Microvalves, microfluidic devices, and microfluidic device handling equipment

Abstract

This enables the provision of a microvalve that prevents the connecting portion and joining member from becoming joined, thus preventing interfacial delamination at the joint surface between the housing and the joining member, and preventing fluid leakage from the flow path. [Solution] A normally open type microvalve that opens and closes the conductivity of multiple flow paths, comprising a housing member 10 with flow paths engraved on it and a flexible connecting member 20 that is joined to the housing member 10 and seals the flow paths, wherein the housing member 10 comprises an opening 11, a first flow path 12 connected to the opening 11 and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member 10, a valve body insertion part 15 into which a valve body 30 covering the opening 11 is fitted, and a second flow path 13 formed on the upper surface of the housing member 10 and connected to the valve body insertion part 15, and has a communication part 14 connecting the opening 11 and the second flow path 13 and a valve body 30, the connecting member 20 is joined to the upper surface of the housing member 10 and in the closed state the valve body 30 is pressed from the side of the connecting member 20 and elastically deforms to close the communication part 14.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a microvalve for use in microchannel devices used in genetic testing and the like. [Background Art]

[0002] Some microvalves in microchannel devices are of a type that opens and closes through compression or expansion of members. In this type of microvalve, the housing or joining member is formed of an elastic member, and the flow path is opened and closed by deforming the member with an external force. Such microvalves include normally closed type (normally closed) and normally open type (normally open) microvalves. Since both types are formed by joining a housing and a joining member together, they have the following problems. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 5062327 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2022-178478 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent No. 5329952 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent No. 5967552 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] First, in such a microvalve that opens and closes through compression or expansion of members, one of the housing and the joining member is required to have elasticity, while the other is required to have rigidity that prevents easy deformation. Therefore, the housing and the joining member are made of different types of materials, and it is necessary to join these materials together. Because simple thermocompression bonding results in weak joint strength, such dissimilar material joining is generally carried out using methods such as chemical conversion treatment (silane coupling treatment) or surface activation treatment (plasma treatment). However, when forming microvalves using this method, there was a problem in that the flow path and connecting member of the microvalve could be mistakenly joined together, or that they could be joined together when the valve was closed.

[0005] Furthermore, since valves play a role in blocking the connecting sections that link multiple flow paths, it is desirable to reduce the load on the valves from the viewpoint of efficient valve control and other factors. To achieve this, measures have been taken to reduce the displacement of the connecting members, such as making the depth of the connecting section shallower than the depth of the flow path. However, making the depth of the connecting section shallower than the depth of the flow path presented a problem: the connecting section and the connecting member were more likely to become joined when the valve was closed.

[0006] Furthermore, in the practical environment of microfluidic devices, the flow path is heated in part or entirely, or pumped and discharged, which applies pressure to the flow path of the microvalve. This can cause delamination at the interface between the housing and the connecting member, or push up the valve which is blocked by external force, causing fluid leakage from the flow path. In addition, increasing the bonding strength to prevent delamination makes incorrect bonding more likely at the communication points.

[0007] Therefore, the inventors diligently conducted research and succeeded in developing a microvalve in which a housing and a connecting member are joined, in which the connecting portion that connects multiple flow paths is not joined to the connecting member, and no interfacial delamination occurs at the joint surface between the housing and the connecting member, and no fluid leakage occurs from the flow path, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] Specifically, in a normally open type microvalve, the housing member has an opening, a first flow path connected to the opening and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member, a valve body insertion part into which a valve body covering the opening is fitted, and a second flow path formed on the upper surface of the housing member and connected to the valve body insertion part. Furthermore, a communication part and a valve body are provided connecting the opening and the second flow path, and in the closed state, the valve body is pressed from the joining member side, causing elastic deformation and closing the communication part. By configuring the valve in this way, a microvalve that does not suffer from the above-mentioned problems was obtained.

