Flow channel chip and dielectrophoresis device

Abstract

To provide a technique that can evaluate the performance of an electrode on a flow passage without using a flow passage for dielectrophoresis.SOLUTION: A flow passage chip includes a substrate 21, a main flow passage 31, a liquid storage 40, a pair of main electrodes 33a and 33b, and a pair of inspection electrodes 43a and 43b. The main flow passage 31 is arranged on an upper surface 211 on a substrate 21 and liquid can be injected in the main flow passage. The liquid storage 40 is arranged on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21 and is separate from the main channel passage 31. The liquid storage 40 can be injected with liquid. The pair of main electrodes 33a and 33b are arranged between the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21 and the main flow passage 31. The pair of inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged between the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21 and the liquid storage 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a channel chip and a dielectrophoresis device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a flow channel chip that separates and collects a recovery target by utilizing dielectrophoretic force. This type of flow channel chip is equipped with a flow channel (micro flow channel) into which a liquid containing the recovery target is injected, and an electrode (micro electrode) for electrically capturing the recovery target in the liquid. Such a flow channel chip is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-134020 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] During the manufacturing process of the flow channel chip, there may be variations in the film thickness and dielectric constant of the insulating protective film that protects the electrodes in the plane, and in the resistivity of the electrode metal. In addition, if organic contamination occurs on the surface during the manufacturing process, the organic residue may affect the dielectrophoretic force. These may cause a decrease in the dielectrophoretic force to the extent that the collected object cannot be captured, or an excessive force that may damage the collected object.

[0005] In order to evaluate the performance of the electrodes in advance, it is possible to test the performance of the electrodes with a liquid injected into the flow path. However, injecting a liquid into the flow path may cause new surface contamination or cause the flow path to become clogged due to the inclusion of particles.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of evaluating the performance of electrodes relative to a flow channel without using a flow channel for dielectrophoresis. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the first aspect is Using dielectrophoretic force A channel chip, comprising: a substrate; and a liquid injection device disposed on one main surface of the substrate. For dielectrophoresis The liquid storage device comprises a main flow path, a liquid storage portion disposed on the main surface of the substrate and spaced apart from the main flow path, into which liquid can be injected, a pair of main electrodes disposed between the main surface of the substrate and the main flow path, and a pair of testing electrodes disposed between the main surface of the substrate and the liquid storage portion, the pair of testing electrodes being disposed apart from the main flow path, and the shape of the liquid storage portion being different from the shape of the main flow path.

[0008] A second aspect is a flow path chip of the first aspect, wherein the liquid storage portion includes a test flow path through which liquid can flow, and the pair of test electrodes are arranged between the main surface of the substrate and the test flow path.

[0009] A third aspect is a flow path chip of the first or second aspect, wherein an area of ​​a first overlapping portion of the pair of main electrodes that overlaps with the main flow path is equal to an area of ​​a second overlapping portion of the pair of testing electrodes that overlaps with the liquid storage portion.

[0010] A fourth aspect is the flow channel chip according to any one of the first to third aspects, comprising two or more pairs of the testing electrodes.

[0011] A fifth aspect is the flow channel chip of the fourth aspect, which includes three pairs of the testing electrodes.

[0012] A sixth aspect is the flow channel chip of any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes are disposed adjacent to each other.

[0013] A seventh aspect is a flow path chip according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, in which the surfaces of the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes are covered with an insulating protective film, and the main flow path and the liquid storage section are arranged on the insulating protective film.

[0014] An eighth aspect is the flow channel chip of any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes have a comb-like shape.

[0015] A ninth aspect is a dielectrophoresis device comprising: a flow channel chip according to any one of the first to eighth aspects; and a power supply unit that applies a voltage to the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the flow channel chip of the first embodiment, a pair of main electrodes corresponding to the main flow channel and a pair of testing electrodes corresponding to the liquid storage section are arranged on the same substrate, and therefore, by testing the performance of the pair of testing electrodes while the liquid is injected into the liquid storage section, the performance of the pair of main electrodes can be appropriately evaluated without using the main flow channel and the pair of main electrodes.

[0017] According to the flow path chip of the second embodiment, the pair of testing electrodes are overlapped with the testing flow path of the liquid storage section, so that the environmental conditions in which the pair of testing electrodes are arranged can be made close to the environmental conditions in which the pair of main electrodes are arranged, thereby making it possible to appropriately evaluate the performance of the pair of main electrodes based on the test results of the pair of testing electrodes.

