Uniform flow dividing device and fluid system

Abstract

A uniform flow dividing device according to the present disclosure comprises a single substrate provided with a flow path that connects one inflow port and a plurality of outflow ports. The flow path includes: a flow dividing part that divides the flow of a liquid, introduced to the inflow port of the substrate, into a plurality of branched flow paths connected to the outflow ports; and a flow path resistance part that is positioned on the downstream side of the flow dividing part and that imparts flow path resistance to each of the branched flow paths.

Description

Uniform flow dividing device and fluid system CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-128872, filed on August 7, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to uniform flow distribution devices and fluid systems.

[0003] In recent years, microfluidic devices have been proposed, in which channels with widths on the order of micrometers are formed on a substrate, and fluid systems using such devices to perform liquid mixing, chemical reaction processes, and other processes. While a single microfluidic device can process a small amount of liquid, connecting multiple fluidic devices in parallel for parallel processing can increase the processing volume. However, fluidic devices have different channel resistances due to individual differences. When fluidic devices with different channel resistances are connected in parallel, variations occur in the flow rate of liquid flowing through the fluidic devices. Therefore, a method has been proposed for uniforming the flow rate of liquid supplied to each fluidic device when performing parallel processing using multiple fluidic devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] For example, in Patent Document 1, a connecting pipe that branches into multiple branches is connected to a liquid feed pump, and the branched pipes are connected to each of multiple fluidic devices arranged in parallel with each other using compensation pipes. The compensation pipes have a large flow resistance due to their small inner diameter and / or long length. Patent Document 1 aims to evenly distribute liquid to the fluidic devices by setting the flow resistance of the compensation pipes to be sufficiently larger than the flow resistance of the downstream fluidic devices.

[0005] Patent Application No. 2006-263546

[0006] However, in the method of Patent Document 1, variations in flow path resistance may occur between the individual pipes branching from the connecting pipe. Also, variations in flow path resistance may occur at the connection between the connecting pipe and the correction pipe. As a result, in the method of Patent Document 1, the flow path resistance of each flow path varies greatly, making it difficult to accurately separate the liquid.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure, which has been made with attention to these points, is to provide a uniform flow distribution device and a fluid system that can distribute liquid to a plurality of fluid devices with high precision.

[0008] (1) A uniform flow distribution device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a single substrate having a flow path connecting one inlet and multiple outlets, the flow path including a flow distribution section that distributes a liquid introduced into the inlet of the substrate into multiple branch flow paths that connect to the outlets, and a flow path resistance section that is located downstream of the flow distribution section and provides a flow path resistance to each of the branch flow paths.

[0009] (2) In the uniform flow dividing device of (1) above, the flow dividing section may include one or more stages of branching sections that sequentially branch the flow path into two at each stage.

[0010] (3) In the uniform flow dividing device of (1) or (2), the flow dividing section has three stages of branching sections, and the flow path can be branched into eight branch flow paths. By increasing the number of branching stages, the number of branches can be increased.

[0011] (4) In the uniform flow dividing device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the flow dividing section may have a shape that is symmetrical about an axis of symmetry that includes the inlet.

[0012] (5) In the flow path resistance portion of the uniform flow dividing device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, the plurality of branch flow paths may have a coefficient of variation of flow path resistance of less than 5%.

[0013] (6) In the flow path resistance portion of the uniform flow dividing device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, the branch flow paths may be formed to have the same shape.

[0014] (7) In the flow path resistance portion of the uniform flow dividing device of any one of (1) to (6) above, the plurality of branch flow paths may be formed to be smaller in at least one of width and depth than the flow paths in the flow dividing portion.

[0015] (8) In the flow path resistance portion of the uniform flow dividing device according to any one of (1) to (7) above, the branch flow path may be formed as a flow path that travels back and forth within the substrate.

[0016] (9) In the uniform flow dividing device according to any one of (1) to (8) above, the lengths of the branched flow paths may be approximately equal to each other.

[0017] (10) In any of the uniform flow distribution devices (1) to (9) above, the difference between the maximum and minimum flow rates of the liquid discharged from the plurality of outlets may be 5% or less of the average flow rate.

[0018] (11) In the uniform flow dividing device according to any one of (1) to (10) above, the substrate may be formed from a chemically resistant material.

[0019] (12) In the uniform flow dividing device of (11) above, the chemically resistant material may be glass, polyetheretherketone, ceramics, or metal.