[0009] Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a microvalve in which a displacement member can always open and close the opening of the valve housing with stable sealing performance. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a fluid handling device that can be easily manufactured, allows for easy opening and closing of the flow path, and can be miniaturized. However, these documents did not disclose the configuration of the microvalve of the present invention described above. Furthermore, while the microvalves described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are configured such that the connecting member elastically deforms in the closed state to close the communication portion, the problem of the housing and the connecting member being mistakenly joined together has not been solved.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a microvalve, a microfluidic device, and a microfluidic device handling device in which a housing and a joining member are joined, in which the connecting portion that connects multiple flow paths and the joining member are not joined, and interfacial delamination of the joining surface between the housing and the joining member and fluid leakage from the flow paths do not occur. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To achieve the above objective, the microvalve of the present invention is a normally open type microvalve that opens and closes the conductivity of a plurality of flow paths, and comprises a housing member on which the flow paths are engraved and a flexible joining member that is joined to the housing member and seals the flow paths, wherein the housing member comprises an opening, a first flow path connected to the opening and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member, a valve body insertion portion into which a valve body covering the opening is fitted, and a second flow path formed on the upper surface of the housing member and connected to the valve body insertion portion, and comprises a communication portion connecting the opening and the second flow path and the valve body, wherein the joining member is joined to the upper surface of the housing member, and in the closed state, the valve body is pressed from the joining member side and elastically deforms to close the communication portion.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention has a configuration in which the communication portion is provided on the housing member. Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention has a configuration in which the communication portion is provided on the valve body. Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention be configured such that the communication portion does not come into contact with the joining member. Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention has a configuration in which the valve body and the joining member are joined together.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention is configured such that the first flow path extends along the bottom surface of the housing member, and other connecting members are joined to the bottom surface of the housing member. Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention has a configuration in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the communication portion is curved, inverted triangular, rectangular, inverted trapezoidal, or an inverted trapezoidal with a curved, inverted triangular, or inverted trapezoidal shape on the lower side, or a rectangular with a curved, inverted triangular, or inverted trapezoidal shape on the lower side.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention be configured such that the valve body has the shape of a cylinder, an inverted frustocone, or a cylinder with an inverted frustocone on the lower side. Further, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention has a configuration in which a plurality of said second flow paths are provided in said housing member.

[0015] Further, it is preferable that, in a state where the microvalve of the present invention is closed, the internal pressure of said first flow path or said second flow path is higher than the internal pressure of the other flow path, respectively. Furthermore, it is preferable that the microvalve of the present invention has a configuration obtained by variously combining the above microvalves.

[0016] The microchannel device of the present embodiment is configured to include any one of the above microvalves. Further, it is preferable that the microchannel device of the present embodiment has a temperature control region or a pressure control region on an extension of said first flow path or said second flow path. The microchannel device handling apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to include any one of the above microchannel devices and a driving device having a pressing member for pressing the valve body from the joining member side.

[0017] Further, it is preferable that in the microchannel device handling apparatus of the present embodiment, the pressing member, the valve body and the opening are arranged concentrically. Furthermore, in the microchannel device handling apparatus of the present embodiment, it is also preferable that the pressing surface of the pressing member is larger than the horizontal cross-section of the opening and smaller than the horizontal cross-section of the valve body.

Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, in a microvalve formed by joining a housing and a joining member, it is possible to provide a microvalve, a microchannel device, and a microchannel device handling apparatus in which the joining member does not join with the communication portion connecting a plurality of flow paths, and interface peeling of the joining surface between the housing and the joining member and leakage of fluid from the flow paths do not occur.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a microfluidic device having a microvalve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section (longitudinal section) of a microvalve in the open state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section (cross-sectional view) of a microvalve in the open state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section (longitudinal section) of a microvalve in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section (cross-sectional view) of a microvalve in a closed state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section (cross-sectional view) of the communication portion in a microvalve according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration and cross-section of a modified example 1 of the microvalve according to an embodiment of the present invention (one in which a communication portion is provided with the valve body). [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration and cross-section of a modified example 2 of the microvalve according to the embodiment of the present invention (in which the valve body has a cylindrical shape with an inverted truncated cone on the lower side). [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration and cross-section of a modified example 3 of the microvalve according to an embodiment of the present invention (equipped with a plurality of second flow channels). [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a microfluidic device handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention (a type in which a valve body is pressed from above, and the second flow path is heated by a heating device (A), and the first flow path is heated by a heating device (B)). [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a microfluidic device handling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (a valve body that presses from below, with a heating device that heats the second flow path (C), and a pressurizing device that pressurizes the second flow path (D)). [Figure 12]This diagram illustrates how, in a conventional normally open type microvalve, delamination of the interface between the housing and the connecting member, and fluid leakage from the flow path occur when the valve is blocked. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] The following describes in detail the microvalve, microfluidic device, and microfluidic device handling apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details of the following embodiments.

