CN114100716B - Microfluidic device and driving method thereof - Google Patents
Microfluidic device and driving method thereof Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN114100716B CN114100716B CN202111451337.0A CN202111451337A CN114100716B CN 114100716 B CN114100716 B CN 114100716B CN 202111451337 A CN202111451337 A CN 202111451337A CN 114100716 B CN114100716 B CN 114100716B
- Authority
- CN
- China
- Prior art keywords
- substrate
- heating
- heating element
- plane
- driving
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
- B01L3/50—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes
- B01L3/502—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures
- B01L3/5027—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip
Abstract
The invention discloses a microfluidic device and a driving method thereof, wherein the microfluidic device comprises: a first substrate base plate; a drive layer on the first substrate base plate, the drive layer including a heating element; the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer, which is far away from the first substrate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area; the front projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the heating region on the plane of the first substrate. The liquid drop in the first channel is controlled through the heating element, no additional driving equipment is needed, the equipment volume is reduced, and the integration of the microfluidic device is realized.
Description
Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of microfluidics, in particular to a microfluidic device and a driving method thereof.
Background
Microfluidic (Micro Fluidics) technology belongs to an emerging technology, is an emerging intersection subject related to chemistry, fluid physics, microelectronics, new materials, biology and biomedical engineering, can accurately control droplet movement, realize operations such as droplet fusion and separation, and complete various biochemical reactions, and is a technology with the main characteristics of controlling fluid in a micrometer scale space. The technology has crossed with various subjects such as chemistry, biology, engineering, physics and the like, and has wide application prospect.
At present, digital microfluidic cannot completely replace continuous microfluidic, namely, some biochemical detection still needs qualitative analysis in large fluid, and then finer quantitative analysis is performed, and the quantitative analysis needs precise control of digital microfluidic nano-scale, so that a device similar to a negative pressure pump is still needed for controlling liquid drops with different flow volumes in a microfluidic device. At present, the control of the microfluidic chip on the fluid depends on an external driving pump or a negative pressure device, the external device has larger volume and is inconvenient to carry, point-of-care testing equipment cannot be integrated, and the portable difficulty is increased.
Disclosure of Invention
In view of this, the present invention provides a microfluidic device and a driving method thereof, in which droplets in a first channel are controlled by a heating element, and no additional driving device is required, so that the device volume is reduced, and the integration of the microfluidic device is realized.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a microfluidic device comprising:
a first substrate base plate;
a drive layer on the first substrate base plate, the drive layer comprising a heating element;
the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer away from the first substrate base plate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area;
the orthographic projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate is overlapped with the orthographic projection of the heating area on the plane of the first substrate at least partially.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a driving method of a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device including:
a first substrate base plate;
a drive layer on the first substrate base plate, the drive layer comprising a heating element;
the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer away from the first substrate base plate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area;
the orthographic projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate is overlapped with the orthographic projection of the heating area on the plane of the first substrate at least partially;
the driving method includes:
introducing liquid drops into the first channel;
applying a heating signal to the heating element, the heating element expanding air within the heating zone, dividing droplets located within the heating zone into a plurality of sub-droplets;
and driving the sub-droplets to move within the first channel.
Compared with the prior art, the microfluidic device and the driving method thereof provided by the invention have the advantages that the microfluidic device comprises a first substrate, a driving layer is positioned on the first substrate, and the driving layer comprises a heating element; the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer far away from the first substrate base plate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area; the front projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the heating region on the plane of the first substrate. The method comprises the steps of integrating a heating element in a microfluidic device, setting at least partial overlapping of orthographic projection of the heating element on a plane of a first substrate and orthographic projection of a heating zone on the plane of the first substrate, expanding air in the heating zone through the heating element, dividing liquid drops in the heating zone into a plurality of sub-liquid drops, and driving the sub-liquid drops to move in a first channel, wherein additional driving equipment is not needed, the equipment volume is reduced, and the using portability is improved.
Of course, it is not necessary for any one product embodying the invention to achieve all of the above technical effects at the same time.
Other features of the present invention and its advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art microfluidic device;
fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a microfluidic device according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the direction N-N' in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2A;
fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another microfluidic device according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the direction M-M' in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a further cross-sectional view taken in the direction M-M' in FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a further cross-sectional view taken in the direction M-M' in FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a further cross-sectional view taken in the direction M-M' in FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is a further cross-sectional view taken in the direction M-M' in FIG. 5;
fig. 11 is a flowchart of a driving method of a microfluidic device provided by the present invention.
Detailed Description
Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention unless it is specifically stated otherwise.
The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of the specification.
In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be construed as merely illustrative, and not a limitation. Thus, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.
It should be noted that: like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following figures, and thus once an item is defined in one figure, no further discussion thereof is necessary in subsequent figures.
Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a microfluidic device according to the prior art. The microfluidic device 100 provided in the prior art comprises a substrate 01 and a microfluidic channel 03 on the substrate 01, and then the microfluidic device 100 is subjected to sample injection by providing negative pressure through an injection pump (not shown in the figure), and a sample solution 02 enters the microfluidic channel 03 through a channel opening.
However, the driving device of the common injection pump or the constant pressure pump has larger volume, is inconvenient to carry, and can not realize system integration, and the biochemical experiment still needs large-flow fluid to run in the flow channel structure, so that the external driving can not be integrated into the device, which is a problem to be solved.
In order to solve the technical problems, the invention provides a microfluidic device and a driving method thereof. Embodiments of the microfluidic device and the driving method thereof provided by the present invention are described in detail below.