[0018] In the flow channel chip of the third aspect, since the area of ​​the second overlapping portion of the pair of testing electrodes is the same as the area of ​​the first overlapping portion of the pair of main electrodes, the performance of the pair of testing electrodes can be made equivalent to that of the pair of main electrodes, and thus the performance of the pair of main electrodes can be appropriately evaluated based on the test results of the performance of the pair of testing electrodes.

[0019] According to the flow channel chip of the fourth aspect, even if in-plane variations occur in the manufacturing process within the same flow channel chip, the performance of the pair of main electrodes can be appropriately evaluated by averaging the measurement results of multiple sets of testing electrodes.

[0020] According to the flow channel chip of the fifth aspect, by providing three pairs of testing electrodes, it is possible to ensure the minimum number of samples required to grasp the average error and to prevent the flow channel chip from becoming large.

[0021] According to the flow channel chip of the sixth aspect, the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes are arranged adjacent to each other, so that the conditions of the environment in which the pair of testing electrodes are arranged can be made close to the conditions of the environment in which the pair of main electrodes are arranged, and therefore the performance of the pair of main electrodes can be appropriately evaluated based on the test results of the pair of testing electrodes.

[0022] According to the flow channel chip of the seventh aspect, the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes can be protected by the insulating protective film.

[0023] In the channel chip of the eighth embodiment, the pair of main electrodes and testing electrodes are shortened and arranged in parallel to form a comb shape, so that a low-resistance and uniform dielectrophoretic force can be applied to the liquid. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a dielectrophoresis device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the channel chip taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a part of a channel chip according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the channel chip taken along line BB in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in the embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding.

[0026] <1. First embodiment> Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a dielectrophoresis device 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a channel chip 11 taken along line AA shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the dielectrophoresis device 1 has a channel chip 11, a plurality of power supply units 13, and a control unit 15.

[0027] The flow channel chip 11 is a device that electrically separates and collects the object to be collected contained in a sample liquid. Examples of the sample liquid include body fluids such as blood, and physiological saline. The object to be collected is a substance present in the liquid, specifically, microorganisms, cells, proteins, nucleic acids, and the like. The multiple power supply units 13 apply voltages to the electrodes arranged in the flow channel chip 11. The control unit 15 controls the voltages applied by the power supply units 13. The control unit 15 is composed of a computer having a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, a RAM, and the like. The control unit 15 may include a dedicated circuit (such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0028] <Flow channel chip> As shown in FIG. 1, the channel chip 11 has a substrate 21, a main channel 31, a pair of main electrodes 33a, 33b, a liquid storage section 40, and multiple pairs of (three in this example) testing electrodes 43a, 43b.

[0029] The substrate 21 is made of, for example, quartz glass. However, the material of the substrate 21 is not limited to quartz glass and can be selected appropriately. The substrate 21 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. However, the shape of the substrate 21 is not limited to a substantially rectangular flat plate shape.

[0030] The main channel 31 is capable of injecting a liquid containing a recovery target. As shown in FIG. 1, the main channel 31 has a separation channel 311 and a pair of recovery channels 313a, 313b. The separation channel 311 is an elongated channel that extends linearly. One end of the separation channel 311 is connected to a first supply unit 315. The first supply unit 315 has a first supply opening 316 for injecting a liquid to be flowed into the separation channel 311. At the other end of the separation channel 311, the main channel 31 branches into a recovery channel 313a and a recovery channel 313b.

[0031] The recovery channel 313a is a channel for recovering recovery targets that have flowed through the separation channel 311. The recovery channel 313b is a channel for recovering non-recovery targets that have flowed through the separation channel 311. One end of each of the recovery channels 313a and 313b is connected to the other end of the separation channel 311. The other end of the recovery channel 313a is connected to a first recovery section 317a. The other end of the recovery channel 313b is connected to a first recovery section 317b. The first recovery section 317a has a first recovery opening 318 for recovering the liquid that has flowed through the recovery channel 313a. The first recovery section 317b has a first recovery opening 318 for recovering the liquid that has flowed through the recovery channel 313b.

[0032] 2, the main electrodes 33a, 33b are disposed on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21. The upper surfaces of the main electrodes 33a, 33b are covered with an insulating protective film 23. The insulating protective film 23 is, for example, an oxide film (such as a silicon oxide film (SiOx)). The insulating protective film 23 may be a nitride film (such as a silicon nitride film). By covering the main electrodes 33a, 33b with the insulating protective film 23, electrochemical reactions occurring at the interface between the electrode metal and the liquid can be suppressed, and deterioration and wear of the electrode metal over time can be suppressed.

