Integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels

Abstract

An integrated microbial reagent plate of a microfluidic channel integrally comprises seven parts, namely a self-sealing sample inlet (1), a tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2), reaction holes (3), an air bag compensation cavity (4), sponge (5), a pre-cutting groove reagent plate covering film (6) and a plate placing frame (7), and the standard inclination plate placing frame (7) is matched with the integrated microbial reagent plate for use. The integrated microbial reagent plate of the microfluidic channel is simple in structure and convenient to operate, the cost is greatly reduced, and the pollution risk can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of microbial detection technology, specifically, it relates to an integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels. Background Technology

[0002] Current clinical testing mainly relies on manual sample addition or automated equipment (such as Hamilton pipetting workstations), which presents the following industry pain points:

[0003] 1. Manual sampling is unstable: Relying solely on manual sampling depends entirely on the operator's skill level and sense of responsibility. The influencing factors are unstable, and verification is required, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0004] 2. High cost: The cost of a single piece of equipment is 500,000 to 1 million yuan. The high price and high dependence on the equipment lead to high overall operation and maintenance costs. The high difficulty of operation and maintenance requires high personnel skills, resulting in high personnel system maintenance costs.

[0005] 3. Contamination risk: Open-loop operation results in a high and uncontrolled risk of contamination;

[0006] 4. Waste of consumables: The consumption of disposable consumables, such as needles, in fully automated equipment is enormous.

[0007] Traditional microbial testing methods suffer from problems such as strong equipment dependence, complex operation, and high risk of contamination.

[0008] Chinese patent document CN220004081U discloses a card-type microfluidic analysis chip capable of quantitative dispensing, comprising one or more detection units. Each reaction chamber is connected to the sample dispensing port via a hydrophobic microchannel and is distributed in a tree-like structure. This scheme can achieve quantitative dispensing and improve detection accuracy; however, its irregular distribution is highly unfavorable for mold making and large-scale production.

[0009] Chinese patent document CN220643117U discloses a microfluidic chip, including a chip base and two coatings. A cut-off section is provided on the microchannel between the extraction chamber and the waste liquid chamber to effectively eliminate the risk of contamination during reagent transfer. However, this design requires a separate valve for control due to the excessive number of chambers, resulting in higher manufacturing costs. The addition of valves also poses a safety hazard, thus leading to a higher actual risk of contamination.

[0010] However, there is an urgent need in the existing technology to provide a solution that can both avoid pollution risks and be cost-effective and easy to use. Utility Model Content

[0011] In view of the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention aims to provide an integrated microbial reagent plate with a novel microfluidic channel that is simple in structure, easy to operate, significantly reduces costs, and avoids the risk of contamination.

[0012] According to one aspect of this utility model, an integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels is provided, comprising seven parts: a self-sealing inlet, a tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate, reaction holes, an air-filled compensation chamber, a sponge, a pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film, and a plate holder. The self-sealing inlet is located above the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate, which is adjacent to the self-sealing inlet as the liquid distribution position of the reagent plate. The reaction holes are located at the ends of each flow channel of the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate. The air-filled compensation chamber is located at the upper end of each reaction hole. There is a groove at the bottom of the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate for placing the sponge. The pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film covers the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate to seal the reaction hole portion of the entire reagent plate. The standard angled plate holder is used in conjunction with the integrated microbial reagent plate.

[0013] According to a further optimized technical solution based on the above scheme, the self-sealing injection port has a silicone diaphragm structure at the top, which is compatible with 0.3-0.5mm needle puncture and automatically closes after puncture. The tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate is divided into 2 main channels and 48 branch channels. The branch channels in the cavity are designed to slope downwards at 30°, which accelerates the flow rate due to gravity.

[0014] According to the further preferred technical solution of the above scheme, the dynamic pressure balancing system adopts an airbag compensation chamber 4: located at the upper end of the orifice, to balance the injection pressure fluctuation and achieve gas-liquid balance.

[0015] According to a further preferred embodiment of the above scheme, the reaction pore array is arranged in a 4×12 matrix.

[0016] According to a further preferred technical solution of the above scheme, the capillary action of the sponge, combined with the 0.2mm wide anti-backflow groove at the bottom of the reagent plate, satisfies the requirements of excess liquid adsorption by the sponge and simultaneously achieves the blocking effect.