[0021] A microvalve according to an embodiment of the present invention is a normally open type microvalve that opens and closes the conductivity of a plurality of flow paths, and comprises a housing member on which flow paths are engraved and a flexible joining member that is joined to the housing member and seals the flow paths, wherein the housing member comprises an opening, a first flow path connected to the opening and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member, a valve body insertion portion into which a valve body covering the opening is fitted, and a second flow path formed on the upper surface of the housing member and connected to the valve body insertion portion, and has a communication portion connecting the opening and the second flow path and a valve body, the joining member is joined to the upper surface of the housing member and, in the closed state, the valve body is pressed from the joining member side and elastically deforms to close the communication portion.

[0022] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the microvalve according to this embodiment includes a housing member 10 and a connecting member 20. The housing member 10 is provided with an opening 11, a first flow path 12 connected to the opening 11 and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member 10, a valve body insertion portion 15 into which a valve body 30 covering the opening 11 is fitted, and a second flow path 13 formed on the upper surface of the housing member 10 and connected to the valve body insertion portion 15.

[0023] Furthermore, the microvalve of this embodiment has a communication portion 14 that connects the opening 11 and the second flow path 13, and a valve body 30, and the joining member 20 is joined to the upper surface of the housing member 10. The upper surface of the housing member 10 has an opening above the valve body insertion portion 15, and it is joined to the joining member 20 on surfaces other than this upper region, the second flow path 13, and the opening 21 (described later) (joint surfaces). The microvalve of this embodiment is a normally open type microvalve in which the flow path is open in the normal state, and in the closed state, the valve body 30 is pressed from the joining member 20 side and elastically deforms, thereby closing the communication portion 14.

[0024] In the microvalve of this embodiment, the upper surface of the housing member refers to the side on which the valve body insertion portion 15 is provided, and the bottom surface of the housing member 10 refers to the side opposite to the side on which the valve body insertion portion 15 is provided.

[0025] Here, referring to Figure 12, we will explain how, in a conventional normally open type microvalve, delamination of the interface between the housing and the joining member and fluid leakage from the flow path occur when the valve is closed. In the figure, a conventional normally open type microvalve has a housing member 100 to which a connecting member 200 is joined. The housing member 100 is provided with a flow path 110, a flow path 120, and a connecting section 130 that connects them. The connecting member 200 is pressed and deformed by a pressing member 300 to close the connecting section 130.

[0026] In the practical environment of microfluidic devices, part or all of the fluid flow path is heated, or suction and discharge are performed by a pump. This creates pressure within the microvalve's flow path, and when the pressing member 300 presses the joining member 200, as shown in the right diagram of Figure 12, it can cause delamination at the interface of the joint between the housing member 100 and the joining member 200, or the valve may be pushed up by external force, causing fluid leakage from the flow path.

[0027] In contrast, the microvalve of this embodiment, as described above, is configured such that when closed, the valve body 30 is pressed from the joining member 20 side and elastically deforms, closing the communication portion 14. This prevents delamination of the interface between the housing member 10 and the joining member 20, and prevents fluid leakage from the flow path even when external force is applied.

[0028] Here, the opening and closing of the flow path in the microvalve of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 shows a longitudinal cross-section (vertical section) of the valve in the open state, and Figure 3 shows a transverse cross-section (short-side section) of the valve in the open state. Furthermore, Figure 4 shows a longitudinal cross-section (vertical section) of the valve in the closed state, and Figure 5 shows a transverse cross-section (short-side section) of the valve in the closed state.

[0029] In the open state of the microvalve of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the joining member 20 is not pressed by the pressing member 40, the valve body 30 is in its normal position, and the communication portion 14 is open. At this time, the contact surfaces of the joining member 20 and the valve body 30 are on the same plane as the joining surface of the joining member 20 and the housing member 10.