[0020] (13) A fluid system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a uniform flow distribution device, a liquid delivery mechanism, and multiple fluidic devices. The uniform flow distribution device includes a single substrate having a flow path connecting an inlet and multiple outlets. The flow path includes a flow distribution section that distributes liquid introduced into the inlet of the substrate into multiple branch flow paths connected to the outlets, and a flow path resistance section located downstream of the flow distribution section that imparts flow path resistance to each of the branch flow paths. The liquid delivery mechanism delivers liquid to the inlet of the uniform flow distribution device. The multiple fluidic devices perform operations on liquid discharged from each of the outlets of the uniform flow distribution device.

[0021] (14) In the fluid system of (13) above, the pressure drop due to the flow path resistance of any branch flow path of the flow path resistance portion may be greater than the pressure drop due to the flow path resistance of the fluid device located downstream of the branch flow path.

[0022] (15) In the fluid system of (13) or (14) above, the average value of the flow path resistance of the plurality of branch flow paths of the flow path resistance portion may be greater than the average value of the flow path resistance of the plurality of fluid devices.

[0023] (16) In any of the fluid systems (13) to (15) above, the average flow resistance of the branch flow paths of the flow path resistance section may be 10 times or more greater than the average flow path resistance of the fluid devices.

[0024] According to the uniform flow distribution device and fluid system of the present disclosure, a single substrate of the uniform flow distribution device is provided with a distribution section that distributes liquid into multiple branch flow paths and a flow path resistance section that imparts flow path resistance to the branch flow paths, thereby enabling liquid to be distributed accurately to multiple fluid devices.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a fluid system according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an example of the uniform flow dividing device of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the fluid device of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an evaluation apparatus for the uniform flow dividing device according to one embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation result of the uniform flow dividing device according to one embodiment.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, a fluid system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a uniform flow distribution device 10, a liquid delivery pump 20 serving as a liquid delivery mechanism, and a plurality of fluid devices 30. The fluid devices 30 may be microfluidic devices having minute flow channels with a channel width of up to about 500 µm (micrometers). The fluid system 1 may be a microfluidic system including the microfluidic devices.

[0028] The fluidic device 30, which is a microfluidic device, can perform operations such as mixing and / or reactions between liquids. The fluidic device 30 offers various advantages not available in conventional fluidic devices with a channel width of several millimeters (mm) or more. For example, in a mixing operation, it is known that if the channel width is reduced to 1 / 10 of that of the conventional technology, the mixing time becomes approximately 1 / 100th of that required in the conventional technology. Therefore, an operation that required 1 hour in the conventional technology can be completed in less than 1 minute. Furthermore, in a reaction operation, the reaction is completed instantly, suppressing the generation of by-products and significantly improving the reaction yield.

[0029] The fluid system 1 precisely divides the liquid supplied from the liquid feed pump 20 into substantially uniform flows using the uniform flow shunt device 10, and supplies the liquid to multiple fluidic devices 30 connected in parallel to the uniform flow shunt device 10. The multiple fluidic devices 30 perform the same operation on the same liquid. However, individual fluidic devices 30 often have different flow path resistances due to significant individual differences caused by dimensional tolerances in the height, width, and length of the flow paths. Unlike the present embodiment, if liquid supplied from the same liquid feed mechanism is connected to multiple fluidic devices 30 using multiple branched pipes, the flow rates of the liquid supplied to each fluidic device 30 may be uneven due to differences in the flow path resistances of the fluidic devices 30. Specifically, more liquid flows through flow paths with lower flow path resistances. If the liquids flowing through the multiple fluidic devices 30 are not uniform, the reaction efficiency within the fluidic devices 30 may decrease.

[0030] For this reason, the uniform flow distribution device 10 of this embodiment is configured to distribute the liquid substantially uniformly with high precision using the flow paths 14 formed on the same substrate, and to have a flow path resistance higher than that of the fluidic device 30. The configuration of each part of the fluid system 1 will be described below.

[0031] Flow resistance is the force that occurs in the opposite direction to the flow of a fluid when trying to make it flow through a flow channel. In microchannel devices, the minute flow channel structure tends to lead to an increase in flow channel resistance. The loss of energy due to flow channel resistance is called pressure loss. In a fluid, pressure loss causes the pressure downstream to decrease compared to the pressure upstream.

