Micro-fluid Chip Sub-branch Channel Contamination Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Micro-fluid chips with multiple reaction chambers require numerous check valves or gas generator valves to prevent contamination, leading to complex structures and difficulties in miniaturization.
Innovation Solution
A micro-fluid chip design featuring a main channel with sub-branch channels between adjacent branch channels, where the sub-branch channels have no outflow ends and are open to the inner wall of the main channel, reducing the need for valves and simplifying the structure, effectively preventing contamination between branch channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If check valves or gas generator valves are used for each reaction chamber to prevent contamination, then contamination between reaction chambers is prevented, but the number of valves increases and the structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the contamination prevention function from individual valves at each reaction chamber and relocates it to a single valve positioned upstream of the main channel. This single valve controls fluid delivery to all branch channels simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple valves while maintaining contamination prevention effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The single valve positioned upstream of the main channel serves a universal function by controlling fluid delivery to multiple branch channels simultaneously. This multi-functional valve replaces numerous individual valves, reducing device complexity while maintaining the same contamination prevention capability across all reaction chambers.
2Reliability
If check valves or gas generator valves are used for each reaction chamber to prevent contamination, then contamination between reaction chambers is prevented, but miniaturization of the micro-fluid chip becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the contamination prevention function from multiple distributed valves and consolidates it into a single upstream valve. This consolidation significantly reduces the total valve volume and footprint, enabling micro-fluid chip miniaturization while maintaining effective contamination prevention across all branch channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the contamination prevention function that was previously distributed across multiple valves into a single unified valve system. This merging reduces the overall component count and chip footprint, directly facilitating miniaturization of the micro-fluid device.
3Ease of operation
If multiple valves are used to control fluid delivery to each branch channel, then fluid delivery control is achieved, but the channel structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fluid delivery control function from individual valves at each branch channel and consolidates it into a single upstream valve. This simplifies the channel structure by removing multiple valve components and their associated complex channel configurations, while maintaining effective fluid delivery control to all branch channels through the single valve.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a micro-fluid chip that enables reducing contamination between branch channels, has a relatively simple channel structure and facilitates miniaturization. A micro-fluid chip 1 having a channel structure 3 through which a fluid is delivered, wherein the channel structure 3 includes: a main channel 4 having an inflow port 5 and an outflow port 6; a plurality of branch channels 11 to 13 connected to the main channel 4, each branch channel having an inflow end on a side connected to the main channel 4 and an outflow end that is an end portion on an opposite side to the inflow end; and a sub-branch channel 14 connected to the main channel 4 between at least one pair of adjacent branch channels 11 and 12 among the plurality of branch channels 11 to 13, the sub-branch channel 14 having an inflow end on a side connected to the main channel 4.