Microfluidic Chip Delaying Portion Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microfluidic chips face challenges in controlling fluid flow through microchannels, leading to irregular mobility patterns, leakage, and inconsistent analysis results due to capillary phenomena and pressure issues, which hinder accurate detection of trace amounts in fluid samples.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic chip design featuring a channel structure with a sample inlet, first and second reservoirs, a first reaction portion for target-label conjugation, and a second reaction portion for specific reactions, along with a delaying portion between the first and second reaction portions to control the flow rate and prevent leakage, ensuring sufficient reaction time and mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If capillary phenomenon is used as the main driving force to move fluid through microchannels, then the device can operate without motors, but the fluid shows irregular and non-uniform mobility patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is divided into multiple segments with different cross-sectional areas, creating distinct flow regions that control fluid movement in a more uniform and predictable manner, eliminating the irregular mobility patterns caused by capillary action alone
Solution Approach 2:
The channel structure transitions from static to dynamic flow control by varying the cross-sectional area along the flow path, allowing the fluid to experience controlled acceleration and deceleration zones that ensure uniform mobility patterns
2Volume of moving object
If closed channels of tens of micrometers in size are formed, then miniaturization is achieved, but it is not easy to uniformly process edge portions of channels without loss
Solution Approach 1:
The channel design incorporates preliminary considerations for manufacturing constraints by incorporating flow control features that compensate for potential edge processing variations, ensuring that even with minor manufacturing tolerances, the fluid flow remains uniform and predictable
3Device complexity
If fluid is directly introduced into a microchannel of micro scale size, then the structure is simplified, but the fluid pressure is sufficiently large to spread over the extension portion, impeding the wall-free effect
Solution Approach 1:
The channel cross-sectional area is dynamically varied along the flow path, creating a transition zone that gradually reduces the fluid pressure and prevents it from spreading over the extension portion, thereby maintaining the wall-free effect while keeping the structure relatively simple
4Productivity
If the sample flows quickly through the reaction portion, then analysis time is reduced, but the target does not have sufficient time to react with the label or antibody
Solution Approach 1:
The channel includes a expansion portion that increases the cross-sectional area, creating a flow velocity reduction zone where the sample resides longer to ensure complete reactions occur, while maintaining overall fast analysis throughput through optimized flow path design
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 chip effectively prevents fluid leakage, allows for prolonged sample residence in reaction portions, and enhances analysis efficiency by ensuring accurate and quick qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace amounts without volumetric loss.
Implementation Method 1
A driving force to move fluid through the microchannels on a chip may be generated by a small motor or may resort to capillary phenomena
Implementation Method 2
when a fluid sample is fed through a sample inlet into a reservoir, it moves into the microchannels because of fluid pressure and capillary phenomenon
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a microfluidic chip capable of accurately and quickly detecting presence of a trace amount of a target within a fluid sample. It has a channel structure comprising a sample inlet for feeding a sample therethrough, a first reservoir for primarily storing the sample therein, a second reservoir for secondarily storing the sample therein, a first reaction portion in which a target is conjugated with a label, a second reaction portion in which the labeled target undergoes a specific reaction, such as an antigen-antibody reaction, and a delaying portion, located between the first and the second reaction portion, for decreasing a flow rate of the sample.