Stacked Channel Chip With Hydrodynamic Filtration for Higher Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional channel chips have a low processing capacity, typically handling only several tens to several hundreds μL/min of sample liquid, necessitating a solution for increased throughput.
Innovation Solution
A channel chip design featuring multiple filter layers with hydrodynamic filters, a common supply passage, a common channel, and a dielectrophoretic layer, where the filter layers and dielectrophoretic layer are stacked, allowing for enhanced sample liquid processing capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional channel chip design is used, then the device complexity is low, but the processing capacity is limited to several tens to several hundreds μL/min
Solution Approach 1:
The channel chip is divided into multiple filter layers (first filter layer, second filter layer, third filter layer) stacked in the vertical direction. Each filter layer contains hydrodynamic filters that process sample liquid independently. This segmentation allows parallel processing of sample liquid through multiple layers, thereby increasing the overall processing capacity from tens/hundreds μL/min to several mL/min while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a planar single-layer design to a three-dimensional stacked multi-layer configuration. By arranging filter layers vertically in the thickness direction and connecting them through common supply and discharge passages, the system utilizes the vertical dimension to increase processing capacity without significantly increasing the horizontal footprint, thus improving productivity while controlling device complexity
2Productivity
If multiple filter layers are stacked to increase processing capacity, then the productivity increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The common supply passage and common discharge passage serve multiple filter layers simultaneously. The common supply passage distributes sample liquid to hydrodynamic filters across all filter layers, while the common discharge passage collects processed liquid from all layers. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate independent passages for each layer, thereby increasing processing capacity through parallel processing while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple filter layers are merged into a single integrated stacked structure with shared common supply and discharge passages. The first, second, and third filter layers are combined vertically, with their respective hydrodynamic filters working in parallel. This merging approach allows the system to achieve several mL/min processing capacity while avoiding the complexity of completely independent processing systems for each layer
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 design enables processing of larger volumes of sample liquid while maintaining efficient separation performance and reducing the chip's size and manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the plurality of filter layers 40 has a hydrodynamic filter 3
Implementation Method 2
The dielectrophoretic layer 50 has electrodes 51, 53 that cause dielectrophoresis of dielectric particles contained in the liquid passing through the common channel 7
Data Source
AI summary
A channel chip includes a plurality of filter layers, a first common supply passage, a common channel, and a dielectrophoretic layer. The plurality of filter layers each have an HDF. The first common supply passage supplies a sample liquid to the HDFs of the plurality of filter layers. The liquid that has passed through the plurality of HDFs passes through the common channel. The dielectrophoretic layer includes electrodes for causing dielectrophoresis of dielectric particles contained in a liquid passing through the common channel. The plurality of filter layers and the dielectrophoretic layer are stacked.