[0030] On the other hand, in the closed state, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pressing member 40 presses the joining member 20, causing the area facing the bottom surface of the pressing member 40 to deform and sink, thereby pressing the valve body 30 and causing it to elastically deform, closing a part (or all) of the communication portion 14. At this time, the contact surface between the joining member 20 and the valve body 30 is moved approximately by the depth of the communication portion 14 below the joint surface between the joining member 20 and the housing member 10, and a part of the valve body 30 enters and closes the communication portion 14. The opening 11 is also closed by the elastically deformed valve body 30.

[0031] Thus, the microvalve of this embodiment is configured to open and close the communication portion 14 by moving the pressing member 40 to a position where it presses against the joining member 20, and then moving it back to its original position where it does not press, thereby pushing and pulling the valve body 30 from the joining member 20 side and causing elastic deformation.

[0032] The microvalve of this embodiment is capable of preventing delamination at the interface of the joint surface between the housing member 10 and the joining member 20, as well as preventing fluid leakage from the flow path, by opening and closing the conductivity of the flow path in this manner. Furthermore, at this time, the pressing member 40 closes the communication portion 14 via the valve body 30 and also plays a role in preventing delamination at the interface between the housing member 10 and the joining member 20.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the microvalve, the communication portion 14 is provided in a non-contact manner with respect to the joining member 20. In other words, the communication portion 14 is closed by the valve body 30 when closed and does not come into contact with the connecting member 20. Therefore, it is possible to resolve the problem that when the depth of the communication portion is made shallower than the depth of the flow path in order to reduce the load on the conventional valve, the communication portion and the connecting member tend to come into contact when the valve is closed.

[0034] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, the valve body 30 and the connecting member 20 are in contact, and it is preferable that the valve body 30 and the connecting member 20 are joined at this contact surface. By configuring the microvalve of this embodiment in this way, it is possible to more stably close the communication portion 14 via the connecting member 20 by the valve body 30. In addition, in the microvalve of this embodiment, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the valve body 30 and the connecting member 20 are not joined together.

[0035] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, it is also preferable to have a configuration in which the first flow path 12 extends along the bottom surface of the housing member 10, and the other joining member 50 is joined to the bottom surface of the housing member 10. By configuring the microvalve of this embodiment in this way, the first flow path 12 can be more easily engraved on the bottom surface of the housing member 10, and the design flexibility of the first flow path 12 can be increased.

[0036] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, the communication portion 14 is provided in the valve body insertion portion 15 of the housing member 10. The opening 11 is provided approximately in the center of the valve body insertion portion 15 of the housing member 10. As will be described later, in the microvalve of this embodiment, a communication portion connecting the first flow path 12 and the second flow path 13 is also provided in the valve body 30 and formed as a valve body communication portion 31.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the microfluidic device having a microvalve in this embodiment is provided with an opening 16 connected to the end of the first flow path 12 and an opening 21 facing the opening 16 on the connecting member 20. The connecting member 20 is also provided with an opening 21 facing the end of the second flow path 13. In this embodiment, the microfluidic device is configured to allow fluid injection and discharge through these openings 21.

[0038] In the microvalve of this embodiment, the shape of the flow path cross-section of the communication portion 14 is preferably arched (a shape formed by the arc of a circle and the chord connecting its two ends), as shown in Figure 6(A). By shaping the flow path cross-section of the communication section 14 in this manner, it is possible to suitably close the communication section 14 through the elastic deformation of the valve body 30.

[0039] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, it is also preferable to have a cross-sectional shape of the flow path of the communication portion 14 that is rectangular with an inverted trapezoid on the lower side, as shown in Figure 6(B). By shaping the flow path cross-section of the communication section 14 in this manner, it is possible to suitably close the communication section 14 through the elastic deformation of the valve body 30.

[0040] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, the shape of the flow path cross-section of the communication portion 14 can be made into various shapes as shown in Figure 6(C). For example, the shape of the flow path cross-section of the communication section 14 can be varied within the range in which the communication section 14 can be closed by the elastic deformation of the valve body 30, such as other arc shapes, inverted triangles, rectangles, inverted trapezoids, inverted trapezoids with an arc shape, inverted triangle, or inverted trapezoid on the lower side, or a configuration with an arc shape, inverted triangle, or inverted trapezoid on the lower side of a rectangle.

[0041] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, the shape of the valve body 30 can be varied within a range that allows the communication portion 14 to be closed by the elastic deformation of the valve body 30. For example, the shape of the valve body 30 can be a cylinder, an inverted frustocone, or a cylinder with an inverted frustocone on the lower side.