[0033] A flow path cover 25 is disposed on the upper surface of the insulating protective film 23. The flow path cover 25 is formed of, for example, PDMS (dimethylpolysiloxane). The flow path cover 25 has, on its lower surface, a flow path groove 251 that is elongated and concave. The width of the flow path groove 251 is, for example, on the microscale. The flow path groove 251 of the flow path cover 25 and the upper surface of the insulating protective film 23 form the main flow path 31 and an inspection flow path 41 described below. In this manner, the flow path cover 25 is attached to the upper surface 211 of the substrate 2, so that the main flow path 31 is disposed on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 21 is wider than the flow path cover 25.

[0034] 1, the main electrodes 33a, 33b have a first pad portion 331 disposed away from the main flow path 31, and a plurality of first thin wire portions 333 arranged in a comb-like shape. At least a part of each of the first pad portions 331 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b is disposed outside the flow path cover 25. In addition, each of the first pad portions 331 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b is not covered with the insulating protective film 23. Therefore, outside the flow path cover 25, it is possible to connect the power supply unit 13 to the first pad portion 331 or to ground the first pad portion 331.

[0035] The multiple first thin line portions 333 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b are arranged so as to vertically overlap the main channel 31. The multiple first thin line portions 333 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b are portions that exert an electrical effect on the recovery target in the liquid injected into the separation channel 311 of the main channel 31.

[0036] The first thin line portion 333 is a thin line extending in a direction intersecting the separation channel 311 of the main channel 31. The first thin line portions 333 of the main electrodes 33a and 33b are arranged at equal intervals in the direction in which the separation channel 311 extends. In addition, in the direction in which the separation channel 311 extends, the first thin line portions 333 of the main electrode 33a and the first thin line portions 333 of the main electrode 33b are arranged alternately at intervals of one each. Specifically, in the direction in which the separation channel 311 extends, 20 pairs of the first thin line portions 333 of the main electrode 33a and the first thin line portions 333 of the main electrode 33b are arranged alternately at a pitch of 50 μm. The arrangement pitch and number of pairs of the first thin line portions 333 can be set arbitrarily.

[0037] The first thin line portions 333 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b extend in a direction obliquely intersecting the separation channel 311 so as to form an acute angle of, for example, 10° or more and 60° or less with respect to the direction in which the separation channel 311 extends.

[0038] When the dielectrophoresis device 1 is used, a liquid containing the object to be collected is supplied from the first supply unit 315 to the main flow channel 31. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the first pad portion 331 of the main electrode 33a is grounded, and the power supply unit 13 is connected to the first pad portion 331 of the main electrode 33b. The power supply unit 13 is composed of, for example, a function generator. The power supply unit 13 applies an AC voltage corresponding to the object to be collected between the main electrodes 33a and 33b under the control of the control unit 15. Specifically, the AC voltage corresponding to the object to be collected is a frequency that generates an electric field that exerts a dielectrophoretic force (attractive force) specifically on the object to be collected, and is a voltage of a magnitude that does not destroy the object to be collected.

[0039] When a voltage is applied between the main electrodes 33a, 33b, the objects to be recovered in the liquid injected into the main channel 31 are attracted to the first thin wire portions 333 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b and flow through the main channel 31, and are thereby recovered into the recovery channel 313a. In contrast, objects to be recovered, on which no dielectrophoretic force acts or on which only a weak dielectrophoretic force acts, are recovered into the recovery channel 313b.

[0040] The liquid storage section 40 is capable of storing liquid. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid storage section 40 has an inspection flow path 41. The liquid storage section 40 and the inspection flow path 41 are disposed on the insulating protective film 23, similar to the main flow path 31 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection flow path 41 has a long and thin linear shape. One end of the inspection flow path 41 is connected to a second supply section 411. The second supply section 411 has a second supply opening 412 for supplying liquid to be flowed in the inspection flow path 41. The other end of the inspection flow path 41 is connected to a second recovery section 413. The second recovery section 413 has a second recovery opening 414 for recovering the liquid that has flowed through the inspection flow path 41.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the three sets of inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged on the same substrate 21 as the main electrodes 33a, 33b. The inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged adjacent to the main electrodes 33a, 33b. The inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21, similar to the main electrodes 33a, 33b shown in FIG. 2. The inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged between the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21 and the liquid storage section 40. The inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are covered with an insulating protective film 23. Therefore, in the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b, the electrochemical reaction occurring at the interface between the electrode metal and the liquid is suppressed, and deterioration and wear of the electrode metal over time can be suppressed.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 1, the inspection electrodes 43a and 43b have a second pad portion 431 arranged away from the main flow path 31 and a plurality of second thin wire portions 433 arranged in a comb-teeth shape. As shown in Fig. 1, the second pad portion 431 is arranged outside the flow path cover 25. Each of the second pad portions 431 of the inspection electrodes 43a and 43b is not covered with the insulating protective film 23. Therefore, outside the flow path cover 25, it is possible to connect the power supply unit 13 to the second pad portion 431 or to ground the second pad portion 431.

