassembled according to the use requirements, and each slide unit 10 can be used interchangeably after disassembly. It can be understood that the second substrates 4 that are not needed can also be disassembled before assembly, and the corresponding first substrates 3 and the remaining second substrates 4 can be assembled one by one after disassembly.

[0062] The plurality of second substrates 4 that are connected to each other and detachable are made by integral molding, for example, they can be injection molded parts obtained by injection molding. The second substrate 4 mainly serves to connect a plurality of independent first substrates 3 and can achieve the detachable purpose of the slide unit 10. The second substrate 4 does not need to be provided with the flow channel structure 1 and the liquid reservoir 2, and the molding is easy, especially without the need to set the flow channel structure 1. The plurality of second substrates 4 do not need to control high molding precision during integral molding, which reduces the molding difficulty and improves the product yield and production efficiency.

[0063] In some embodiments, in the microfluidic slide assembly 100, the adjacent two second substrates 4 are connected by the breakable connecting structure 6. The breakable connecting structure 6 is simple in structure and easy to mold, and the breakable disassembly method is convenient to operate.

[0064] In some embodiments, the connection structure 6 includes a break portion 61. Along the stacking direction a, the thickness h1 of the break portion 61 is less than the thickness h2 of the remaining portions of the connection structure 6. For example, the opposing ends of the connection structure 6 can be connected to the sidewalls of two adjacent second substrates 4, with the thickness of the connection structure 6 decreasing from the end closest to the second substrate 4 toward the middle of the connection structure 6, thereby forming a thinner and weaker break portion 61. The thickness h1 of the break portion 61 needs to be controlled within a reasonable range to ensure a stable connection between the two adjacent second substrates 4 while also being capable of breaking under external force.

[0065] In some embodiments, in the microfluidic slide assembly 100, a plurality of spaced connection structures 6 are provided between two adjacent second substrates 4. The plurality of spaced connection structures 6 ensures that the two adjacent second substrates 4 are stably connected while being easily broken and separated.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 are both roughly rectangular structures, multiple second substrates 4 are arranged side by side along the width direction b, and multiple connecting structures 6 are arranged at intervals on the side walls of the long sides of the second substrates 4, that is, the long sides of two adjacent second substrates 4 are close to each other.

[0067] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 , and refer to Figures 4 to 6 as well as Figure 10 In each carrier unit 10, the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 are detachably connected, which can improve the convenience of assembling the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4, and can also flexibly match the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 to facilitate replacement of the first substrate 3 or the second substrate 4.

[0068] The first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 are detachably connected via a connecting assembly 7. Specifically, the connecting assembly 7 includes a first connecting portion 71 provided on the first substrate 3 and a second connecting portion 72 provided on the second substrate 4, wherein the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 are detachably connected, thereby achieving a detachable connection between the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 are connected by snapping, wherein the first connecting portion 71 can be a buckle, and the second connecting portion 72 can be a latch that cooperates with the buckle, and the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 are detachably connected by the buckle and the latch. It is understandable that the first connecting portion 71 can also be set as a latch, and the second connecting portion 72 can be set as a buckle. Since the molding of the second substrate 4 is relatively simple, and in order to reduce the molding difficulty of the first substrate 3, the buckle is usually molded on the second substrate 4. In addition, the first substrate 3 is provided with a plurality of first connecting portions 71 at opposite ends along the length direction c, and the second substrate 4 is provided with a plurality of second connecting portions 72 at opposite ends along the length direction c. The first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 are connected by snapping at the two ends of the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 where the connecting structure 6 is not provided, which facilitates disassembly and assembly without affecting the breaking of the connecting structure 6.

[0070] A positioning assembly 8 is also provided on the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 4 to facilitate positioning of the first substrate 3 on the second substrate 4 during assembly, thereby improving assembly accuracy and efficiency. Specifically, the positioning assembly 8 includes a first positioning portion 81 provided on the first substrate 3 and a second positioning portion 82 provided on the second substrate 4. The first positioning portion 81 extends into the second positioning portion 82, and vice versa, to position the second substrate 4 on the first substrate 3.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first positioning portion 81 may be a positioning post or a positioning hole, and the second positioning portion 82 may be a positioning hole or a positioning post. Specifically, the second surface 32 of the first substrate 3 is recessed toward the first surface 31 to form a positioning hole, and the second substrate 4 has a positioning post formed corresponding to the positioning hole.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first positioning portion 81 may be provided near the first connecting portion 71, and the second positioning portion 82 may be provided near the second connecting portion 72. Specifically, two first connecting portions 71 and one first positioning portion 81 are provided on two opposite short sides of the second substrate 4, respectively, and two second connecting portions 72 and one second positioning portion 82 are provided on two opposite short sides of the first substrate 3, respectively, to achieve detachable connection and positioning of the first substrate 3 on the second substrate 4.