[0032] (Uniform flow distribution device) The uniform flow distribution device 10 includes a single substrate 11. The substrate 11 has a flow path 14 formed therein, which connects one inlet 12 with a plurality of outlets 13. The flow path 14 has an upstream side and a downstream side defined based on the flow direction of the liquid supplied from the liquid supply pump 20. As viewed from the uniform flow distribution device 10, the liquid supply pump 20 side is the upstream side, and the fluidic device 30 side is the downstream side.

[0033] The substrate 11 is a rectangular plate-like member in a plan view. However, the shape of the substrate 11 is not limited to this. The size of the substrate 11 can be set arbitrarily. For example, the size of the substrate 11 can be on the order of several centimeters (cm) to several tens of centimeters in a plan view. The thickness of the substrate 11 can be on the order of several millimeters to several centimeters. The substrate 11 is formed of a chemically resistant material. Examples of the chemically resistant material include glass and polyether ether ketone (PEEK), but are not limited to these. Ceramics or metals can also be used as the chemically resistant material.

[0034] The inlet 12 is an opening that receives liquid supplied from the outside to the uniform flow dividing device 10. The inlet 12 is located at the upstream end of the flow path 14. The inlet 12 may be located on one of the widest flat surfaces of the substrate 11, for example, on the top surface. The inlet 12 is connected to the liquid feed pump 20 via a tube 41. The connection between the liquid feed pump 20 and the tube 41 and the connection between the tube 41 and the inlet 12 are tightly sealed to prevent liquid leakage. The same applies to the connection between the other tubes 42, 43, and 44 described below and any device. The tube 41 sends the liquid supplied from the liquid feed pump 20 to the inlet 12. The tube 41 and the tubes 42, 43, and 44 described below can be made of PEEK resin from the viewpoints of chemical resistance, heat resistance, pressure resistance, etc.

[0035] The outlets 13 are openings for discharging the fluid that has flowed through the flow paths 14 of the uniform flow shunting device 10 to the outside of the uniform flow shunting device 10. The outlets 13 are located at the downstream ends of the respective branch flow paths 17. The outlets 13 may be arranged on one of the widest flat surfaces of the substrate 11, for example, on the top surface. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the number of outlets 13 is eight, but the number of outlets 13 is not limited to this. Each of the multiple outlets 13 is connected to one of the fluidic devices 30 by a tube 42.

[0036] The flow channel 14 is, for example, a minute micro-flow channel with a flow channel width on the order of μm. However, the width of the flow channel 14 is not limited to this range. The flow channel 14 allows a fluid to pass through from the upstream side to the downstream side. The flow channel 14 can be formed in the substrate 11 using known techniques. For example, the flow channel 14 can be formed by forming a groove that will become the flow channel 14 in the first layer substrate of a two-layer structure, and then joining the second layer substrate to close the groove.

[0037] The flow path 14 includes a flow branching section 15 and a flow path resistance section 16 located downstream of the flow branching section 15 .

[0038] In the flow dividing section 15, the flow path 14 divides the liquid introduced into the inlet 12 of the substrate 11 with high precision so as to be approximately uniform into a plurality of branch flow paths 17 that are connected to the discharge port 13. The branch flow path 17 is a part of the flow path 14. The flow dividing section 15 is configured to include one or more branch sections 15a, 15b, and 15c that evenly branch the flow path 14 into two flow paths.

[0039] The flow dividing section 15 may include one or more branching sections 15a, 15b, and 15c that sequentially branch the flow path 14 into two at each stage. At each stage, the flow dividing section 15 further branches the flow path 14 branched at the previous stage into two equal flow paths. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate 11, i.e., in a plan view, the flow dividing section 15 may have a shape that is symmetrical about an axis of symmetry that includes the inlet 12 and extends toward the flow resistance section.