[0043] The second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrodes 43a and 43b are arranged to vertically overlap the testing flow path 41. The second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrodes 43a and 43b are portions that exert an electrical effect on the liquid in the testing flow path 41.

[0044] The second thin line portions 433 are thin and extend in a direction intersecting (here, perpendicular to) the testing flow path 41. The second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrodes 43a and 43b are disposed at equal intervals in the extension direction of the testing flow path 41. Moreover, the second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrode 43a and the second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrode 43b are disposed alternately one by one in the extension direction of the testing flow path 41.

[0045] The area of ​​the portion (first overlapping portion 335) of the main electrodes 33a, 33b overlapping with the main flow path 31 is preferably equal to the area of ​​the portion (second overlapping portion 435) of the testing electrodes 43a, 43b overlapping with the testing flow path 41. The arrangement pitch and the number of sets of the testing electrodes 43a, 43b are preferably set so that the area of ​​the first overlapping portion 335 and the area of ​​the second overlapping portion 435 are equal to each other.

[0046] Similarly to the first thin line portions 333 of the main electrodes 33a and 33b, the second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrodes 43a and 43b may extend in a direction intersecting the testing flow path 41 obliquely.

[0047] <Method of Manufacturing Channel Chip 11> Next, a manufacturing method of the flow channel chip 11 will be described. First, a film of electrode metal having a predetermined thickness (for example, 100 nm) is formed on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21 by vacuum deposition. Then, a predetermined pattern is formed on the film of electrode metal by photolithography and wet etching. By this pattern formation, the main electrodes 33a, 33b and three sets of inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are formed on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21. Then, after patterning of the electrodes, the insulating protective film 23 is formed. Specifically, a silicon oxide film (SiOx) of a predetermined thickness (for example, 200 nm) is formed as the insulating protective film 23 on the upper surface 211 of the substrate 21 and the upper surfaces of the electrodes (including the main electrodes 33a, 33b and the three sets of inspection electrodes 43a, 43b) by sputtering.

[0048] After the insulating protective film 23 is formed, the first pad portions 331 of the main electrodes 33a and 33b and the second pad portions 431 of the testing electrodes 43a and 43b are formed by photolithography and dry etching. Thereafter, the flow path cover 25 is attached to the substrate 21. Specifically, the flow path cover 25 and the substrate 21 on which the electrodes are formed are plasma-treated, and then the two are bonded together. The flow path cover 25 has a flow path groove 251 corresponding to the main flow path 31 and a flow path groove corresponding to the liquid storage section 40 (test flow path 41) formed therein. Therefore, the main flow path 31 and the liquid storage section 40 are formed on the substrate 21 by attaching the flow path cover 25.

[0049] In the case of the flow channel chip 11, the main electrodes 33a, 33b corresponding to the main flow channel 31 and the testing electrodes 43a, 43b corresponding to the liquid storage section 40 are arranged on the same substrate 21. Therefore, by testing the performance of the testing electrodes 43a, 43b with the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 40, the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b with respect to the main flow channel 31 can be appropriately evaluated without using the main flow channel 31. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the main flow channel 31 from being contaminated or the main electrode 33 from being clogged in order to evaluate the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b.

[0050] In flow channel chip 11, by inspecting inspection electrodes 43a and 43b, it is possible to detect variations in the manufacturing process of flow channel chip 11 (variations in the film thickness or relative dielectric constant of the insulating protective film, variations in the resistivity of the electrode metal, etc.), and the presence of defects such as surface organic contamination and electrode defects. For example, by inspecting inspection electrodes 43a and 43b during the manufacturing process of flow channel chip 11, it is possible to improve the yield rate of flow channel chips 11 provided to users.