[0073] like Figure 12 As shown, the microfluidic slide assembly 100 can implement multi-channel droplet generation. To accommodate sample loading and sampling using a pistol, the minimum distance L3 between the through-holes 21 at the bottom of the reservoir 2 of two adjacent slide units 10 must be greater than or equal to 8 mm. Specifically, the distance L3 between the two closest through-holes 21 in two adjacent slide units 10 must be greater than or equal to 8 mm.

[0074] The method for preparing the aforementioned microfluidic slide assembly 100 specifically includes the following steps:

[0075] In step S1 , a plurality of independently arranged first substrates 3 and a carrier connecting seat 30 are obtained by injection molding. The carrier connecting seat 30 includes a plurality of mutually connected and detachable second substrates 4 .

[0076] The structures of the first substrate 3 and the carrier connector 30 are as described above and will not be elaborated on here.

[0077] To enhance the subsequent phase-dispersing effect of the microfluidic slide assembly 100, a phase-dispersing material can be selected for injection molding when preparing the first substrate 3 having the flow channel structure 1. The second substrate 4, however, lacks the flow channel structure 1, requiring less phase-dispersing properties, allowing for greater flexibility in material selection. Because the first and second substrates 3, 4 are prepared completely independently, their materials can be adjusted and matched as needed, thereby reducing the production cost of the microfluidic slide assembly 100. Furthermore, since the first substrate 3 having the flow channel structure 1 is independently molded, dimensional accuracy control is easier, reducing the molding difficulty.

[0078] In step S2 , the first substrate 3 and the sealing film 5 are laminated and hot-pressed, and the flow channel structure 1 on the first substrate 3 is sealed by the sealing film 5 .

[0079] The adhesive layer 52 of the sealing film 5 is attached to the second surface 32 of the first substrate 3 and avoids the flow channel structure 1 .

[0080] Since hot pressing increases the fluidity of the adhesive layer 52 , in order to reduce the risk of the adhesive layer 52 overflowing and clogging the flow channel structure 1 after hot pressing, a width for adhesive overflow should be reserved when the adhesive layer 52 is disposed on the substrate layer 51 .

[0081] The adhesive material may include but is not limited to pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive may be but is not limited to acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive, viscous block copolymer pressure-sensitive adhesive, polyurethane pressure-sensitive adhesive, vinyl acetate pressure-sensitive adhesive, etc.

[0082] The substrate layer 51 may be, but is not limited to, a hard plastic film. The material of the hard plastic film may include, but is not limited to, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyethylene, polymaleic anhydride ester, polypropylene, polycarbonate, or nylon.

[0083] In some embodiments, before hot pressing in step S12 , a phase-dispersing film (not shown) may be laminated between the sealing film 5 and the first substrate 3 to enhance the phase-dispersing effect of the flow channel structure 1 .

[0084] In step S3 , a plurality of first substrates 3 laminated with sealing films 5 are mounted on corresponding second substrates 4 on the substrate connector 30 to form a microfluidic slide assembly 100 having a plurality of slide units 10 arranged side by side.

[0085] Specifically, the first positioning portion 81 on each first substrate 3 is extended into the second positioning portion 82 on the corresponding second substrate 4 to position the first substrate 3 on the second substrate 4; then, the first connecting portions 71 at both ends of the first substrate 3 are snapped into the corresponding second connecting portions 72 of the second substrate 4 to achieve detachable installation.

[0086] When droplet generation is performed using the aforementioned microfluidic slide assembly 100:

[0087] First, according to actual needs, the number of slide units 10 in the microfluidic slide assembly 100 is selected, and the excess slide units 10 are separated from the microfluidic slide assembly 100. The excess slide units 10 can be separated by breaking. Specifically, the slide units 10 can be separated by breaking the connecting structure 6 between two adjacent second substrates 4 on the carrier connector 30. It is understandable that the excess second substrates 4 can also be separated from the carrier connector 30 first, and then the independently arranged first substrates 3 are installed on the remaining second substrates 4 on the carrier connector 30. Thereafter, the separated microfluidic slide assembly 100 is installed on the operating table and the continuous phase liquid and the dispersed phase liquid are respectively added to the different liquid reservoirs 2 in each slide unit 10. Then, by changing the pressure in each slide unit 10 in the microfluidic slide assembly 100, the continuous phase liquid and the dispersed phase liquid are caused to converge in the flow channel structure 1 and form droplets. Finally, a pipette or a pipette is inserted into the first liquid storage tank 2a-2 to absorb the liquid droplets.

