Centrifugal Microflow Structure for Biochemical Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid separation devices have complex structures and high manufacturing costs, leading to inefficiencies in separating components with different characteristics, particularly in biochemical detection, where sample injection errors and viscosity issues result in insufficient volumes and increased sample requirements.
Innovation Solution
A flow-path structure with a uniform dividing compartment, collecting compartment, and separation channel, utilizing centrifugal forces to separate components with different characteristics, and an analytical system that includes buffering and overflowing compartments to manage fluid volumes and ensure accurate detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional fluid separation devices use micromachining technology to manufacture microchannels, then separation precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses injection-molded plastic microflow structure bodies that can be mass-produced at low cost, replacing expensive micromachined devices. These disposable or reusable plastic bodies achieve sufficient separation precision through carefully designed microflow channels, chambers, and membranes, eliminating the need for costly micromachining while maintaining functional performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing method from micromachining to injection molding, altering the production parameters and process. This enables mass production of microflow structures with controlled channel dimensions, chamber volumes, and membrane positions, achieving both cost reduction and consistent separation precision through optimized injection molding parameters.
2Device complexity
If conventional blood detection methods use membrane-filtering to separate blood cells, then device complexity is reduced, but detection capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the blood detection process into distinct functional zones within the microflow structure: a filtration zone with membranes for cell separation, a reaction zone with multiple chambers for biochemical reactions, and a detection zone for analysis. This segmentation enables both simple filtration and complex multi-step detection capabilities within a single integrated device.
Solution Approach 2:
The microflow structure body integrates multiple functions into a single component: blood cell filtration through membranes, fluid distribution to multiple chambers, biochemical reaction containment, and detection signal generation. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate devices for each detection step, increasing versatility while maintaining relative simplicity.
3Measurement precision
If fluidic chip methods are used for blood cell separation, then detection accuracy is improved, but process complexity and sample volume requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fluid handling operations into a single integrated microflow structure: sample injection, cell separation through membranes, fluid distribution to parallel chambers, biochemical reactions, and detection all occur within one device. This merging eliminates the need for separate instruments and manual transfer steps, reducing process complexity while maintaining detection accuracy through controlled fluid paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vertical layering of membranes and chambers to achieve complex separation and reaction processes in a compact footprint. Multiple membranes are stacked at different heights to create sequential filtration stages, while chambers are arranged in three-dimensional space to enable parallel reactions, reducing the horizontal footprint and simplifying the overall process flow.
4Ease of operation
If manual injection is used for sample loading, then ease of operation is improved, but injection precision and sample volume accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates pre-designed flow resistance elements, membrane positions, and chamber volumes into the microflow structure that automatically compensate for injection variations. The structure is preliminarily configured with optimal channel dimensions and chamber capacities to buffer against injection errors, ensuring consistent detection results even when manual injection volumes vary slightly.
Solution Approach 2:
The microflow structure performs self-regulation of fluid distribution through its built-in flow resistance characteristics and membrane permeability properties. The structure automatically adjusts fluid flow to each chamber based on its design parameters, compensating for injection variations without requiring precise manual control, thereby maintaining injection simplicity while improving precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively separates and detects components with different characteristics, reducing sample volume errors and increasing biochemical detection yield by using centrifugal forces and controlled fluid management, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of fluid separation processes.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing centrifugal forces to separate components with different characteristics
Implementation Method 2
the at least one first component and the at least one second component of the working fluid are centrifugally separated from each other
Implementation Method 3
separating substances or components with different specific gravities using a sinking chamber of a collecting compartment, adjusting excess working fluid using an overflowing compartment and metering the working fluid using a constant-quantity detection compartment
Data Source
AI summary
An analytical system for performing centrifugal analysis on a working fluid with different components includes a uniform-dividing unit with a reduced cross section to divide the working fluid, a separating unit connected to the uniform-dividing unit, and a detecting unit. The detecting unit includes a detection compartment and a constant-quantity region connected to the separating unit through a separation channel. When rotating the uniform-dividing unit, the working fluid located at the uniform-dividing unit is transmitted to and separated by the separating unit, thereby causing one component of the working fluid to be separated from the other component and transmitted to the detection compartment through the constant-quantity region. With constant-quantity region, the detection compartment can be prevented from flushing by the excess of the separated component, and thus yield of product detection can be increased and different assays detection is carried out with a small sample volume at the same time.