[0051] In addition, by overlapping the testing electrodes 43a, 43b with the testing flow path 41 of the liquid storage section 40, the environmental conditions in which the testing electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged can be made closer to the environmental conditions in which the main electrodes 33a, 33b are arranged. Therefore, the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b can be appropriately evaluated based on the test results of the testing electrodes 43a, 43b.

[0052] 1, since the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged adjacent to the main electrodes 33a, 33b, the conditions of the environment in which the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b are arranged can be made close to the conditions of the environment in which the main electrodes 33a, 33b are arranged. Therefore, the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b can be appropriately evaluated based on the inspection results of the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b.

[0053] Furthermore, when the cross-sectional shape and dimensions of the testing flow path 41 are the same as those of the separation flow path 311 in the main flow path 31, the cross-sectional dimensions between the testing electrodes 43a, 43b containing the liquid are the same as those of the main electrodes 33a, 33b covered by the separation flow path 311. This makes it possible to make the resistance and capacitance of the liquid, which depend on the cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional dimensions of the flow path directly above the electrodes, uniform between the testing electrodes 43a, 43b and the main electrodes 33a, 33b. Therefore, the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b can be appropriately evaluated based on the test results of the testing electrodes 43a, 43b.

[0054] The main electrodes 33a, 33b and the testing electrodes 43a, 43b are shortened and arranged in parallel to form a comb-like shape, so that a low-resistance and uniform dielectrophoretic force can be applied to the liquid.

[0055] Since the area of ​​the second overlapping portion 435 of the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b is the same as the area of ​​the first overlapping portion 335 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b, the performance of the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b can be made equivalent to that of the main electrodes 33a, 33b. Therefore, the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b with respect to the main flow path 31 can be appropriately evaluated based on the inspection results of the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b.

[0056] It is not essential that the area of ​​the first overlapping portion 335 is the same as the area of ​​the second overlapping portion 435. Even if the area of ​​the first overlapping portion 335 is different from the area of ​​the second overlapping portion 435, it is possible to relatively evaluate the main electrodes 33a, 33b from the inspection results of the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b according to the difference in area.

[0057] Flow path chip 11 includes multiple sets of testing electrodes 43a, 43b. Therefore, even if in-plane variations occur during the manufacturing process within the same flow path chip 11, the performance of main electrodes 33a, 33b can be appropriately evaluated by averaging the measurement results of multiple sets of testing electrodes 43a, 43b. Furthermore, by providing three sets of testing electrodes 43a, 43b, the minimum number of samples required to grasp the average error can be ensured, and the size of flow path chip 11 can be prevented from increasing.

[0058] 1, flow channel chip 11 includes three pairs of testing electrodes 43a, 43b, but may include only two pairs of testing electrodes 43a, 43b, or may include four or more pairs of testing electrodes 43a, 43b. Also, it is not essential that flow channel chip 11 includes multiple pairs of testing electrodes 43a, 43b, and flow channel chip 11 may include only one pair. If only one pair is included, flow channel chip 11 can be made smaller.

[0059] It is desirable to place the three sets of inspection electrodes 43a, 43b as close as possible to the main electrodes 33a, 33b, so that the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b can be appropriately evaluated based on the inspection results of these inspection electrodes 43a, 43b.

[0060] A correction value for correcting manufacturing variations can be obtained based on the inspection results of the inspection electrodes 43a and 43b. Therefore, the control unit 15 may control the power supply unit 13 so that the power supply unit 13 applies a voltage between the main electrodes 33a and 33b according to the obtained correction value. This makes it possible to apply a stable induced electrophoretic force to the recovery target in the liquid injected into the main channel 31.

[0061] <2. Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the following description, elements having the same functions as elements already described will be given the same reference numerals or reference numerals with an additional alphabetical character, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0062] Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of flow channel chip 11 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of flow channel chip 11 taken along line BB shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 3 and 4 show only liquid storage portion 40a and the surrounding area of ​​liquid storage portion 40a in flow channel chip 11.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the flow channel chip 11 may include a liquid storage section 40a instead of or in addition to the liquid storage section 40 shown in FIG. 1. The liquid storage section 40a is capable of storing liquid. As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid storage section 40a is configured by a through hole provided in the flow channel cover 25. The flow channel cover 25 has an opening 412a for injecting liquid into the liquid storage section 40a. The liquid storage section 40a is configured as a concave hole with an open upper portion, instead of an elongated tubular flow channel surrounded by walls on all sides, as in the testing flow channel 41 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the flow channel chip 11 has a pair of testing electrodes 43c, 43d. The testing electrodes 43c, 43d each have a plurality of second thin line portions 433 arranged in a comb-teeth shape. The plurality of second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrodes 43c, 43d are arranged at equal intervals, similar to the plurality of second thin line portions 433 of the testing electrodes 43a, 43b. The plurality of second thin line portions 433 are arranged between the liquid storage portion 40a and the substrate 21. The plurality of second thin line portions 433 are arranged so as to vertically overlap the liquid storage portion 40a.

