Microfluidic device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of organ chip, in particular to a micro-fluidic device. The micro-fluidic device comprises a support frame, a first accommodating groove is arranged on the support frame; a tray is inserted on the support frame; a culture box is arranged on the tray; a trigger is arranged on the support frame, the trigger is configured to be triggered by the tray when the tray is connected with the bottom wall of the support frame in the moving direction of the tray; a driving assembly comprises a driving piece and an air guide piece, the culture box corresponds to the air guide piece, and the driving piece is configured to drive the air guide piece to move to be attached to each culture box or separated from each other when the trigger is triggered by the tray or separated from the trigger. The micro-fluidic device provided by the application can solve the problems that the tray needs to be placed manually, the culture box of the tray is aligned with the air guide, the air guide is controlled to descend after alignment, and the working efficiency is low and the operation is inconvenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to organ-on-a-chip technology, and more particularly to a microfluidic device. Background Technology

[0002] In the fields of biomedical research and cell culture, organoid chips have attracted widespread attention as an experimental tool because they can simulate the microenvironment of human organs. By precisely controlling the flow of culture medium, organoid chips provide cells with a culture environment that more closely resembles the physiological conditions in vivo, thereby enabling better research on cellular physiological functions, disease mechanisms, and drug screening.

[0003] In this technology, an organ-on-a-chip is placed inside a culture box, which is then placed on a tray. The tray is manually positioned below an air duct, and the air duct is then manually lowered to ensure it is in contact with the culture box. Gas is then blown into the culture box to control the flow of the culture medium, thus simulating the development of human organs and facilitating observation.

[0004] However, the relevant technology requires manual placement of the tray and alignment of the culture box on the tray with the air conduction device before the air conduction device is controlled to descend, resulting in low work efficiency and inconvenient operation. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a microfluidic device to solve the problem of low work efficiency and inconvenient operation caused by the need to manually place the tray and align the culture box on the tray with the gas conductor before controlling the gas conductor to descend.

[0006] This application provides a microfluidic device, comprising:

[0007] A support frame, on which a first receiving groove is provided;

[0008] The tray is inserted into the support frame via the first receiving slot;

[0009] At least one culture box is placed on a tray;

[0010] A trigger, mounted on a support frame, is configured to be triggered by the tray when the tray moves along the extension direction of the first receiving groove to abut against the bottom wall of the first receiving groove.

[0011] The driving assembly includes a driving element and an air guide element. The driving element is mounted on a support frame and connected to the air guide element. When the trigger element is activated by the tray, the culture box corresponds to the air guide element. The driving element is configured to drive the air guide element to fit against each culture box when the trigger element is activated by the tray.

[0012] In some embodiments, one end of the first receiving groove is provided with an inlet and outlet for the tray to enter and exit the support frame;

[0013] The support frame is provided with a second receiving groove, which is located on one side of the first receiving groove and is connected to the first receiving groove. The trigger is located in the second receiving groove.

[0014] In some embodiments, the trigger includes a micro switch and a fixing plate, the fixing plate being disposed in a second receiving groove, and the micro switch being disposed on the fixing plate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the tray further includes a magnetic element and a magnetic component, one of which is disposed on the bottom wall of the first receiving groove and the other is disposed on the side wall of the tray facing the bottom wall of the first receiving groove. The magnetic element is configured to magnetically engage with the magnetic element to secure the tray when the trigger is activated by the tray.

[0016] In some embodiments, a power supply is also included, wherein the drive and the trigger are both electrically connected to the power supply, and the power supply is configured to supply power to the drive when the trigger is triggered.

[0017] In some embodiments, the drive assembly further includes a connecting shaft, one end of which is connected to the air guide, and the motor shaft of the drive assembly drives the other end of the connecting shaft. The connecting shaft is configured to move the air guide when the drive assembly moves the connecting shaft.

[0018] In some embodiments, a protrusion is provided on the motor shaft of the drive member, and the protrusion can cooperate with the connecting shaft to drive the connecting shaft to descend.