[0042] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, it is preferable that the inner surface shape of the valve body insertion portion 15 that houses the valve body 30 is substantially homologous to the surface of the valve body 30. By arranging the valve body 30 and the valve body insertion portion 15 in this morphological relationship, when pressed, the valve body 30 makes even contact with the inner surface of the valve body insertion portion 15, and the effect of its elastic deformation is concentrated on the communication portion 14 and the opening 11, thereby enabling more reliable closure.

[0043] In this embodiment, the material for the housing member 10 of the microvalve is preferably one that has a heat resistance temperature of 100°C or higher, low autofluorescence, and low elastic modulus. Examples of such materials include COP (Cyclo Olefin Polymer), COC (Cyclo Olefin Copolymer), PP (Polypropylene), PC (Polycarbonate), PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate), PET (Poly-Ethylene-Terephthalate), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Ethylene-Styrene), silicone, PDMS (dimethylpolysiloxane), and glass. The elastic modulus of the housing member 10 can be adjusted by increasing its thickness, preferably 0.1 mm or more, and more preferably 0.5 mm or more.

[0044] Furthermore, as the material for the joining member 20 in the microvalve of this embodiment, a material having a heat resistance temperature of 100°C or higher, high transmittance, low autofluorescence, and high elastic modulus can be suitably used. Examples of such materials include COP (Cyclo Olefin Polymer), COC (Cyclo Olefin Copolymer), PP (Polypropylene), PC (Polycarbonate), PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate), silicone, and PDMS (dimethylpolysiloxane). The elastic modulus of the joining member 20 can be adjusted by reducing its thickness, preferably to 0.01 to 1 mm, and more preferably to 0.05 to 0.5 mm.

[0045] Furthermore, as the material for the valve body 30 in the microvalve of this embodiment, a material with a high modulus of elasticity can be suitably used. For example, general synthetic rubbers (silicone rubber, PDMS rubber, butyl rubber, butadiene rubber, fluororubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene rubber, urethane rubber, etc.) can be used.

[0046] In the microvalve of this embodiment, it is preferable that the elastic moduli of the housing member 10, the joining member 20, and the valve body 30 have the following relationship. Valve body ≤ Joint member < Housing

[0047] Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, the housing member 10, the joining member 20, and the valve body 30 are preferably able to withstand a pressurization of 100 kPa and are also preferably able to withstand heating to 100°C. Furthermore, in the microvalve of this embodiment, it is preferable that the adhesive strength between the housing member 10 and the joining member 20 is 100 kPa or more, and that the joint surfaces of the housing member 10 and the joining member 20 do not peel off under the above-mentioned pressurized or heated environment.

[0048] Furthermore, as will be explained later regarding the microfluidic device handling apparatus, the microvalve of this embodiment is used by pressurizing or heating either the first flow path 12 or the second flow path 13. As a result, the internal pressure of the first flow path 12 or the second flow path 13 becomes higher than the internal pressure of the other flow path. Therefore, because delamination at the interface of the joint surface between the housing member 10 and the joining member 20 and fluid leakage from the flow path are likely to occur, it is important to prevent these issues with the above configuration of the microvalve in this embodiment.

[0049] Next, a modified example 1 of the microvalve of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Modification 1 of the microvalve of this embodiment differs from the microvalve of this embodiment described above in that the communication portion is provided on the valve body rather than on the housing member, and is otherwise the same as the microvalve of this embodiment described above.

[0050] Specifically, the first modified example of the microvalve in this embodiment includes a housing member 10a and a joining member 20a. The housing member 10a is provided with an opening 11a, a first flow path 12a connected to the opening 11a and extending toward the bottom side of the housing member 10a, a valve body insertion portion 15a into which a valve body 30a covering the opening 11a is fitted, and a second flow path 13a formed on the upper side of the housing member 10a and connected to the valve body insertion portion 15a.

[0051] Furthermore, in the first modified example of the microvalve of this embodiment, the valve body 30a is provided with a valve body communication portion 31a that connects the opening 11a and the second flow path 13a. Furthermore, in the first modified example of the microvalve of this embodiment, when in the closed state, the valve body 30a is pressed from the joining member 20a side and elastically deforms, thereby closing the valve body communication portion 31a.