[0040] For example, in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the flow dividing section 15 includes three stages of branch sections 15a, 15b, and 15c, which branch the flow path 14 into eight branch flow paths 17a to 17h. The branch flow paths 17a to 17h are individual branch flow paths 17 included in the plurality of branch flow paths 17. The first-stage branch section 15a is located upstream closest to the inlet 12. The first-stage branch section 15a evenly branches the flow path 14 connected to the inlet 12 into two flow paths 14. The second-stage branch section 15b is located in each flow path 14 downstream of the first branch section 15a. The second-stage branch section 15b evenly branches each of the two flow paths 14 branched by the first-stage branch section 15a into two flow paths 14. In other words, the two second-stage branch sections 15b evenly branch the flow path 14 into a total of four paths. The third-stage branching section 15c evenly branches each of the four flow paths branched by the second-stage branching section 15b into two flow paths 14. That is, the four third-stage branching sections 15c evenly branch the flow path 14 into a total of eight branch flow paths 17a-17h. Here, each of the branching sections 15a, 15b, and 15c branches the upstream flow path 14 into downstream flow paths 14 of substantially identical shapes, arranged symmetrically. Here, in this application, "evenly branching" a flow path means that the liquid flowing through the branching sections 15a, 15b, and 15c is evenly branched within a range that takes into account manufacturing errors and the like, under the condition that the downstream flow path resistance is equal. Furthermore, "uniformly branching" a liquid means that the liquid is divided into equal amounts. That is, even if the branching sections 15a, 15b, and 15c evenly branch the flow paths 14, the liquid may not be evenly branched due to downstream flow path resistance.

[0041] For example, if a branching section branches the flow path 14 into three paths, it would be difficult to achieve uniform flow rates because the central branched path and the two side paths are not symmetrical. In contrast, the branching sections 15a, 15b, and 15c each branch the flow path 14 into two paths, allowing the two branched paths to be positioned symmetrically with each other. Therefore, if the downstream flow path resistance is the same, the liquid can be accurately diverted to achieve uniform flow rates. The uniform flow diverting device 10 of the present disclosure has one or more stages of branching sections 15a, 15b, and 15c that evenly divide the flow path into two paths, allowing the flow path 14 to be accurately diverted to multiple branched flow paths 17 to achieve uniform flow rates.

[0042] The flow path resistance section 16 is located downstream of the flow diverter section 15 and provides flow path resistance to each of the branch flow paths 17. The flow path resistance of each branch flow path 17 of the flow path resistance section 16 is 10 or more times or 100 or more times greater than the flow path resistance from the inlet 12 to the branching into the branch flow paths 17 by the flow diverter section 15. This makes it possible to reduce the effect on the flow rate of each branch flow path 17 even if unevenness occurs among the flow paths 14 branched by the flow diverter section 15.

[0043] The flow path resistance portion 16 can be configured so that the drop pressure of the liquid flowing in the fluid system 1 due to the flow path resistance of any branch flow path 17 is greater than the drop pressure of the liquid due to the flow path resistance of the fluidic device 30 located downstream of the branch flow path 17. The drop pressure due to the flow path resistance of the branch flow path 17 may be 10 times or more the drop pressure due to the flow path resistance of the fluidic device 30.

[0044] Furthermore, the average value of the flow path resistance of each branch flow path 17 of the flow path resistance section 16 is greater than the average value of the flow path resistance of each fluidic device 30 to which each branch flow path 17 is connected. For example, the average value of the flow path resistance of each branch flow path 17 of the flow path resistance section 16 may be 10 times or more the average value of the flow path resistance of each fluidic device 30 to which each branch flow path 17 is connected. Furthermore, the flow path resistance of each branch flow path 17 of the flow path resistance section 16 may be greater than the flow path resistance of each fluidic device 30 to which the branch flow path 17 is connected. For example, the flow path resistance of each branch flow path 17 of the flow path resistance section 16 may be 10 times or more the flow path resistance of each individual fluidic device 30 to which the branch flow path 17 is connected. Furthermore, the average value of the pressure loss in the flow path resistance section 16 of a liquid passing through a plurality of branch flow paths 17 may be 1 or more times or 10 or more times greater than the average value of the pressure loss in the fluidic device 30 of a liquid passing through a plurality of fluidic devices 30.

[0045] To increase the flow path resistance, the branch flow paths 17 in the flow path resistance section 16 may be formed to be smaller in at least one of width and depth than the flow paths 14 in the diverter section 15. Furthermore, to increase the flow path resistance, the branch flow paths 17 in the flow path resistance section 16 may be formed as flow paths that travel back and forth through predetermined regions assigned to each branch flow path 17 in the substrate 11. This increases the length of the branch flow paths 17 and increases the flow path resistance by including bends in the flow paths.

[0046] The multiple branch flow paths 17 are configured to have approximately the same flow path resistance. Therefore, the multiple branch flow paths 17 may be formed to have approximately the same shape. Furthermore, the lengths of the multiple branch flow paths 17 may be approximately the same except for an error. It is preferable that the multiple branch flow paths 17 have a coefficient of variation of flow path resistance of less than 5%. The coefficient of variation of flow path resistance is a value obtained by dividing the deviation value of the flow path resistance of all the branch flow paths 17 by the average value. If the coefficient of variation of flow path resistance is less than 5%, the flow path resistances of the multiple branch flow paths 17 can be considered to be approximately the same.