[0019] A fixed shaft is provided on the support frame, and a return spring is sleeved on the fixed shaft. The upper end of the return spring abuts against the air guide, and the lower end of the return spring abuts against the support frame. The return spring is configured such that when the protrusion separates from the connecting shaft, the return spring drives the air guide to rise.

[0020] In some embodiments, the support frame includes a base plate, a top plate, and two support beams, the base plate and the top plate being connected by the two support beams, with the top plate located above the base plate;

[0021] The driving component is located on the top plate, the first receiving groove is located on the side of the bottom plate facing the top plate, and the air guide component is vertically and flexibly located between the top plate and the bottom plate.

[0022] In some embodiments, the tray is provided with a plurality of placement slots, which are spaced apart along the length of the tray, and the culture boxes are correspondingly placed in the placement slots; and / or

[0023] Multiple triggers, first receiving slots, and trays are provided. The trays are inserted into the first receiving slots, and the trays and triggers are set in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0024] In some embodiments, the system further includes an air pump connected to an air guide. The surface of the air guide facing the tray has an air outlet, and the surface of the culture box facing the air guide has an air inlet. When the air guide and the culture box are in contact, the air outlet and the air inlet are connected.

[0025] In some embodiments, the culture box includes a housing and an organ-on-a-chip, the organ-on-a-chip being disposed within the housing and having fluid channels for holding culture medium.

[0026] The microfluidic device provided in this application includes a support frame, a tray, at least one culture box, a trigger, and a drive assembly. The tray can be inserted into the support frame via a first receiving groove. The first receiving groove is provided on the bottom wall of the support frame, restricting the movement of the tray so that when the tray is placed in position, it abuts against the first receiving groove. At least one culture box is disposed on the tray, containing an organ-on-a-chip capable of simulating the physiological and pathological functions of human organs. The trigger is disposed on the support frame. When the tray moves along the extension direction of the first receiving groove and abuts against the bottom wall of the first receiving groove, the trigger is activated by the tray, and the tray is limited by the first receiving groove. At this time, the position of the culture box on the tray corresponds to the position of the gas delivery device, thus the placement position of the tray can be determined by the trigger.

[0027] When the trigger is activated, the drive unit on the support frame connects with the air guide unit, enabling the drive unit to control the movement of the air guide unit, thereby ensuring that the air guide unit can fit into the culture box. In this way, the air guide unit can control the flow direction of the culture medium in the culture box, thus better simulating the physiological functions of human organs.

[0028] Specifically, the microfluidic device of this application can determine the placement position of the tray in the first receiving groove when the driving component moves the air guide component under manual control. When the tray comes into contact with the bottom wall of the first receiving groove, the trigger component is triggered by the tray, at which point the tray is placed in position, and the culture box on the tray is aligned with the air guide component. Then, the driving component is used to control the movement of the air guide component to accurately fit with the culture box. This enables the automatic alignment of the microfluidic device, so that after the tray moves to the position, the trigger component is triggered by the tray, and the air guide component automatically descends. Therefore, there is no need to manually move the position of the tray to align the culture box on the tray with the air guide component, making the alignment operation convenient, improving work efficiency, and enhancing the automation level of the microfluidic device. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the microfluidic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base plate of the support frame provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the trigger element provided in the embodiment of this application being triggered by the tray;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the culture box provided in this embodiment of the application placed on a tray and the trigger activated.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0035] 100. Support frame; 101. First receiving groove; 102. Second receiving groove; 103. Support beam; 1031. Vertical beam; 1032. Connecting crossbeam; 104. Base plate; 105. Top plate; 106. Fixed shaft; 107. Return spring;

[0036] 200. Tray; 201. Placement slot;

[0037] 300. Incubation box;

[0038] 400. Trigger; 401. Micro switch; 402. Mounting plate;

[0039] 500, Drive assembly; 501, Drive component; 502, Air guide component; 503, Connecting shaft.

