Half-mold-closing carrier and micro-fluidic chip

Abstract

The utility model discloses a half-mold-closing carrier and a micro-fluidic chip, and relates to the technical field of micro-fluidic chips, the half-mold-closing carrier comprises a main carrier, a first assembly carrier and a second assembly carrier; the main carrier is sequentially divided into a first carrier section, a second carrier section and a third carrier section along the length direction of the main carrier; a first pipe collecting groove is formed in the top surface of the first carrier section; a liquid storage channel is arranged in the second carrier section; the top surface of the third carrier section is provided with a first phase pipe groove; the first assembling carrier is assembled on the first carrier section, and a second pipe collecting groove matched with the first pipe collecting groove to form a pipe collecting channel is formed in the bottom surface of the first assembling carrier; the pipe collecting channel is coaxially communicated with the liquid storage channel; the second assembly carrier is assembled on the third carrier section, and the bottom surface of the second assembly carrier is provided with a second phase pipe groove matched with the first phase pipe groove to form a phase pipe channel; the phase pipe channel is coaxially communicated with the liquid storage channel; the main carrier is provided with a first channel inlet communicated with the liquid storage channel. The design and assembly are simple, the manual operation time is effectively shortened, and errors are reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of microfluidic chip, in particular to a semi-mold carrier and a microfluidic chip. BACKGROUND

[0002] The microfluidic chip is a technology platform for manipulating fluid in a micron-scale space, and the sleeve type microfluidic chip is one of the microfluidic chips.

[0003] The existing capillary sleeve structure uses a needle as a fixed support and a liquid storage cavity, uses a glass slide as a support, and then uses glue to fix and seal. First, use the cutting pliers to process the dispensing pillow, so that the three needles are clamped with three glass tubes of different sizes, then perform sleeve coupling under a microscope to complete the coaxial alignment operation, and finally perform glue fixing.

[0004] When using the cutting pliers to process the needle, 6 diameters need to be cut out from 3 needles, and the force needs to be accurately controlled during the processing. The processing is tedious and time-consuming, and needle cutting failure is prone to occur.

[0005] After processing the needle, pre-assembly needs to be performed first, and the needle, glass tube and glass slide are assembled from inside to outside / small to large. The assembly is tedious and time-consuming, and coaxiality failure is prone to occur.

[0006] When using glue to fix, the amount and position of the glue need to be very careful and accurate. However, it is difficult to control the amount, and glue blocking is prone to occur.

[0007] In summary, the existing microfluidic chip has the technical problems of high manufacturing difficulty, tedious process, low success rate, and one-time product that cannot be reused. CONTENT OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Therefore, the purpose of the present application is to provide a semi-mold carrier and a microfluidic chip, which has low manufacturing difficulty, simple process, high success rate, and can be reused.

[0009] To achieve the above technical purpose, the present application provides a semi-mold carrier, which comprises a main carrier, a first assembly carrier and a second assembly carrier.

[0010] The main carrier is sequentially divided into a first carrier section, a second carrier section and a third carrier section along the length direction of the main carrier;

[0011] The top surface of the first carrier section is provided with a first tube receiving groove;

[0012] The second carrier section is provided with a liquid storage channel;

[0013] The top surface of the third carrier section is provided with a first capillary tube groove;

[0014] The first assembly carrier is assembled on the first carrier section and is provided with a second tube receiving groove on the bottom surface, which cooperates with the first tube receiving groove to form a tube receiving channel;

[0015] The tube receiving channel is coaxially communicated with the liquid storage channel;

[0016] The second assembly carrier is assembled on the third carrier section and is provided with a second phase tube groove on the bottom surface, which cooperates with the first phase tube groove to form a phase tube channel;

[0017] The phase tube channel is coaxially communicated with the liquid storage channel;

[0018] The main carrier is provided with a first channel inlet on the top surface, which is communicated with the liquid storage channel.

[0019] Further, the second carrier section is provided with an observation opening on the top surface, which is communicated with the liquid storage channel;

[0020] The second carrier section is provided with a transparent cover on the top surface, which covers the observation opening.

[0021] Further, the first assembly carrier and the second assembly carrier are both provided with a first positioning structure;

[0022] The first carrier section and the third carrier section are both provided with a second positioning structure, which cooperates with the first positioning structure.

[0023] Further, the first positioning structure is a positioning column;

[0024] The second positioning structure is a positioning groove for the positioning column.

[0025] Further, the liquid storage channel is provided with a coaxial guide structure.

[0026] Further, the coaxial guide structure includes at least two guide blocks;

[0027] The guide blocks are provided with guide grooves.

