Microchip V-Shaped Plasma Separation Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microchips for blood tests face issues such as partial mixing of blood cell components with plasma, clogging due to large blood channel widths, and inability to simultaneously analyze blood plasma and cells or components with different specific gravities, leading to incorrect test results and clogging phenomena.
Innovation Solution
A microchip design featuring a fluid circuit with a V-shaped blood plasma separation portion and a flow rate limiting portion, along with separate storage and measurement areas, to prevent mixing and ensure accurate separation and analysis of blood components by controlling centrifugal forces and fluid flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional fluid circuit is used with a wide blood channel, then blood can flow freely through the microchip, but the blood channel becomes clogged and blood plasma separation is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The blood plasma separation portion is divided into multiple compartments (first separation compartment, second separation compartment) with distinct functions. The first compartment performs initial separation while the second compartment completes the separation process, preventing clogging by distributing the separation load across segmented structures rather than a single wide channel.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the fluid circuit are designed with different channel widths and structural characteristics. The blood plasma separation portion features narrow channels for effective separation, while other portions have appropriately sized channels for their specific functions, ensuring that each local region has the quality needed for its purpose without causing clogging.
2Manufacturing precision
If blood is centrifuged at high speed to separate plasma from cells, then separation is achieved, but blood cells mix with plasma due to centrifugal force distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The separation process is segmented into multiple stages across different compartments. The first separation compartment performs initial separation under controlled centrifugal force, while the second separation compartment completes the separation. This multi-stage approach maintains layer stability by preventing the mixing that occurs in single-stage high-speed centrifugation.
Solution Approach 2:
The microchip utilizes dynamic control of centrifugal force application through sequential operation of different separation compartments. By controlling which compartment is active at each stage, the system dynamically adjusts the separation process to achieve precise blood component separation while maintaining layer stability throughout the process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single detection portion is used, then the device structure is simple, but simultaneous analysis of plasma and cells is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into multiple independent detection portions (first detection portion for plasma, second detection portion for cells). Each detection portion can simultaneously analyze different blood components without interference, enabling comprehensive analysis while maintaining relatively simple individual detection structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid circuit is designed with multi-functional pathways that can handle both plasma and cell analysis through separate detection portions. The system achieves universality by accommodating multiple analysis functions (plasma analysis, cell analysis) within a single integrated microchip device, allowing simultaneous operation without requiring separate devices.
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 microchip effectively separates and analyzes blood plasma and cells without mixing, prevents clogging, and allows for simultaneous detection of components with different specific gravities, enhancing the reliability and accuracy of blood tests.
Implementation Method 1
a blood plasma separation portion (centrifugation portion) for removing a blood cell component from the blood introduced into the fluid circuit by centrifugation and separating and extracting a blood plasma component
Implementation Method 2
Fluid treatments such as measurement of the specimen and the liquid reagent, mixture, and introduction of the mixed liquid into the detecting portion can be performed by applying centrifugal force of a proper direction to the microchip
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a microchip which is made by bonding a first substrate having a groove provided at the substrate surface and a second substrate together, and has a fluid circuit therein, the fluid circuit having a separation portion for separating a first component, and a groove which constitutes the separation portion including an approximately V-shaped region surrounded by prescribed flow channel walls. At a top of the separation portion, a flow rate limiting portion limiting a flow rate of a fluid is preferably provided.