[0040] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0042] The existing organ-on-a-chip is placed in a culture box, which is then placed on a tray and positioned below the air conductor. The staff then manually controls the motor to move the air conductor so that it fits into the culture box. Gas is then blown into the culture box to control the flow of the culture medium, thereby simulating the development of human organs and facilitating observation.

[0043] However, the relevant technology requires manual observation of the tray's placement before starting the motor. This can lead to situations where the tray is not properly placed before the motor is started to move the air guide, resulting in the culture box and air guide not fitting correctly and affecting the accuracy of the experiment.

[0044] In view of this, this application provides a microfluidic device to solve the problem in the prior art where the position of the tray is manually observed and the motor is activated to control the movement of the air conductor before the tray is properly placed, resulting in the culture box and the air conductor not fitting properly and affecting the accuracy of the experiment.

[0045] The microfluidic device provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the microfluidic device of this embodiment includes a support frame 100, a tray 200, at least one culture box 300, a trigger 400, and a drive assembly 500.

[0047] Among them, the support frame 100 is provided with a first receiving groove 101;

[0048] The tray 200 is inserted into the support frame 100 via the first receiving groove 101;

[0049] At least one culture box 300 is placed on a tray 200;

[0050] A trigger 400 is disposed on the support frame 100. The trigger 400 is configured to be triggered by the tray 200 when the tray 200 moves along the extension direction of the first receiving groove 101 to abut against the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101.

[0051] The drive assembly 500 includes a drive member 501 and an air guide member 502. The drive member 501 is disposed on the support frame 100 and is connected to the air guide member 502. When the trigger member 400 is triggered by the tray 200, the culture box 300 corresponds to the air guide member 502. The drive member 501 is configured to drive the air guide member 502 to fit against each culture box 300 when the trigger member 400 is triggered by the tray 200.

[0052] Using the technical solution of this embodiment, the microfluidic device includes a support frame 100, a tray 200, at least one culture box 300, a trigger 400, and a drive assembly 500. The tray 200 can be inserted into the support frame 100 through a first receiving groove 101. The first receiving groove 101 is provided on the bottom wall of the support frame 100, and the first receiving groove 101 can restrict the movement of the tray 200, so that when the tray 200 is placed in position, it can abut against the first receiving groove 101. At least one culture box 300 is provided on the tray 200, and an organ-on-a-chip is provided inside the culture box 300, which can simulate the physiological and pathological functions of human organs. The trigger 400 is disposed on the support frame 100. When the tray 200 moves in the extension direction of the first receiving groove 101 and comes into contact with the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101, the trigger 400 is triggered by the tray 200, and the tray 200 is limited by the first receiving groove 101. At this time, the position of the culture box 300 on the tray 200 corresponds to the position of the air guide 502, and the placement position of the tray 200 can be determined by the trigger 400.

[0053] When the trigger 400 is triggered, the drive 501 on the support frame 100 connects with the air guide 502, so that the drive 501 can control the movement of the air guide 502, thereby ensuring that the air guide 502 can fit in contact with the culture box 300. In this way, the air guide 502 can control the flow direction of the culture medium in the culture box 300, thereby better simulating the physiological functions of human organs.

[0054] Specifically, the microfluidic device of this application can determine the placement position of the tray 200 in the first receiving groove 101 when the drive member 501 drives the air guide member 502 to move under manual control. When the tray 200 abuts against the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101, the trigger member 400 is triggered by the tray 200, so that the tray 200 is placed in the position and the culture box 300 on the tray 200 is aligned with the air guide member 502. Then, the drive member 501 controls the movement of the air guide member 502 to accurately fit with the culture box 300. This enables the automatic alignment of the microfluidic device. After the tray 200 moves to the position, the trigger member 400 is triggered by the tray 200, and the air guide member 502 automatically descends. Therefore, there is no need to manually move the position of the tray 200 to align the culture box 300 on the tray 200 with the air guide member 502, making the alignment operation convenient, improving work efficiency, and enhancing the automation level of the microfluidic device.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, one end of the first receiving groove 101 is provided with an inlet and outlet for the tray 200 to enter and exit the support frame 100.