[0047] (Liquid Delivery Pump) The liquid delivery pump 20 is a device that supplies a liquid, which is a raw material for a chemical reaction in the fluidic device 30, to the uniform flow dividing device 10 via a tube 41. The liquid delivery pump 20 delivers a liquid stored in a raw material tank or the like to the tube 41. The liquid delivery pump 20 is, for example, a syringe pump or a diaphragm pump, but is not limited to these. Other types of pumps can also be used as the liquid delivery pump 20.

[0048] 3, the fluid device 30 includes a substrate 31. As an example, the substrate 31 is formed with a flow path 35 that connects a first inlet 32, a second inlet 33, and a discharge port 34.

[0049] The first inlet 32 ​​is connected to the corresponding outlet 13 of the uniform flow dividing device 10 via a tube 42. The tube 42 delivers the liquid discharged from the outlet 13 of the uniform flow dividing device 10 to the first inlet 32. The first inlet 32 ​​receives one of the liquids diverted by the uniform flow dividing device 10.

[0050] The second inlet 33 is connected to another liquid delivery mechanism or another fluid device via a tube 43. The tube 43 supplies the liquid from the other liquid delivery mechanism or another fluid device to the fluid device 30 for mixing and chemical reaction with the liquid supplied from the liquid delivery pump 20.

[0051] Flow paths 35 connected to first inlet 32 ​​and second inlet 33 merge at a junction 36 downstream of first inlet 32 ​​and second inlet 33. A mixing / reaction flow path 37 is disposed downstream of junction 36 so as to travel back and forth multiple times within substrate 31. The liquid introduced from first inlet 32 ​​and the liquid introduced from second inlet 33 are mixed while flowing through mixing / reaction flow path 37, which is part of flow path 35, and a chemical reaction occurs between the reactants contained in each liquid.

[0052] A liquid containing a product produced as a result of a chemical reaction in the mixing / reaction channel 37 is discharged from the discharge port 34 into the tube 44. As shown in Figure 1, by arranging a plurality of fluidic devices 30 in parallel, the yield of the product can be increased in accordance with the number of fluidic devices 30.

[0053] With the above-described configuration, the uniform flow diversion device 10 according to this embodiment has the flow diverting section 15 and the flow path resistance section 16 arranged on the same substrate 11. This reduces the variation in flow path resistance compared to when the flow diverting section 15 and the flow path resistance section 16 are separate components and connected using a connector, liquid delivery tube, or the like, which is likely to cause variation in flow path resistance. Furthermore, by configuring the flow diverting section 15 to have one or more stages of branch sections 15a, 15b, and 15c that evenly branch the flow path 14 into two, the uniform flow diversion device 10 can further uniformly divert the liquid.

[0054] Furthermore, in the fluid system 1 according to this embodiment, the flow path resistances of the flow path resistance sections 16 of the uniform flow shunting device 10 are approximately equal to each other, and the average flow path resistance is greater than the average flow path resistance of the fluidic devices 30. Therefore, even if there are individual differences in the flow path resistance of the individual fluidic devices 30, the rate of variation in the overall flow path resistance can be suppressed. As a result, the flow rates of the liquid supplied to each fluidic device 30 can be made closer to a uniform flow rate.

[0055] In particular, by making the average value of the flow path resistance of the plurality of branch flow paths 17 of the flow path resistance section 16 at least 10 times greater than the average value of the flow path resistance of the plurality of fluidic devices 30, the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the fluidic device 30 becomes more uniform. Furthermore, when the coefficient of variation of the flow path resistance of the plurality of branch flow paths 17 in the flow path resistance section 16 is less than 5%, the effect of variations in the flow path resistance of the flow path resistance section 16 on variations in the flow rate of the liquid supplied to the fluidic device 30 can be kept low.

[0056] (Example) The inventors verified the flow division performance of a uniform flow division device 10 using the apparatus configuration shown in Figure 4. While some reference numerals are omitted in Figure 4, the following description will use the reference numerals assigned in Figures 1 to 3 as appropriate. In this uniform flow division device 10, borosilicate glass with a plate thickness of 1.4 mm was used as the substrate 11. Furthermore, the flow paths 14 in the flow division section 15 were 0.5 mm wide and 0.5 mm deep, and had a configuration in which they branched into eight paths, as in the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2. Furthermore, the branch flow paths 17 in the flow path resistance section 16 were 0.1 mm wide, 0.03 mm deep, and 50 mm long.