[0052] Even with this modified example 1 of the microvalve of this embodiment, similar to the microvalve of this embodiment described above, the connecting portion that links multiple flow paths and the joining member are not joined together, and the effect of preventing interfacial delamination of the joining surface between the housing and the joining member and preventing fluid leakage from the flow paths is obtained.

[0053] Next, a modified example 2 of the microvalve of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8. Modification 2 of the microvalve of this embodiment differs from the microvalve of this embodiment described above in that the shape of the valve body has an inverted frustum of cone on the lower side of the cylinder, and is otherwise the same as the microvalve of this embodiment described above.

[0054] Specifically, the modified form 2 of the microvalve of this embodiment includes a housing member 10b and a joining member 20b. The housing member 10b is provided with an opening 11b, a first flow path 12b connected to the opening 11b and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member 10b, a valve body insertion portion 15b into which a valve body 30b covering the opening 11b is fitted, and a second flow path 13b formed on the upper surface of the housing member 10b and connected to the valve body insertion portion 15b.

[0055] Furthermore, in the modified form 2 of the microvalve of this embodiment, the valve body 30b has a shape with an inverted frustocone on the lower side of the cylinder, and the valve body insertion portion 15b also has an inverted frustocone shape similar to the valve body 30b. The communication portion 14b is formed on the housing member 10b along the side surface of the inverted frustocone of the valve body insertion portion 15b and connects the first flow path 12b and the second flow path 13b. Furthermore, in the modified form 2 of the microvalve of this embodiment, when in the closed state, the valve body 30b is pressed from the joining member 20b side and elastically deforms, thereby closing the communication portion 14b.

[0056] Even with this modified example 2 of the microvalve of this embodiment, the connecting portion that links multiple flow paths and the joining member are not joined together, and the effect of preventing interfacial delamination of the joining surface between the housing and the joining member and preventing fluid leakage from the flow paths can be obtained.

[0057] Next, a third modified example of the microvalve of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. Modification 3 of the microvalve of this embodiment differs from the microvalve of this embodiment described above in that it has multiple second flow paths, and is otherwise the same as the microvalve of this embodiment described above.

[0058] Specifically, the third modified example of the microvalve in this embodiment includes a housing member 10c and a joining member 20c. The housing member 10c is provided with an opening 11c, a first flow path 12c connected to the opening 11c and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member 10c, a valve body insertion portion 15c into which a valve body 30c covering the opening 11c is fitted, and four second flow paths 13c formed on the upper surface of the housing member 10c and connected to the valve body insertion portion 15c.

[0059] Furthermore, in the third modified example of the microvalve of this embodiment, the housing member 10c is provided with four connecting portions 14c that connect the opening 11c and the second flow path 13c. Furthermore, in the third modified example of the microvalve of this embodiment, when in the closed state, the valve body 30c is pressed from the joining member 20c side and elastically deforms, thereby closing the four communication portions 14c.

[0060] Even with this modified example 3 of the microvalve of this embodiment, the connecting portion that links multiple flow paths and the joining member are not joined together, and the effect of preventing interfacial delamination of the joining surface between the housing and the joining member and preventing fluid leakage from the flow paths can be obtained.

[0061] The microfluidic device of this embodiment is characterized by comprising either the microvalve of this embodiment described above, or any of the modified versions 1 to 3 of the microvalve of this embodiment, and can be configured as shown in Figure 1 or the upper diagrams of Figures 7 to 9.

[0062] The microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment is characterized by comprising the microfluidic device of this embodiment and a drive device having a pressing member for pressing the valve body from the joining member side. Specifically, as shown in Figure 10(A), in a microfluidic device having two microvalves of the type that press the valve body from above, the microvalves can be connected by their respective second fluid channels, and the device can be equipped with a pressing member 40d and a heating device 60d such as a heater. Note that in this figure, the connecting members joined to the upper and lower surfaces of the housing member 10d are omitted. The same applies to the following figures.