[0056] In the above structure, one end of the first receiving groove 101 is provided with an inlet and outlet for the tray 200 to be pushed in or pushed out, so that the tray 200 can be pushed in or taken out smoothly, avoiding mechanical interference and improving the smoothness of operation.

[0057] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the support frame 100 is provided with a second receiving groove 102, which is located on one side of the first receiving groove 101 and is connected to the first receiving groove 101. The trigger 400 is disposed in the second receiving groove 102.

[0058] In the above structure, the support frame 100 is provided with a second receiving groove 102. The second receiving groove 102 is located on one side of the first receiving groove 101 and can communicate with the first receiving groove 101. When the tray 200 is pushed into the first receiving groove 101 and the tray 200 is limited, the tray 200 abuts against the first receiving groove 101. The trigger 400 in the second receiving groove 102 can be triggered by the tray 200, so that when the tray 200 is pushed into the first receiving groove 101, it cooperates with the trigger 400. This allows the placement of the tray 200 to be determined. When the tray 200 is placed in the predetermined position, the trigger is activated, which connects the drive component 501 and the air guide component 502, enabling the air guide component 502 to move and fit against the culture box 300. The trigger component 400 is not activated when the tray 200 has not moved to the predetermined position, thus avoiding the problem that the air guide component 502 cannot fit accurately against the culture box 300 when the tray 200 is not accurately placed in the predetermined position.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the trigger 400 includes a micro switch 401 and a fixing plate 402, the fixing plate 402 being disposed in the second receiving groove 102, and the micro switch 401 being disposed on the fixing plate 402.

[0060] In the above structure, the fixing plate 402 is set in the second receiving groove 102, and the micro switch 401 is set on the fixing plate 402. This can ensure the stability of the position of the micro switch 401, avoid the trigger 400 from shifting due to vibration or external force, and facilitate the replacement and maintenance of the micro switch 401, reducing downtime.

[0061] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, when the fixing plate 402 is placed on the bottom wall of the second receiving groove 102, the bolts pass through the strip holes on the fixing plate 402 and engage with the threaded holes on the bottom wall of the second receiving groove 102, thereby fixing the fixing plate 402. Furthermore, the micro switch 401 is fixedly mounted on the fixing plate 402, ensuring that the micro switch 401 is securely installed in the second receiving groove 102 via the fixing plate 402, thus ensuring the stability of the micro switch 401's position.

[0062] In some embodiments, a magnetic element and a magnetic element are also included. One of the magnetic element and the magnetic element is disposed on the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101, and the other is disposed on the side wall of the tray 200 facing the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101. The magnetic element is configured to magnetically engage with the magnetic element to fix the tray 200 when the trigger 400 is triggered by the tray 200.

[0063] In the above structure, one of the magnetic component and the magnetic suction component is disposed on the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101, and the other of the magnetic component and the magnetic suction component is disposed on the tray 200. When the tray 200 is placed in position, the trigger 400 is triggered. At this time, the magnetic suction component and the magnetic component engage magnetically to magnetically fix the tray 200. This ensures that the tray 200 can abut against the bottom wall of the first receiving groove 101, so that the trigger 400 is triggered by the tray 200, and also ensures that the tray 200 is magnetically fixed.

[0064] In some embodiments, a power supply is also included, and both the drive 501 and the trigger 400 are electrically connected to the power supply, which is configured to supply power to the drive 501 when the trigger 400 is triggered.

[0065] In the above structure, both the driving component 501 and the trigger component 400 are connected to a power source. When the trigger component 400 is triggered, the power source supplies power to the driving component 501, enabling the driving component 501 to drive the air guide component 502 to move. When the tray 200 is not placed in the predetermined position on the support frame 100, the trigger component 400 is not triggered by the tray 200, and the power source does not supply power to the driving component 501. This ensures that the power source supplies power to the driving component 501 only after the tray 200 is placed in the predetermined position, allowing the air guide component 502 to move and fit against the culture box 300. This avoids the problem of the air guide component 502 not accurately fitting against the culture box 300 because the tray 200 is not placed in the predetermined position.