[0065] In the case of the flow channel chip 11 according to the second embodiment, the performance of the main electrodes 33a and 33b can be evaluated by inspecting the performance of the inspection electrodes 43c and 43d in a state where the liquid is poured into the liquid storage portion 40a. Therefore, the performance of the main electrodes 33a and 33b can be evaluated in advance without using the main flow channel 31.

[0066] The area of ​​the second overlapping portion 435 of the testing electrodes 43c, 43d that overlaps with the liquid storage portion 40a in the vertical direction may be set to be the same as the area of ​​the first overlapping portion 335 of the main electrodes 33a, 33b. This allows the performance of the main electrodes 33a, 33b to be appropriately evaluated from the test results of the testing electrodes 43c, 43d. In this case, the test results of the testing electrodes 43c, 43d and 43c may be corrected according to the liquid resistance or capacitance component that depends on the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path directly above the testing electrodes 43c, 43d.

[0067] <3. Modification> Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

[0068] For example, the channel chip 11 may include a plurality of main channels 31 on one substrate 21. The channel chip 11 may also include a plurality of pairs of main electrodes 33a, 33b on one substrate 21.

[0069] The flow channel chip 11 may include a plurality of liquid storage sections 40 (or liquid storage sections 40a) on one substrate 21. Also, the flow channel chip 11 may include inspection electrodes 43a, 43b (or inspection electrodes 43c, 43d) corresponding to each liquid storage section 40 (or liquid storage section 40a).

[0070] The shape of the electrode portion of the main electrodes 33a, 33b that exerts an electrical effect on the main flow path 31 is not limited to the comb-like shape shown in Fig. 1, and may be changed as desired. Similarly, the shapes of the inspection electrodes 43a, 43b and the inspection electrodes 43c, 43d are not limited to the comb-like shape, and may be changed as desired.

[0071] Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments and variations can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they are not mutually contradictory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Dielectrophoresis device 11 Flow Chip 21 Substrate 23 Insulating protective film 31 Main channel 33a,33b Main electrode 40, 40a Liquid storage section 41 Inspection flow path 43a, 43b Inspection electrodes 43c, 43d Test electrodes 211 Top surface (principal surface) 335 First Overlap Section 412a opening 435 Second Overlap Section

Claims

1. A channel chip that utilizes dielectrophoretic force, A substrate; a main flow path for dielectrophoresis, disposed on one main surface of the substrate, into which a liquid can be injected; a liquid storage section that is disposed on the main surface of the substrate and is spaced apart from the main flow path and into which a liquid can be injected; a pair of main electrodes disposed between the main surface of the substrate and the main flow path; a pair of testing electrodes disposed between the main surface of the substrate and the liquid storage portion; Equipped with the pair of testing electrodes are disposed away from the main flow path, A channel chip, wherein the shape of the liquid storage portion is different from the shape of the main channel.

2. The channel chip according to claim 1 , the liquid storage section includes a test flow path through which a liquid can flow, the pair of testing electrodes are disposed between the main surface of the substrate and the testing flow channel;

3. The channel chip according to claim 1 or 2, an area of ​​a first overlapping portion of the pair of main electrodes overlapping with the main flow path is equal to an area of ​​a second overlapping portion of the pair of testing electrodes overlapping with the liquid storage portion.

4. The channel chip according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A channel chip comprising two or more pairs of the testing electrodes.

5. The channel chip according to claim 4, A channel chip including three pairs of the testing electrodes.

6. The channel chip according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes are disposed adjacent to each other.

7. The channel chip according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the surfaces of the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes are covered with an insulating protective film; The main channel and the liquid storage portion are disposed on the insulating protective film.

8. The channel chip according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes have a comb-like shape.

9. A dielectrophoresis device, comprising: The channel chip according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a power supply unit that applies a voltage to the pair of main electrodes and the pair of testing electrodes; A dielectrophoresis apparatus comprising:

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