[0028] Further, the main carrier, the first assembly carrier and the second assembly carrier are all prepared by 3D printing.

[0029] Further, the first assembly carrier and the first carrier section and the second assembly carrier and the third carrier section are both connected by glue sealing.

[0030] The application further discloses a microfluidic chip, which comprises a receiving tube, an inner phase tube and the semi-molded carrier.

[0031] The inner phase tube is installed in the phase tube channel of the semi-molded carrier and extends into the liquid storage channel of the semi-molded carrier at one end to form an inner phase droplet.

[0032] The receiving tube is installed in the receiving channel of the semi-mold carrier and extends into the liquid storage channel at one end for receiving the inner phase droplet.

[0033] The present application also discloses a microfluidic chip comprising the receiving tube, the intermediate phase tube, the inner phase tube and the semi-mold carrier.

[0034] The intermediate phase tube and the inner phase tube are installed in the phase tube channel of the semi-mold carrier.

[0035] The inner phase tube extends into the intermediate phase tube at one end for forming the inner phase droplet.

[0036] The intermediate phase tube extends into the liquid storage channel of the semi-mold carrier at one end for forming the intermediate phase droplet with the inner phase droplet.

[0037] The semi-mold carrier is provided with a second channel inlet communicating with the intermediate phase tube.

[0038] The receiving tube is installed in the receiving channel of the semi-mold carrier and extends into the liquid storage channel at one end for receiving the intermediate phase droplet.

[0039] From the above technical solutions, it can be seen that the semi-mold carrier designed by the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0040] 1. The model design (processing the required liquid storage channel, receiving tube channel and phase tube channel on the carrier for installing the capillary tube) is used to replace the traditional needle, the overall manufacturing difficulty is reduced, and the success rate is also improved.

[0041] 2. Simple assembly, reduces manual operation time and reduces errors.

[0042] 3. The liquid storage channel is used to replace the traditional outer phase tube, which reduces the alignment operation in the sleeve and reduces errors.

[0043] 4. The receiving tube channel and the phase tube channel are designed by semi-mold, so that the receiving tube and the inner phase tube / intermediate phase tube are convenient to disassemble and replace, and the semi-mold carrier can be reused.

[0044] From the above technical solutions, it can be seen that the single-milk microfluidic chip designed by the present application comprises the semi-mold carrier, the inner phase tube and the receiving tube designed above, which has the same technical effects as the semi-mold carrier.

[0045] From the above technical solutions, it can be seen that the double-milk microfluidic chip designed by the present application comprises the semi-mold carrier, the intermediate phase tube, the inner phase tube and the receiving tube designed above, which has the same technical effects as the semi-mold carrier. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0046] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description only represent some of the embodiments of the present application, and all of the other drawings can be obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without any creative effort based on these drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 It is a first perspective view of a semi-die carrier provided in the present application.

[0048] Figure 2 It is a second perspective view of a semi-die carrier provided in the present application.

[0049] Figure 3 It is a sectional view of a semi-die carrier provided in the present application.

[0050] Figure 4 It is a perspective view of a main carrier of a semi-die carrier provided in the present application.

[0051] Figure 5 It is a perspective view of a first assembly carrier and a second assembly carrier of a semi-die carrier provided in the present application.

[0052] Figure 6 It is a sectional view of a single-milk microfluidic chip provided in the present application.

[0053] Figure 7 It is a sectional view of a double-milk microfluidic chip provided in the present application.

[0054] In the drawings: 1, main carrier; 11, first carrier segment; 12, second carrier segment; 13, third carrier segment; 14, first channel inlet; 15, second channel inlet; 16, protruding part; 2, first assembly carrier; 3, second assembly carrier; 4, collection channel; 41, first collection groove; 42, second collection groove; 5, phase channel; 51, first phase groove; 52, second phase groove; 6, liquid storage channel; 61, guide block; 62, guide groove; 63, observation port; 71, first positioning structure; 72, second positioning structure; 81, inner phase tube; 82, receiving tube; 83, intermediate phase tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, and all of the other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without any creative effort based on these embodiments belong to the protection scope of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0057] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connecting" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be replaceably connected, or it can be integrally connected, it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected, it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0058] The conventional chip based on needle making has the following disadvantages:

[0059] When using the cutting pliers to process the needle, 6 surfaces of 3 needles need to be processed to pass through 3 glass tubes with different outer diameters. The diameter of the cut needle needs to be close to the outer diameter of the 3 glass tubes, otherwise the glass tube cannot pass through, or the diameter is too large, which can easily block the needle and the supporting force of the needle is insufficient. The force used in the cutting pliers also needs to be appropriate, and too much force can cause the needle to crack. Therefore, using the cutting pliers to process the needle not only needs to control the force, but also needs to accurately control the size of the cut diameter. Each chip needs to process 3 needles to cut 6 diameters, which is complicated and time-consuming.