[0066] like Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments, the drive assembly 500 further includes a connecting shaft 503, one end of which is connected to the air guide 502, and the motor shaft of the drive assembly 501 drives the other end of the connecting shaft 503. The connecting shaft 503 is configured to drive the air guide 502 to move when the drive assembly 501 drives the connecting shaft 503 to move.

[0067] In the above structure, one end of the connecting shaft 503 is connected to the air guide 502, which allows the connecting shaft 503 to move together with the air guide 502. The motor shaft of the driving member 501 is driven by the other end of the connecting shaft 503, so that the motor shaft of the driving member 501 can drive the connecting shaft 503 to move while simultaneously driving the air guide 502 to move, making the driving method of the air guide 502 simple.

[0068] It should be noted that the motor shaft of the drive component 501 is rotatably arranged in the horizontal direction. The motor shaft of the drive component 501 is converted into a vertical driving force through the connecting shaft 503 extending vertically, which in turn drives the air guide component 502 to move up and down in the vertical direction, making the structure more compact.

[0069] In some embodiments, the motor shaft of the drive member 501 is provided with a protrusion that can cooperate with the connecting shaft 503 to drive the connecting shaft 503 to descend.

[0070] In the above structure, the protrusion on the motor shaft of the drive member 501 can cooperate with the connecting shaft 503. By rotating the motor shaft of the drive member 501, the protrusion is driven to rotate, and the protrusion can abut against the connecting shaft 503, causing the connecting shaft 503 to descend vertically. Since the lower end of the connecting shaft 503 is connected to the air guide member 502, the air guide member 502 can descend simultaneously with the connecting shaft 503. Under the action of the protrusion, the horizontal rotation of the motor shaft of the drive member 501 can be converted into vertical movement, thereby ensuring that the air guide member 502 descends simultaneously with the connecting shaft 503.

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, a fixed shaft 106 is provided on the support frame 100, and a return spring 107 is sleeved on the fixed shaft 106. The upper end of the return spring 107 abuts against the air guide 502, and the lower end of the return spring 107 abuts against the support frame 100. The return spring 107 is configured such that when the protrusion is separated from the connecting shaft 503, the return spring 107 drives the air guide 502 to rise.

[0072] In the above structure, a return spring 107 is sleeved on the fixed shaft 106 of the support frame 100. The two ends of the return spring 107 abut against the air guide 502 and the support frame 100 respectively. When the air guide 502 moves downward, it can compress the return spring 107, so that the return spring 107 has elastic force. When the drive member 501 continues to rotate, the protrusion separates from the connecting shaft 503, and the return spring 107 releases the elastic force, thereby applying an upward force to the air guide 502, so that the air guide 502 and the connecting shaft 503 move upward together, which facilitates the reset of the air guide 502.

[0073] Specifically, when the tray 200 moves on the support frame 100 to a predetermined position within the first receiving groove 101, the trigger 400 is activated, powering the drive 501. This causes the drive 501 to rotate, thereby controlling the connecting shaft 503 and the air guide 502 to descend, compressing the return spring 107 and causing the air guide 502 to engage with the culture box 300 on the tray 200. When the tray 200 needs to be removed, the drive 501 continues to rotate, causing the protrusion to separate from the upper end of the connecting shaft 503. The air guide 502 releases its elastic force through the return spring 107, causing the air guide 502 and the connecting shaft 503 to move upward simultaneously, ensuring that the air guide 502 separates from the culture box 300 on the tray 200. This facilitates pushing the tray 200 out of the inlet / outlet of the support frame 100 from the first receiving groove 101.

[0074] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the support frame 100 includes a base plate 104, a top plate 105 and two support beams 103, the base plate 104 and the top plate 105 are connected by the two support beams 103, and the top plate 105 is located above the base plate 104.

