Lab-on-disc Microfluidic Valve Centrifugal Liquid Metering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microfluidic devices face challenges in precise liquid metering, evaporation, and surface forces at reduced assay volumes, making them unreliable and costly, with limitations in assay flexibility and storage concerns.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic device with a disc-like structure featuring integrated liquid processing units, including sample dosing and mixing chambers, and optical detection, utilizing centrifugal force and microfluidic valves for precise sample and reagent handling, allowing for efficient analysis of small volumes with reduced reagent consumption and flexible assay design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If assay volume is reduced to 50 μL or less, then productivity and reagent consumption are improved, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to evaporation, surface forces, and optical path precision issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical pipetting systems with a microfluidic valve system controlled by pressure gradients. The valve uses a movable element that responds to pressure differences to open or close fluid pathways, enabling precise liquid metering at micro-volume scales without the precision limitations of mechanical pipettes. This substitution allows reliable operation at 50 μL or less while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pressure-driven fluid control through pneumatic actuation of the microfluidic valve. By applying controlled pressure gradients, the system precisely regulates liquid flow into and out of the cuvette, enabling accurate dosing at reduced volumes. The pneumatic control mechanism overcomes surface force dominance and evaporation issues that plague conventional mechanical systems at micro-scales.
2Quantity of substance
If cuvette size is reduced, then reagent consumption is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to critical optical path requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional optical detection setups with an integrated microfluidic valve and detection system. The valve's precise control enables consistent liquid filling of the cuvette, ensuring reproducible optical path lengths even at reduced volumes. This mechanical precision substitution maintains measurement precision while allowing smaller cuvette sizes and reduced reagent quantities.
3Productivity
If sample volume is reduced below 1 μL, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates dramatically due to pipetting limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes conventional mechanical pipettes with a microfluidic valve system that uses pressure gradients to control fluid flow. This substitution eliminates the dramatic precision deterioration that occurs below 1 μL with mechanical pipetting. The valve's pressure-driven operation provides consistent, reliable fluid control at ultra-micro volumes, enabling high productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic pressure control to regulate fluid movement through the microfluidic valve. This hydraulic/pneumatic control mechanism provides superior precision compared to mechanical pipetting at volumes below 1 μL, enabling accurate sample dosing and high-throughput testing without sacrificing reliability.
4Loss of time
If conventional microfluidic devices are used, then assay speed is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to integrated functions and specialized processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex integrated microfluidic functions from the device structure and implements them through a simpler pressure-driven valve system. Rather than requiring complex integrated channels and chambers, the invention uses a standalone valve that can be applied to conventional cuvettes and assay formats. This extraction reduces device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining fast assay turnaround through efficient pressure-controlled fluid handling.
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
Enables reliable, efficient, and cost-effective analysis of small sample volumes with improved assay flexibility, reduced reagent consumption, and extended storage capabilities, while maintaining precision and reliability, suitable for both clinical and immunoassays.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing centrifugal force and microfluidic valves for precise sample and reagent handling
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention refers to an analytical device for the analysis of chemical or biological samples comprising a device body, the device body comprising at least one liquid processing unit, the liquid processing unit comprising at least one mixing chamber for mixing at least one sample with at least one reagent, at least one sample dosing chamber for delivering a defined volume of sample to the mixing chamber, at least one reagent channel for delivering at least one reagent to be mixed with the sample, wherein the mixing chamber also serves as detection chamber.