[0060] After processing the needle, pre-assembly is needed first, and the needle, glass tube and slide glass are assembled from inside to outside and from small to large. The glass tube chip requires accurate positioning of the needle and glass tube, so any manual fine-tuning of the accurate positioning of the glass tube has a huge impact. When fixing with glue, the distance between the glass tube tip and the receiving tube 82 also needs to be adjusted under a microscope to ensure that the distance is just right. Too far or too close will affect the droplet generation to varying degrees.

[0061] In the use of glue fixing, AB glue is used, which needs to be mixed and dissolved before being applied, and the glue needs 5-10 minutes to dry completely. This is not only troublesome but also slightly toxic. The choice of this glue is mainly considered from the biological compatibility, and secondly from the role of fixing the needle and sealing the gap between the glass tube and the slide. The 502 glue has strong adhesion to fix the needle, but has strong flowability, which is slightly inferior in sealing and is easy to flow into the glass tube to cause blockage. However, no matter which glue is used, the amount and position of the glue need to be very careful and accurate. Excess glue is easy to flow into the liquid inlet of the glass tube to cause liquid blockage; the position of the glue also needs to avoid the microscope observation place, otherwise it cannot be observed or the microscope picture is dirty, and the photographed picture is not ideal.

[0062] In summary, it can be seen that the existing process of chip making based on needle is very cumbersome, high in time cost and low in fault tolerance. Moreover, the steps of cutting the needle and applying the glue are particularly prone to needle cutting failure, glue application blockage and non-coaxiality, with extremely low success rate. Furthermore, the needle-based chip is a disposable product and cannot be reused.

[0063] To solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present application discloses a semi-mold carrier.

[0064] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 and Figure 7 An embodiment of the semi-mold carrier provided in the present application includes:

[0065] The main carrier 1, the first assembly carrier 2 and the second assembly carrier 3.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3 , the main carrier 1 is sequentially divided into a first carrier section 11, a second carrier section 12 and a third carrier section 13 along the length direction of the main carrier 1.

[0067] The top surface of the first carrier section 11 is provided with a first tube receiving groove 41, the second carrier section 12 is provided with a liquid storage channel 6, and the top surface of the third carrier section 13 is provided with a first phase tube groove 51.

[0068] The first assembly carrier 2 is assembled on the first carrier section 11, and the bottom surface is provided with a second tube receiving groove 42 matched with the first tube receiving groove 41 to form a tube receiving channel 4, and the tube receiving channel 4 is used to install a receiving tube 82.

[0069] The tube receiving channel 4 is coaxially communicated with the liquid storage channel 6.

[0070] The second assembly carrier 3 is assembled on the third carrier segment 13, and the bottom surface is provided with a second phase tube groove 52 matched with the first phase tube groove 51 to form a phase tube passage 5 for mounting the inner phase tube 81 or the inner phase tube 81 and the intermediate phase tube 83.

[0071] The phase tube passage 5 is coaxially communicated with the liquid storage passage 6.

[0072] The main carrier 1 is provided with a first passage inlet 14 communicating with the liquid storage passage 6.

[0073] The semi-mold carrier designed in the application has the following beneficial effects:

[0074] 1. The model design (processing the required liquid storage passage 6, tube receiving passage 4, and phase tube passage 5 on the carrier for mounting the capillary tube) is used to replace the traditional needle, the overall manufacturing difficulty is reduced, and the success rate is also improved.

[0075] 2. The assembly is simple, the manual operation time is reduced, and the error is reduced.

[0076] 3. The liquid storage passage 6 is used to replace the traditional outer phase tube, the alignment operation in the sleeve is reduced, and the error is reduced.

[0077] 4. The semi-mold design of the tube receiving passage 4 and the phase tube passage 5 makes the receiving tube 82 and the inner phase tube 81 / intermediate phase tube 83 easy to disassemble and replace, and realizes the reuse of the semi-mold carrier.

[0078] The above is an embodiment one of a semi-mold carrier provided by the application, and the following is an embodiment two of a semi-mold carrier provided by the application, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 .

[0079] Based on the scheme of the above embodiment one:

[0080] Further, the top surface of the second carrier segment 12 is provided with an observation port 63 communicating with the liquid storage passage 6; the top surface of the second carrier segment 12 is provided with a transparent baffle (not shown in the figure) closing the observation port 63, and the transparent baffle can provide a visual window to facilitate observation of the inside of the liquid storage passage 6.