[0057] An IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) solution was delivered from the delivery pump 20 to the uniform flow dividing device 10 at a flow rate of 60 μL / min. The flow rate of the IPA solution delivered from each outlet 13 to the collection container 52 after passing through the flow path resistance portion 16 was measured using a precision balance. A pressure sensor 51 for measuring the pressure inside the tube 41 is provided midway along the tube 41. The pressure sensor 51 is used to detect abnormalities such as leaks, air bubbles, or blockages.

[0058] Figures 5(a) to (f) show the results of six measurements performed on different uniform flow shunting devices 10. The eight bar graphs in each of Figures 5(a) to (f) show the flow rates of the solutions ejected from the eight outlets 13. The percentage difference from 7.50 μL / min is shown on the right side of the graph. 7.50 μL / min is the value obtained by dividing the 60 μL / min flow rate of the liquid delivery pump 20 into eight equal parts. The ratio of the difference between the actual flow rate of the diverted liquid and the flow rate that would be obtained if the liquid before the shunting were uniformly shunted is referred to as the liquid delivery accuracy. In all cases shown in Figures 5(a) to (f), the liquid delivery accuracy was less than ±2.5%. Thus, if the difference between the maximum and minimum flow rates of the liquid ejected from the outlets 13 is 5% or less of the average flow rate, the liquid delivery accuracy can be said to be high.

[0059] The above measurements were performed without a fluidic device 30 connected downstream. However, even if a fluidic device 30 is connected to each outlet 13, the effect on the total flow path resistance of each flow path branched by the uniform flow shunt device 10 is relatively small as long as the flow path resistance of the fluidic device 30 is smaller than the flow path resistance of the flow path resistance section 16. For example, assume that the average flow path resistance of the flow path resistance section 16 is 10 times the average flow path resistance of the fluidic device 30. Even if the flow path resistance of the fluidic device 30 varies by 30%, the overall flow path resistance of each flow path after branching at the flow shunt section 15 will only vary by about 3%.

[0060] The inventors conducted similar measurements without using the uniform flow-dividing device 10, connecting eight branched connection pipes to the liquid-feed pump 20 as in the prior art, and connecting thin-diameter tubes with an inner diameter of 0.05 mm and a length of 50 cm to each branched pipe. The resulting liquid-feed accuracy was ±10 to 20%. Furthermore, since this liquid-feed accuracy varied each time the device was assembled, it is believed that human error plays a large role. The most influential human error is presumably the deformation of the tube cross section that occurs when cutting the thin tube. Cutting a thin tube with a cutter or other tool can cause plastic deformation of the tube cross section, resulting in a reduction in cross-sectional area. Furthermore, if the thin tube is not cut perpendicular to its central axis, the tube end face may not contact the device or sealant uniformly, which can lead to deformation of the tube tip and partial blockage of the flow path.

[0061] Therefore, the uniform flow diversion device 10 used in this embodiment has higher liquid delivery accuracy than the conventional technology. This is because the flow diversion section 15 and the flow path resistance section 16 are provided on the same substrate 11. When the uniform flow diversion device 10 used in this embodiment is applied to the fluid system 1, it becomes possible to deliver liquid to the fluid device 30 at a more uniform flow rate than the conventional technology.

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and many modifications and variations are possible. The configurations of the uniform flow distribution device 10, the fluidic device 30, and the fluidic system 1 of the above-described embodiment are merely examples. Addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of the configuration are possible as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0063] The fluidic device 30 of the present disclosure has been described as a microfluidic device with a channel width on the order of μm. However, the dimensions of the channel of the fluidic device 30 of the present disclosure are not limited to this. The fluidic device 30 may have a channel width of 1 mm or more, or a channel width of less than 1 μm.