[0088] The microfluidic slide assembly 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can realize the simultaneous use of multiple slide units 10 by detachably connecting multiple slide units 10, which is beneficial to increasing the reaction flux, improving the efficiency of droplet preparation, and also realizing the simultaneous preparation of different droplets; moreover, when in use, the required number of slide units 10 can be selected according to actual needs, and the excess slide units 10 can be detached from the microfluidic slide assembly 100, thereby realizing flexible selection of the number of slide units 10, simplifying the operating process, saving costs, and ensuring the cleanliness of the detached idle slide units 10.

[0089] On the other hand, by independently setting the first substrate 3 or the second substrate 4 with the flow channel structure 1, and detachably connecting the first substrate 3 or the second substrate 4 without the flow channel structure 1, on the premise of realizing the detachability of the carrier unit 10, the substrate with the flow channel structure 1 is separately molded, the molding is easy, and the dimensional accuracy of the flow channel structure 1 is higher, which is conducive to improving the yield rate and avoiding the problem of excessive difference in flow channel size caused by the integral molding of multiple substrates with the flow channel structure 1.

[0090] In yet another aspect, by designing the bottom of the first liquid storage tank 2a as a special-shaped surface, the automated pipetting platform can be adapted, and the problem of liquid hanging on the wall and the bottom can be effectively reduced when the liquid is sucked out.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not limiting. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced equivalently without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A microfluidic slide assembly for generating droplets, characterized in that include: A plurality of interconnected and detachable carrier units, each of which includes at least one droplet generation subunit, each of which includes a flow channel structure and a plurality of liquid storage tanks connected to the flow channel structure, each of which has a through hole at the bottom, and the liquid storage tank is connected to the flow channel structure through the through hole.

2. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 1, wherein The carrier unit includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are stacked together, and a sealing film located between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid storage tank is located on the first substrate, and the flow channel structure is located on the first substrate or the second substrate. The sealing film is used to seal the flow channel structure. In the microfluidic carrier assembly, all the first substrates or the second substrates with the flow channel structure are independently arranged, and all the first substrates or the second substrates without the flow channel structure can be detachably connected to form a carrier connection seat.

3. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The first substrate includes at least one droplet generation subunit, the liquid reservoir is located on the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, the flow channel structure is located on the side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and the flow channel structure and the liquid reservoir are an integrally formed structure. In the microfluidic carrier assembly, all the first substrates are independently arranged, and all the second substrates can be detachably connected to form the carrier connecting seat.

4. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 3, wherein Two adjacent second substrates in the carrier connecting seat are connected via a breakable connecting structure.

5. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The connection structure has a broken portion. Along the stacking direction of the first substrate and the second substrate, the thickness of the broken portion is smaller than the thickness of other portions of the connection structure.

6. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 5, wherein: A plurality of spaced connection structures are provided between two adjacent second substrates in the carrier connection seat.

7. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The first substrate is an injection-molded part, and the carrier connecting seat is an injection-molded part.

8. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The first substrate includes a first surface and a second surface arranged opposite to each other, the second surface faces the second substrate, and the multiple liquid storage tanks are protruded from the first surface. The multiple liquid storage tanks include a first liquid storage tank, and the bottom of the first liquid storage tank is provided with a first through hole passing through the second surface, and the first liquid storage tank is connected to the flow channel structure through the first through hole.

9. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 8, wherein Along the stacking direction of the first substrate and the second substrate, the first liquid storage tank includes a first cavity, a second cavity, and a third cavity that are connected in sequence, the end of the third cavity away from the second cavity is connected to the first through hole, the second cavity includes a first end connected to the first cavity and a second end connected to the third cavity, at least a portion of the inner surface of the second cavity is an inclined surface, and the second end corresponding to the inclined surface is inclined in a direction close to the second surface.

10. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The angle between the inclined surface and the second surface is less than or equal to 5°; and / or the inner diameter of the third cavity decreases from one end close to the second cavity to one end close to the first through hole to form a tapered cavity.

11. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The sealing film includes a base material layer and an adhesive layer stacked on the periphery of one side of the base material layer. The sealing film is attached to the surface of the first substrate or the second substrate where the flow channel structure is formed, and the adhesive layer is located outside the flow channel structure.

12. The microfluidic slide assembly according to claim 1, wherein The minimum distance between the through holes on two adjacent carrier units is greater than or equal to 8 mm.

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