[0081] In order to facilitate the installation of the transparent baffle, the top surface of the second carrier segment 12 can be provided with two protruding portions 16, and a positioning groove is formed between the two protruding portions 16 to facilitate the positioning and installation of the transparent baffle, and the transparent baffle can be sealed and fixed by glue.

[0082] The transparent baffle is a sheet structure made of transparent material, for example, a glass slide.

[0083] Further, the first assembly carrier 2 and the second assembly carrier 3 are both provided with a first positioning structure 71; the first carrier segment 11 and the third carrier segment 13 are both provided with a second positioning structure 72 which is positioned and matched with the first positioning structure 71.

[0084] Through the careful cooperation between the first positioning structure 71 and the second positioning structure 72, the quickness of the installation between the first assembly carrier 2 and the second assembly carrier 3 is realized, the whole assembly process is more smooth, and the time and effort required for finding the correct installation position in the installation process are greatly reduced.

[0085] Further, the first positioning structure 71 is a positioning column, and correspondingly, the second positioning structure 72 is a positioning groove for the positioning column to be inserted. Of course, it can be reversed, that is, the first positioning structure 71 is a positioning groove, and the second positioning structure 72 is a positioning column.

[0086] In this application, the number of the first positioning structure 71 and the second positioning structure 72 is two, and they are arranged at intervals, which improves the reliability of the positioning cooperation.

[0087] Further, the liquid storage channel 6 is provided with a coaxial guide structure, which can make the coaxiality of the capillary tubes in the liquid storage channel 6 better, and reduce the non-coaxial deviation.

[0088] Further, for the coaxial guide structure design, it includes at least two guide blocks 61, and the guide block 61 is provided with a guide groove 62, which is used for supporting and limiting the capillary tubes, so as to ensure the accurate coaxial cooperation between the capillary tubes.

[0089] Further, the main carrier 1, the first assembly carrier 2 and the second assembly carrier 3 are all prepared by 3D printing.

[0090] The preparation of the structure by 3D printing makes the preparation of the structure more convenient, effectively shortens the production steps, and after 3D printing, it can be assembled without coaxial operation under a microscope (because the 3D printed part has a coaxial alignment structure, only the capillary tube needs to be placed in the corresponding position).

[0091] Further, the first assembly carrier 2 and the first carrier segment 11, and the second assembly carrier 3 and the third carrier segment 13 are all sealed and connected by glue. After printing, the capillary tube can be fixed, and the 502 glue is more convenient to use and easier to fix, which is more convenient for repeated use.

[0092] 3D printing 1h, and then manual fixing and bonding, which can be completed in 5-10 min, greatly improving the speed from processing to assembly, and effectively reducing the error problem caused by long-time operation of workers.

[0093] AsFigure 6 As shown in the drawings, the application also discloses a single-emulsion microfluidic chip, comprising a receiving tube 82, an inner-phase tube 81 and a semi-mold carrier.

[0094] The inner-phase tube 81 is installed in the phase tube channel 5 of the semi-mold carrier, and one end of the inner-phase tube 81 extends into the liquid storage channel 6 of the semi-mold carrier for forming an inner-phase droplet; the other end of the inner-phase tube 81 extends out of the semi-mold carrier for liquid feeding, or a corresponding liquid inlet is formed on the semi-mold carrier to communicate with the inner-phase tube 81 for feeding liquid to the inner-phase tube 81.

[0095] The receiving tube 82 is installed in the receiving channel of the semi-mold carrier, and one end of the receiving tube 82 extends into the liquid storage channel 6 for receiving the inner-phase droplet.

[0096] As shown in the drawings, the application also discloses a single-emulsion microfluidic chip, comprising a receiving tube 82, an inner-phase tube 81 and a semi-mold carrier. Figure 7 As shown in the drawings, the application also discloses a double-emulsion microfluidic chip, comprising a receiving tube 82, an intermediate-phase tube 83, an inner-phase tube 81 and a semi-mold carrier. Compared with the single-emulsion microfluidic chip, the double-emulsion microfluidic chip further comprises the intermediate-phase tube 83.

[0097] The intermediate-phase tube 83 and the inner-phase tube 81 are installed in the phase tube channel 5 of the semi-mold carrier; one end of the inner-phase tube 81 extends into the intermediate-phase tube 83 for forming an inner-phase droplet; one end of the intermediate-phase tube 83 extends into the liquid storage channel 6 of the semi-mold carrier for forming an intermediate-phase droplet with the inner-phase droplet. The other end of the inner-phase tube 81 extends out of the semi-mold carrier for liquid feeding, and the semi-mold carrier (specifically, the main carrier 1) is provided with a second channel inlet 15 communicating with the intermediate-phase tube 83 for feeding liquid to the intermediate-phase tube 83.