[0063] Each microvalve in this microfluidic device is provided with an opening 11d, a first flow path 12d, a second flow path 13d, a connecting section 14d, a valve body insertion section 15d, and an opening section 16d in the housing member 10d, with a valve body 30d inserted into the valve body insertion section 15d. The microfluidic device handling device is configured such that the valve body 30d is pressed by a pressing member 40d via a connecting member (not shown), causing the valve body 30d to elastically deform and close the communication portion 14d. Furthermore, the device is configured to heat the second flow path 13d using a heating device 60d. By performing this heating with both valves closed, the internal pressure of the second flow path 13d becomes higher than the internal pressure of the first flow path 12d.

[0064] Furthermore, the microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment can be configured as shown in Figure 10(B) for a microfluidic device having two microvalves of the type that press the valve body from above, in which the microvalves are connected by their respective first flow paths, and the device can be equipped with a pressing member 40e and a heating device 60e. This microvalve is provided with an opening 11e, a first flow path 12e, a second flow path 13e, a connecting section 14e, a valve body insertion section 15e, and an opening section 16e in a housing member 10e, with a valve body 30e inserted into the valve body insertion section 15e.

[0065] The microfluidic device handling device is configured such that the valve body 30e is pressed by a pressing member 40e via a connecting member (not shown), causing the valve body 30e to elastically deform and close the communication portion 14e. Furthermore, the device is configured to heat the first flow path 12e with a heating device 60e. By performing this heating with both valves closed, the internal pressure of the first flow path 12e becomes higher than the internal pressure of the second flow path 13e.

[0066] Furthermore, the microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment can be configured as shown in Figure 11(A) for a microfluidic device having two microvalves of the type that press the valve body from below, in which the microvalves are connected by their respective second flow paths, and the device can be equipped with a pressing member 40f and a heating device 60f. This microvalve has an opening 11f, a first flow path 12f, a second flow path 13f, a connecting section 14f, a valve body insertion section 15f, and an opening section 16f in a housing member 10f, with a valve body 30f inserted into the valve body insertion section 15f. This microvalve differs from the configuration in Figures 10(A) and (B) in that the first flow path does not have a portion extending along the bottom surface of the housing member, but is directly connected to the opening section.

[0067] The microfluidic device handling device is configured such that the valve body 30f is pressed by a pressing member 40f via a connecting member (not shown), causing the valve body 30f to elastically deform and close the communication portion 14f. Furthermore, the device is configured to heat the second flow path 13f using a heating device 60f. By performing this heating with both valves closed, the internal pressure of the second flow path 13f becomes higher than the internal pressure of the first flow path 12f.

[0068] Furthermore, the microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment can be configured as shown in Figure 11(B) for a microfluidic device having two microvalves of the type that press the valve body from below, with the microvalves connected by their respective second flow channels, and equipped with a pressing member 40g and a pressurizing device 70g such as a pump. This microvalve has a housing member 10g equipped with an opening 11g, a first flow path 12g, a second flow path 13g, a connecting section 14g, a valve body insertion section 15g, and an opening section 16g, with a valve body 30g inserted into the valve body insertion section 15g. This microvalve differs from the configuration in Figures 10(A) and (B) in that the first flow path does not have a portion extending along the bottom surface of the housing member, but is directly connected to the opening section.

[0069] The microfluidic device handling device is configured such that the valve body 30g is pressed by a pressing member 40g via a connecting member (not shown), causing the valve body 30g to elastically deform and close the communication section 14g. Furthermore, the device is configured to pressurize the second flow path 13g by pressing a pump. By applying this pressurization with both valves closed, the internal pressure of the second channel 13g becomes higher than the internal pressure of the first channel 12g. Furthermore, the pressure in the second channel 13g can be reduced by pulling the pump. By performing this reduction, the internal pressure of the second channel 13g becomes lower than the internal pressure of the first channel 12g.

[0070] As described above, the microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment has a configuration in which a temperature control region equipped with a heating device or a pressure control region equipped with a pressurizing device is located on the extension of the first or second fluid channel. The microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment, with its configuration, can be suitably used when handling microfluidic devices used in genetic testing and the like.

[0071] In the microfluidic device handling apparatus shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the heating device can be replaced with the pressurizing device shown in Figure 11(B). Furthermore, in the microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment, a heating device or pressurizing device may be placed in the flow path connecting the first flow path of one microvalve and the second flow path of the other microvalve. Furthermore, these microfluidic device handling devices can also be configured by combining a type of microvalve that presses the valve body from below with a type of microvalve that presses the valve body from above.