[0064] For example, in the above embodiment, the flow dividing section 15 of the uniform flow dividing device 10 branches the flow path 14 in three stages. However, the flow dividing section 15 may branch the flow path in one, two, or four or more stages. The number of branches can be increased by increasing the number of branching stages. The shapes and arrangements of the flow paths 14 of the flow dividing section 15 and flow path resistance section 16 of the uniform flow dividing device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are merely examples. Devices with various flow path configurations can be created as the uniform flow dividing device 10. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the inlet 12 and outlet 13 are located on the upper surface of the substrate 11. However, the arrangement of the inlet 12 and outlet 13 is not limited to this. The inlet 12 and outlet 13 may also be located on the side surface of the substrate 11, for example.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the fluidic device 30 performs operations such as liquid mixing and chemical reactions. However, the operations performed by the fluidic device 30 are not limited to these. The operations performed by the fluidic device 30 may include liquid-phase mixing, liquid-phase reactions, gas-liquid mixing, gas-liquid reactions, extraction, distillation, concentration, slurry mixing, solid-phase extraction, particle separation / liquid separation, crystallization, cell culture, and the like. Furthermore, the fluids passing through the flow paths of the uniform flow dividing device 10 and the fluidic device 30 are not limited to liquids and may include gases.

[0066] 1 Fluid system 10 Uniform flow dividing device 11 Substrate 12 Inlet 13, 13a-13h Discharge outlet 14 Flow path 15 Dividing section 15a First stage branching section 15b Second stage branching section 15c Third stage branching section 16 Flow path resistance section 17, 17a-17h Branching flow path 20 Liquid delivery pump (liquid delivery mechanism) 30 Fluid device 31 Substrate 32 First inlet 33 Second inlet 34 Discharge outlet 35 Flow path 36 Confluence section 37 Mixing / reaction flow path 41-44 Tube 51 Pressure sensor 52 Collection container

Claims

1. A uniform flow-dividing device comprising a single substrate provided with flow paths connecting one inlet and multiple outlets, the flow paths including: a diversion section that diverts liquid introduced into the inlet of the substrate into multiple branch flow paths leading to the outlets; and a flow path resistance section located downstream of the diversion section and providing flow path resistance to each of the branch flow paths.

2. The uniform flow dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the flow dividing section has one or more stages of branching sections that sequentially branch the flow path into two at each stage.

3. The uniform flow dividing device according to claim 2, wherein the flow dividing section has three stages of branching sections and divides the flow path into eight branch flow paths.

4. The uniform flow distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the flow distribution portion has a shape that is linearly symmetrical about an axis of symmetry that includes the inlet.

5. The uniform flow-dividing device according to claim 1, wherein in the flow-path resistance section, the plurality of branch flow paths have a coefficient of variation of flow-path resistance of less than 5%.

6. The uniform flow-dividing device according to claim 1, wherein in the flow path resistance portion, the branch flow paths are formed to have the same shape as one another.

7. The uniform flow-dividing device according to claim 1, wherein in the flow-path resistance section, the plurality of branch flow paths are formed to be smaller in at least one of width and depth than the flow paths in the flow-dividing section.

8. The uniform flow division device according to claim 1, wherein in the flow path resistance portion, the branch flow path is formed as a flow path going back and forth within the substrate.

9. The uniform flow dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the lengths of the branched flow paths are approximately equal to each other.

10. The uniform flow distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the maximum and minimum flow rates of the liquid discharged from the plurality of discharge ports is 5% or less of the average value of the flow rates.

11. The uniform flow distribution device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed from a chemically resistant material.

12. The uniform flow distribution device of claim 11, wherein the chemically resistant material is glass, polyetheretherketone material, ceramics, or metal.

13. A uniform flow diversion device comprising a single substrate provided with a flow path connecting one inlet and a plurality of outlets, the flow path including a diversion section that diverts liquid introduced into the inlet of the substrate into a plurality of branch flow paths leading to the outlets, and a flow path resistance section located downstream of the diversion section and providing flow path resistance to each of the branch flow paths; a liquid delivery mechanism that delivers liquid to the inlet of the uniform flow diversion device; and a plurality of fluid devices that perform operations on liquid discharged from each of the outlets of the uniform flow diversion device.

14. The fluid system according to claim 13, wherein a pressure drop due to the flow resistance of any of the branch flow paths of the flow path resistance portion is greater than a pressure drop due to the flow resistance of the fluid device located downstream of the branch flow path.

15. The fluid system according to claim 13, wherein an average value of the flow resistance of the plurality of branch flow paths of the flow path resistance portion is greater than an average value of the flow path resistance of the plurality of fluid devices.

16. The fluid system according to claim 13, wherein an average value of the flow resistance of the branch flow paths of the flow path resistance portion is 10 times or more greater than an average value of the flow path resistance of the plurality of fluid devices.

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