[0075] In the above structure, the upper ends of the two support beams 103 are connected to the top plate 105, and the lower ends of the two support beams 103 are connected to the bottom plate 104. This forms a stable frame structure, enhances the support stability of the support frame 100, and when the drive component 501 drives the air guide component 502 to move, the support frame 100 can effectively disperse stress and prevent the support frame 100 from shaking.

[0076] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the drive member 501 is disposed on the top plate 105, the first receiving groove 101 is disposed on the side of the bottom plate 104 facing the top plate 105, and the air guide member 502 is vertically disposed between the top plate 105 and the bottom plate 104.

[0077] In the above structure, the driving component 501 is disposed on the top plate 105, and the first receiving groove 101 is disposed on the side of the bottom plate 104 facing the top plate 105, which makes the support frame 100 structure more compact. The air guide component 502 moves vertically between the top plate 105 and the bottom plate 104, and the top plate 105 and the bottom plate 104 can limit the lifting and lowering of the air guide component 502, thereby ensuring that the air guide component 502 is precisely fitted with the culture box 300.

[0078] It should be noted that, as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the support beam 103 includes two vertical beams 1031 and a connecting horizontal beam 1032. The connecting horizontal beam 1032 is arranged horizontally between the two vertical beams 1031. The fixed shaft 106 is arranged between the connecting horizontal beam 1032 and the top plate 105. The fixed shaft 106 passes through the air guide 502 so that the air guide 502 can be slidably arranged on the fixed shaft 106.

[0079] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of placement slots 201 are provided on the tray 200, and the plurality of placement slots 201 are spaced apart along the length direction of the tray 200, and the culture box 300 is correspondingly placed in the placement slot 201.

[0080] In the above structure, multiple placement slots 201 are provided on the tray 200, and each placement slot 201 can hold a culture box 300, which facilitates experimental operations on multiple culture boxes 300.

[0081] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, multiple triggers 400, first receiving grooves 101 and trays 200 are provided, and trays 200 are correspondingly inserted into the first receiving grooves 101. The trays 200 and triggers 400 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0082] In the above structure, multiple triggers 400, first receiving slots 101, and trays 200 are configured, with each tray 200 independently corresponding to one first receiving slot 101 and one trigger 400. This forms a modular experimental unit, improving experimental efficiency. Furthermore, the drive unit 501 and triggers 400 can be distributed according to the positions of the trays 200, reducing the risk of experimental interruptions. Each tray 200, trigger 400, and drive unit 501 can be independently disassembled, allowing for direct replacement of faulty equipment and shortening maintenance time.

[0083] In some embodiments, an air pump is also included, which is connected to the air guide 502. The surface of the air guide 502 facing the tray 200 is provided with an air outlet, and the surface of the culture box 300 facing the air guide 502 is provided with an air inlet. When the air guide 502 and the culture box 300 are in contact, the air outlet and the air inlet are connected.

[0084] In the above structure, the air pump injects gas into the culture box 300 through the air guide 502, creating positive pressure to drive the flow of the culture medium inside the culture box 300. When the air outlet on the lower surface of the air guide 502 and the air inlet on the upper surface of the culture box 300 are fitted together, they form a sealed channel to prevent gas leakage, ensure stable pressure transmission to the inside of the culture box 300, drive the flow of the culture medium, and reduce the entry of external contaminants into the culture box 300, thus maintaining a sterile experimental environment.

[0085] In some embodiments, the culture box 300 includes a housing and an organ-on-a-chip, the organ-on-a-chip being disposed within the housing and having fluid channels for holding culture medium.

[0086] In the above structure, the organ-on-a-chip is completely embedded in the shell, forming a closed protective structure. The shell isolates external contaminants such as dust and microorganisms, maintaining a sterile environment inside the chip, which is suitable for long-term cell culture.

[0087] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility models disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this application are indicated by the following claims.