[0072] Furthermore, if ports for injecting chemicals, a liquid delivery pump, or the like are to be connected to the open portions 16d to 16g of the microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment, it is also preferable to include these components in the microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment. Furthermore, in the microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment, it is also preferable to include a control device that controls the operation of a drive device, heating device, pressurizing device, liquid delivery pump, etc. Furthermore, in the microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment, it is also preferable to have a separate, replaceable microfluidic device. In this case, it is preferable to have a mounting device that appropriately positions and grips the microfluidic device on the handling device.

[0073] In the microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment, it is preferable that the pressing members 40d to 40g, the valve bodies 30d to 30g, and the openings 11d to 11g are arranged concentrically. Furthermore, in the microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment, it is preferable that the pressing surface of the pressing members 40d to 40g is larger than the horizontal cross-section of the openings 11d to 11g and smaller than the horizontal cross-section of the valve bodies 30d to 30g. By configuring the microfluidic device handling apparatus of this embodiment in this way, the communication sections 14d to 14g can be blocked more effectively, and interfacial delamination of the joint surface between the housing and the joining member, as well as fluid leakage from the flow path, can be prevented more stably.

[0074] As described above, the microvalve, microfluidic device, and microfluidic device handling device of this embodiment prevent the connecting portion that connects multiple flow channels from becoming joined to the joining member, thereby effectively preventing interfacial delamination at the joining surface between the housing and the joining member, as well as fluid leakage from the flow channels.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the flow path can be modified as appropriate, such as by having one or more bends instead of being a straight line, or by having one or more branches. [Industrial applicability]

[0076] The present invention can be suitably used in microfluidic devices used in genetic testing and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 10,10a~10g Housing components 11,11a~11g opening 12,12a~12g First channel 13,13a~13g Second channel 14,14b~14g Communication part 15, 15a~15g Valve insertion part 16,16a~16g open part 20, 20a, 20b, 20c Joining members 21,21a,21b,21c Open port 30, 30a~30g valve body 31a Valve body communication section 40, 40a~40g ​​Pressing member 50, 50a, 50b, 50c Other joining members 60d~f heating device 70g pressurizing device

Claims

1. A normally open type microvalve that opens and closes the electrical connection of multiple flow channels, The housing member has the aforementioned flow path engraved on it, and the flexible joining member is joined to the housing member and seals the flow path. The housing member comprises an opening, a first flow path connected to the opening and extending toward the bottom surface of the housing member, a valve body insertion portion into which a valve body covering the opening is fitted, and a second flow path formed on the upper surface of the housing member and connected to the valve body insertion portion. The valve body has a communication portion connecting the opening and the second flow path, The joining member is joined to the upper surface of the housing member. In the closed state, the valve body is pressed from the joining member side, causing it to elastically deform and close the communication portion. A microvalve characterized by the following features.

2. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication portion is provided in the housing member.

3. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication portion is provided on the valve body.

4. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication portion is in non-contact with the joining member.

5. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve body and the joining member are joined together.

6. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the first flow path extends along the bottom surface of the housing member, and another joining member is joined to the bottom surface of the housing member.

7. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of ​​the communication portion is a curved shape, an inverted triangle, a rectangle, an inverted trapezoid, an inverted trapezoid with a curved shape, an inverted triangle, or an inverted trapezoid on the lower side, or a rectangle with a curved shape, an inverted triangle, or an inverted trapezoid on the lower side.

8. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve body is cylindrical, has a frustum of an inverted cone shape, or is a cylinder with a frustum of an inverted cone on the lower side.

9. The microvalve according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing member is provided with a plurality of the second flow channels.

10. A microfluidic device characterized by comprising the microvalve described in claim 1.

11. The microfluidic device according to claim 10, characterized in that it has a temperature control region or a pressure control region on an extension of the first or second fluid channel.

12. A microfluidic device handling device characterized by comprising a microfluidic device according to claim 10 and a drive device having a pressing member for pressing the valve body from the joining member side.

13. The microfluidic device handling apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the pressing member, the valve body, and the opening are arranged concentrically.

14. The microfluidic device handling apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the pressing surface of the pressing member is larger than the horizontal cross-section of the opening and smaller than the horizontal cross-section of the valve body.

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