Microfluidic Valve Casing for Large-Volume Residue Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microfluidic devices face challenges in handling larger volumes of liquid while maintaining a compact size, leading to increased costs and larger reservoirs for residual liquids, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic device with a thermally activated valve using a cover film whose adhesive properties can be influenced, integrated into a casing with a separate residue container, allowing for precise positioning and efficient handling of liquids, and featuring a light-emitting diode for external activation of the valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the waste reservoir is designed to accommodate larger volumes of liquid, then the device can handle larger quantities of liquid, but the microstructure and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two independent parts: a compact microstructure for analysis and a separate expandable waste container for waste storage. This segmentation allows the microstructure to remain small while the waste capacity can be increased independently by expanding the separate container.
Solution Approach 2:
The waste container is designed to expand in three-dimensional space outside the microstructure footprint, utilizing the empty space within the housing. This dimensional expansion allows increased waste volume without increasing the microstructure size.
2Volume of moving object
If the microstructure is designed to be small and compact, then the device size is reduced, but the capacity to handle larger volumes of liquid is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the microstructure from the waste container, the system allows the microstructure to maintain a small footprint while the waste container can be expanded independently to handle larger liquid volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The waste container is implemented as an expandable bag with flexible walls that can be compressed during storage and expanded during operation, allowing variable volume capacity within a compact device footprint.
3Ease of operation
If the cover film adhesive properties are thermally influenced to create a thermally activated valve, then precise fluid control is achieved, but additional heating mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains the microstructure, and acts as a heat transmission path from the external heat source to the cover film valve, eliminating the need for separate heating mechanisms within the microstructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing acts as an intermediary that transmits heat from an external source (such as a hand-held heater or body heat) to the thermally activated valve in the cover film, enabling valve actuation without direct integration of heating elements in the microstructure.
4Reliability
If the microstructure is firmly fixed at a defined position in the casing, then incorrect insertion is prevented, but positioning flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The microstructure and housing are designed with asymmetric geometric reference features including protrusions and recesses that provide mechanical guidance. This asymmetric design ensures the microstructure can only be inserted in the correct orientation and position, preventing incorrect insertion while maintaining reliability.
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 the microfluidic device to handle larger volumes of liquid efficiently while keeping the microstructure small, preventing incorrect insertion and ensuring precise readings, and safely storing residual fluids without enlarging the device.
Implementation Method 1
a cover film whose adhesive properties can be thermally influenced, the microfluidic device has at least one thermally activated valve formed by means of the cover film
Implementation Method 2
the control and/or analysis device has at least one light-emitting diode that can be arranged or is arranged above the respective heat and/or light passage opening
Implementation Method 3
The described microactuator uses hydrogel that absorbs an actuator fluid, such as water
Implementation Method 4
The oxygen and hydrogen bubbles formed during electrolysis lead to a gas pressure
Data Source
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Figure 6~7
AI summary
The present invention comprises an analysis system comprising a microfluidic device with a microstructure having at least one fluid inlet, at least one fluid outlet, at least one fluid channel extending between the at least one fluid inlet and the at least one fluid outlet, and at least one microactuator for moving at least one fluid through the at least one fluid channel, and a casing in which the microstructure is arranged, and a control and/or readout device for the microfluidic device, wherein the microstructure has a cover film whose adhesive properties can be influenced thermally, the microfluidic device has at least one thermally activatable valve formed by means of the cover film, above which a heat and/or light transmission opening is formed in the casing, and the casing has an outer contour adapted to the control and/or readout device.the microstructure is fixed at a defined position in the casing and the control and/or analysis device has at least one light-emitting diode that can be arranged or is arranged above the respective heat and/or light transmission aperture.