[0088] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device, characterized in that, include: A support frame (100) is provided with a first receiving groove (101); A tray (200) is inserted into the support frame (100) via the first receiving groove (101); At least one culture box (300) is disposed on the tray (200); A trigger (400) is disposed on the support frame (100), the trigger (400) being configured to be triggered by the tray (200) when the tray (200) moves along the extension direction of the first receiving groove (101) to abut against the bottom wall of the first receiving groove (101); A drive assembly (500) includes a drive element (501) and an air guide element (502). The drive element (501) is disposed on the support frame (100) and connected to the air guide element (502). When the trigger element (400) is triggered by the tray (200), the culture box (300) corresponds to the air guide element (502). The drive element (501) is configured to drive the air guide element (502) to fit against each of the culture boxes (300) when the trigger element (400) is triggered by the tray (200).

2. The microfluidic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the first receiving groove (101) is provided with an inlet / outlet for the tray (200) to enter and exit the support frame (100); The support frame (100) is provided with a second receiving groove (102), which is located on one side of the first receiving groove (101). The second receiving groove (102) is connected to the first receiving groove (101), and the trigger (400) is disposed in the second receiving groove (102).

3. The microfluidic device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The trigger (400) includes a micro switch (401) and a fixing plate (402). The fixing plate (402) is disposed in the second receiving groove (102), and the micro switch (401) is disposed on the fixing plate (402).

4. The microfluidic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a magnetic attractor and a magnetic element, one of which is disposed on the bottom wall of the first receiving groove (101) and the other is disposed on the side wall of the tray (200) facing the bottom wall of the first receiving groove (101). The magnetic attractor is configured to magnetically engage with the magnetic element to fix the tray (200) when the trigger (400) is triggered by the tray (200).

5. The microfluidic device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a power supply, to which both the drive (501) and the trigger (400) are electrically connected, the power supply being configured to supply power to the drive (501) when the trigger (400) is triggered.

6. The microfluidic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The drive assembly (500) further includes a connecting shaft (503), one end of which is connected to the air guide (502), and the motor shaft of the drive member (501) is driven to cooperate with the other end of the connecting shaft (503). The connecting shaft (503) is configured such that when the drive member (501) drives the connecting shaft (503) to move, it drives the air guide (502) to move.

7. The microfluidic device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The motor shaft of the drive unit (501) is provided with a protrusion, which can cooperate with the connecting shaft (503) to drive the connecting shaft (503) to descend; A fixed shaft (106) is provided on the support frame (100), and a return spring (107) is sleeved on the fixed shaft (106). The upper end of the return spring (107) abuts against the air guide (502), and the lower end of the return spring (107) abuts against the support frame (100). The return spring (107) is configured such that when the protrusion separates from the connecting shaft (503), the return spring (107) drives the air guide (502) to rise.

8. The microfluidic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The support frame (100) includes a base plate (104), a top plate (105), and two support beams (103). The base plate (104) and the top plate (105) are connected by the two support beams (103), and the top plate (105) is located above the base plate (104). The driving member (501) is disposed on the top plate (105), the first receiving groove (101) is disposed on the side of the bottom plate (104) facing the top plate (105), and the air guide member (502) is vertically disposed between the top plate (105) and the bottom plate (104).

9. The microfluidic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The tray (200) is provided with a plurality of placement slots (201), which are spaced apart along the length of the tray (200), and the culture box (300) is correspondingly placed in the placement slots (201); and / or, Multiple triggers (400), the first receiving groove (101) and the tray (200) are provided. The tray (200) is inserted into the first receiving groove (101) and the tray (200) is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the trigger (400).

10. The microfluidic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, It also includes an air pump, which is connected to the air guide (502). The air guide (502) has an air outlet on its surface facing the tray (200), and the culture box (300) has an air inlet on its surface facing the air guide (502). When the air guide (502) and the culture box (300) are in contact, the air outlet and the air inlet are connected. The culture box (300) includes a shell and an organ-on-a-chip, the organ-on-a-chip being disposed within the shell and having fluid channels for placing culture medium.

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