[0098] In the double-emulsion design, the phase tube channel 5 is designed in two sections, one of which is used for installing the inner-phase tube 81, and the other of which is used for installing the intermediate-phase tube 83.

[0099] The receiving tube 82 is installed in the receiving channel of the semi-mold carrier, and one end of the receiving tube 82 extends into the liquid storage channel 6 for receiving the intermediate-phase droplet.

[0100] The above describes in detail the semi-mold carrier and the microfluidic chip provided by the application. For those skilled in the art, the specific implementation and application range can be changed according to the idea of the embodiments of the application. In conclusion, the content of the specification should not be understood as a limitation of the application.

Claims

1. A semi-die carrier, characterized in that, The main carrier (1), the first assembly carrier (2) and the second assembly carrier (3) are included. The main carrier (1) is sequentially divided into a first carrier section (11), a second carrier section (12) and a third carrier section (13) along the length direction of the main carrier (1). The top surface of the first carrier section (11) is provided with a first pipe collecting groove (41). The second carrier section (12) is provided with a liquid storage channel (6). The top surface of the third carrier section (13) is provided with a first phase pipe groove (51). The first assembly carrier (2) is assembled on the first carrier section (11) and the bottom surface of the first assembly carrier (2) is provided with a second pipe collecting groove (42) matched with the first pipe collecting groove (41) to form a pipe collecting channel (4). The pipe collecting channel (4) and the liquid storage channel (6) are coaxially communicated. The second assembly carrier (3) is assembled on the third carrier section (13) and the bottom surface of the second assembly carrier (3) is provided with a second phase pipe groove (52) matched with the first phase pipe groove (51) to form a phase pipe channel (5). The phase pipe channel (5) and the liquid storage channel (6) are coaxially communicated. The main carrier (1) is provided with a first channel inlet (14) communicating with the liquid storage channel (6).

2. The semi-open mold carrier according to claim 1, wherein, The top surface of the second carrier section (12) is provided with an observation port (63) communicating with the liquid storage channel (6). The top surface of the second carrier section (12) is provided with a transparent baffle (64) closing the observation port (63).

3. The semi-open mold carrier of claim 1, wherein, The first assembly carrier (2) and the second assembly carrier (3) are provided with a first positioning structure (71). The first carrier section (11) and the third carrier section (13) are provided with a second positioning structure (72) matched with the first positioning structure (71).

4. The semi-open mold carrier according to claim 3, wherein, The first positioning structure (71) is a positioning column. The second positioning structure (72) is a positioning groove for inserting the positioning column.

5. The semi-open mold carrier of claim 1, wherein, The liquid storage channel (6) is provided with a coaxial guiding structure.

6. The semi-open mold carrier according to claim 5, wherein, The coaxial guiding structure includes at least two guiding blocks (61). The guiding blocks (61) are provided with guiding grooves (62).

7. The semi-open mold carrier of claim 1, wherein, The main carrier (1), the first assembly carrier (2) and the second assembly carrier (3) are prepared by 3D printing.

8. The semi-open mold carrier of claim 1, wherein, The first assembly carrier (2) and the first carrier section (11) and the second assembly carrier (3) and the third carrier section (13) are connected by glue sealing.

9. A microfluidic chip, characterized by The receiving pipe (82), the inner phase pipe (81) and the semi-mold carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are included. The inner phase pipe (81) is installed in the phase pipe channel (5) of the semi-mold carrier and one end of the inner phase pipe (81) extends into the liquid storage channel (6) of the semi-mold carrier to form an inner phase droplet. The receiving pipe (82) is installed in the receiving channel of the semi-mold carrier and one end of the receiving pipe (82) extends into the liquid storage channel (6) to receive the inner phase droplet.

10. A microfluidic chip, characterized by The receiving pipe (82), the intermediate phase pipe (83), the inner phase pipe (81) and the semi-mold carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are included. The intermediate phase pipe (83) and the inner phase pipe (81) are installed in the phase pipe channel (5) of the semi-mold carrier. The inner phase tube (81) extends into the intermediate phase tube (83) at one end to form an inner phase droplet; The intermediate phase tube (83) extends into the liquid storage channel (6) of the semi-mold carrier at one end to form an intermediate phase droplet with an inner phase droplet; The semi-mold carrier is provided with a second channel inlet (15) communicating with the intermediate phase tube (83); The receiving tube (82) is installed in the receiving channel of the semi-mold carrier and extends into the liquid storage channel (6) at one end to receive the intermediate phase droplet.

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