[0017] A further preferred embodiment of the above scheme is that the pre-cut cross-shaped grooves on the pre-cut reagent plate cover film are used for subsequent rough positioning of the needle puncture position, while the cross-shaped pre-cut groove position is used to maintain gas-liquid balance. The pre-cut reagent plate cover film can meet the requirements of liquid sealing while also accommodating the puncture and positioning needs of the sampling needle after subsequent instrument loading.

[0018] According to the further preferred technical solution of the above scheme, the plate holder is designed with a standard inclination of 30 degrees, which is simple and reliable to operate.

[0019] According to this utility model, it has the following outstanding technical effects and advantages:

[0020] (1) Green and environmentally friendly: The covering film of the reagent plate can meet the sampling needs of the equipment and achieve self-sealing + siphon blocking: reducing biosafety risks and ensuring the avoidance of pollution risks;

[0021] (2) Cost reduction: Simple operation significantly improves efficiency, no need for special sample dispensing equipment and disposable consumables (such as Thermo Fisher disposable consumables costing 5 yuan); Fractal channel + gravity drive: no need for sample dispensing equipment; Elimination of disposable consumables: simple and convenient operation, saving disposable consumables.

[0022] (3) Simple to use: Through the utility model, the dependence of personnel on high-difficulty, complex and expensive equipment is eliminated, and pump-free priming is achieved, which is simple and convenient to operate.

[0023] (4) Wide applicability: Applicable to commonly available needle puncture sampling devices. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is an enlarged three-dimensional schematic diagram of the self-sealing inlet structure of an integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 These are two magnified three-dimensional anatomical diagrams from different perspectives of the tree-like fractal flow channel plate monolithic structure of an integrated microfluidic reagent plate according to one embodiment of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a magnified three-dimensional schematic diagram of the reaction pore structure distribution of an integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels according to one embodiment of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 4 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the airbag compensation cavity of an integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels according to one embodiment of this utility model.

[0028] Figure 5 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the sponge and its arrangement position in an integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels according to one embodiment of this utility model.

[0029] Figure 6 This is an enlarged planar schematic diagram of the pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film of an integrated microfluidic channel microbial reagent plate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 7 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of a shelf structure for placing an integrated microbial reagent plate with a microfluidic channel, according to one embodiment of this utility model.

[0031] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the assembly structure of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an integrated microbial reagent plate with a microfluidic channel, according to one embodiment of the present invention, placed on a plate holder.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0034] 1. Self-sealing injection port; 2. Tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate; 3. Reaction orifice; 4. Airbag compensation chamber;

[0035] 5. Sponge; 6. Pre-cut groove reagent plate covering film; 7. Plate holder; Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] See Figure 1-9 An integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels comprises seven parts: a self-sealing inlet 1, a tree-like fractal channel plate 2, reaction holes 3, an airbag compensation chamber 4, a sponge 5, a pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film 6, and a plate holder 7. The self-sealing inlet 1 is located above the tree-like fractal channel plate 2, and the tree-like fractal channel plate 2 is adjacent to the self-sealing inlet 1 as the liquid dispensing position of the reagent plate. The reaction holes 3 are located at the end of each channel of the tree-like fractal channel plate 2. The airbag compensation chamber 4 is located at the upper end of each reaction hole 3. There is a groove at the bottom of the tree-like fractal channel plate for placing the sponge 5. The pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film 6 covers the tree-like fractal channel plate and is used to seal the reaction hole portion of the entire reagent plate. The standard angled plate holder 7 is used in conjunction with the integrated microbial reagent plate.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the reagent plate body consists of the following four parts: a tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate 2, which is the most important part of the reagent plate, with tree-shaped flow channels distributed on it, serving as flow channels for the reagent solution to flow evenly into each reagent hole; and an air bladder compensation chamber above each reagent hole to maintain gas-liquid pressure balance during gravity infusion. A sponge 5—a groove at the bottom of the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate is used to place the sponge, mainly for adsorbing small amounts of excess reagent and storing waste liquid.

[0039] A pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film, covering the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate, is used to seal the reagent holes of the entire reagent plate. The pre-cut cross grooves are used for subsequent rough positioning of the needle puncture positions. After covering, a stable sealed space is formed, and the position of the cross pre-cut grooves can achieve gas-liquid balance.

[0040] The self-sealing injection port is mounted above the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate as the liquid inlet for the reagent plate. The top has a silicone diaphragm structure that is compatible with 0.3-0.5mm needles for puncture and automatically closes after puncture.

[0041] The standard slope of the plate rack is 30 degrees.

[0042] See appendix Figure 1-2 The self-sealing injection port 1 uses a silicone diaphragm structure, compatible with 0.3-0.5mm needles, and automatically closes after puncture. See appendix. Figure 3 The tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate 2 is divided into 2 main channels and 48 branch channels. The branch channels in the cavity are designed to slope downwards at 30°, which accelerates the flow velocity driven by gravity. The reaction holes are arranged in a 4×12 matrix array, ensuring uniform flow control.

[0043] See appendix Figure 4 The dynamic pressure balancing system uses an airbag compensation chamber 4, located at the upper end of the orifice, to balance the injection pressure fluctuations and achieve gas-liquid balance.

[0044] See appendix Figure 5 The capillary action of the sponge 5, combined with the 0.2mm wide anti-backflow groove at the bottom of the reagent plate, satisfies the need for the sponge to adsorb excess liquid while simultaneously blocking it.

[0045] See appendix Figure 6 The pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film 6 has pre-cut cross-shaped grooves on it for subsequent rough positioning of the needle puncture position, while the cross-shaped pre-cut grooves are used to maintain gas-liquid balance. The pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film 6 can meet the requirements of liquid sealing while also meeting the requirements of sampling needle puncture positioning after subsequent instrument loading.

[0046] See appendix Figure 8-9 The plate holder 7 is designed with a standard 30-degree incline, making it simple and reliable to operate.

[0047] In specific use, the reagent plate of this application is placed in... Figure 8-9 On the tilted support 7 shown, the reagent plate is sealed with a pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film 6. Then, the reagent is poured into the self-sealing injection port 1. The reagent flows into each reaction well 3 through the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate 2. Then, a small amount of excess liquid is absorbed by the bottom sponge 5, and the entire pouring action is completed. Finally, pump-free operation can be achieved, and quantitative and equal-volume reagent pouring can be completed by pure gravity.

[0048] In addition to the aforementioned illustrative advantages and effects, the following prominent technical effects can be achieved:

[0049] a. Pressure self-balancing: The air bladder cavity compensates for flow fluctuations in real time, ensuring that the difference between orifices is <3%.

[0050] b. Excess liquid is absorbed by the sponge to prevent backflow.

[0051] c. Quantitative perfusion: Each perfusion of 27ml of liquid ensures that each chamber of the reagent plate is filled with liquid.

[0052] d. Gravity-driven: Using a standard inclined plate holder, the reagent plate is tilted at 30°, and the liquid is dispensed into 48 wells within 35 seconds; the remaining small amount of excess liquid is absorbed by the sponge.

[0053] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model. Of course, the present utility model may have other various embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present utility model. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present utility model, these changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the present utility model. The protection scope of the present utility model is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An integrated microorganism reagent plate of microfluidic channels, characterized in that, The device includes a self-sealing injection port (1), a tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2), a sponge (5), and a pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film (6). The self-sealing injection port (1) is located above the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2). The tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2) is adjacent to the self-sealing injection port (1) as the liquid distribution point of the reagent plate. The sponge (5) is placed at the bottom of the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2). The pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film (6) covers the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2).

2. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 1, wherein, The tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2) is divided into 2 main channels and 48 branch channels. The branch channels in the cavity are designed to slope downwards.

3. The integrated microbial reagent plate with microfluidic channels according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main channel is designed to slope downwards at 30° to the branch channel inside the cavity.

4. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 1, wherein, Each channel end of the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2) also has a reaction hole (3), and the pre-cut groove reagent plate cover film (6) covers the tree-shaped fractal flow channel plate (2) to seal the reaction holes (3) of the entire reagent plate.

5. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 4, wherein, The reaction pore (3) array is arranged in a 4×12 matrix, with uniform flow control.

6. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 4, wherein, A cross-shaped groove is pre-cut on the pre-cut groove reagent plate covering film (6).

7. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of any one of claims 1-6, wherein, It also includes a plate holder (7) for placing the reagent plates.

8. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 7, wherein, The standard inclination of the plate holder (7) is 30 degrees.

9. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 6, wherein, The self-sealing injection port (1) adopts a silicone diaphragm structure, which is compatible with 0.3-0.5mm needle puncture and automatically closes after puncture.

10. The integrated microfluidic channel microbial assay plate of claim 6, wherein, It also includes an airbag compensation cavity (4) located at the upper end of the hole position of each reaction hole (3).

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