In this embodiment, please refer to fig. 2 and 3, fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a microfluidic device provided by the present invention, and fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view in the N-N' direction in fig. 2. The microfluidic device 200 in this embodiment includes: a first substrate base plate 00; a driving layer 10, the driving layer 10 being located on the first substrate base plate 00, the driving layer 10 including a heating element R; the microfluidic structure layer 20, the microfluidic structure layer 20 is located at one side of the driving layer 10 away from the first substrate base plate 00, the microfluidic structure layer 20 comprises at least one first channel 21, and the first channel 21 comprises a heating area H and a driving area Q; the front projection of the heating element R on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the heating region H on the plane of the first substrate 00.
The microfluidic structure layer 20 includes at least one first channel 21, where the first channel 21 serves to define a path of movement of the droplet, and the number of first channels 21 may be different according to an experimental scheme, and fig. 3 includes only one first channel 21 as an example, but is not limited thereto.
The first substrate 00 is used as a carrier of the microfluidic panel 200, and is used for sequentially stacking other film layers on the substrate 00, and the material of the first substrate 00 is not limited in the invention, and can be a glass substrate, or can be a substrate made of other materials, and can be specifically set according to practical situations.
It can be understood that the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment is provided with the heating element R on the driving layer 10, and the orthographic projection of the heating element R on the plane of the first substrate 00 is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the heating region H of the first channel 21 in the microfluidic structure layer 20 on the plane of the first substrate 00. In the use process of the microfluidic device, the first channel 21 is filled with liquid drops, and by utilizing the principle of thermal expansion, the heating element R is instantaneously heated (above 100 ℃), so that the air in the heating area H at the corresponding position of the heating element R is rapidly expanded, the liquid drops in the heating area H are divided into a plurality of sub-liquid drops, and an initial driving force is provided for the sub-liquid drops, so that the sub-liquid drops are driven to move in the first channel 21. That is, the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment utilizes the heating element R to integrate a large fluid driving structure in the device, further expands the detection application range of the digital microfluidic chip, can be compatible with fluids of different magnitudes, and meanwhile increases the integration level of the device, replaces an external driving device, reduces the volume of equipment, and increases the portability in use. After the heating zone H provides the initial force to the droplet, the droplet moves to the driving zone Q, which continues to provide a driving force to the droplet so that the droplet can also move to the target location. The specific structure of the driving region Q is not specifically limited herein, and will be described in detail later.
The above-mentioned heating element R is instantaneously heated to 100 ℃ or higher, and the specific heating temperature may be determined according to the nature of the droplet, and the present application is not limited to the specific heating temperature, and the following examples will be described by taking 100 ℃ as an example.
In some alternative embodiments, as further shown in fig. 2 and 3, the heating element R in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment is a heating electrode R0.
It is to be understood that the heating element R is only taken as the heating electrode R0 in the present embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be a heat bubble micropump or the like. The heating element R is provided as the heating electrode R0, and the heating electrode R0 is integrated in the driving layer 10 instead of an external driving means, reducing the volume of the apparatus and increasing the portability of use. Since the driving layer 10 may be further provided with other metal layers, for example, stacked driving components may be provided, the driving components may be a transistor, and the transistor may include a first metal layer or a second metal layer serving as a gate or a source/drain, or may be an electrode layer for transmitting a driving signal, and the heating electrode R0 may be provided in the same layer as the metal layer in the driving layer 10, which is beneficial to a thinning process, which will be described in detail below.
In some alternative embodiments, as further shown in fig. 2 and 3, the heating electrode R0 in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment is a metal electrode.
It is to be understood that, in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment, only the heating electrode R0 is taken as an example of a metal electrode, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a transparent oxide electrode, a graphite electrode, or the like may be provided. The metal electrode can be a molybdenum electrode or an aluminum electrode, and optionally, the metal electrode is a molybdenum electrode, and the metal electrode has high heat resistance and high thermal conductivity, so that the requirement on instant heating of the heating electrode can be met. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the material of the specific heating electrode R0 may be selected according to the actual situation, so long as the material with good thermal conductivity and heat resistance is within the protection scope of the present invention.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in connection with fig. 2 and 4, fig. 4 is a partial enlarged view of a in fig. 2. The microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment: the heating element R comprises a first heating element R1 and a second heating element R2; the heating zone H includes a first heating zone H1 and a second heating zone H2, and the first heating zone H1 and the second heating zone H2 are respectively located at two ends of the first channel 21; the front projection of the first heating element R1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the first heating region H1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 overlap at least partially, and the front projection of the second heating element R2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the second heating region H2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 overlap at least partially.
In fig. 4, only the orthographic projection of the first heating element R1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the orthographic projection of the first heating area H1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 overlap, and the orthographic projection of the second heating element R2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the orthographic projection of the second heating area H2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 overlap, which is an example, but not limited thereto, the heating element and the heating area may also be disposed to overlap completely, and the application is not limited thereto specifically.
It can be appreciated that in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment, the heating area H includes a first heating area H1 and a second heating area H2, where the first heating area H1 and the second heating area H2 are located at two ends of the first channel 21, respectively, and the two ends are not limited to the front end and the rear end of the first channel, but may be two positions of one channel. The heating element R includes a first heating element R1 and a second heating element R2, where the front projection of the first heating element R1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the first heating area H1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlap, and the front projection of the second heating element R2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the second heating area H2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlap, that is, the first heating element R1 and the second heating element R2 are respectively disposed at two positions of the first channel 21, and by respectively controlling the first heating element R1 and the second heating element R2, the temperatures of the first heating element R1 and the second heating element R2 are alternately set high and low, for example, at time a, the second heating element R2 does not receive a heating signal, the temperature of the second heating element R2 may be room temperature, applying a heating signal to the first heating element R1, wherein the temperature of the first heating element R1 receives the heating signal and rises (more than 100 ℃), at the moment, air in the first heating area H1 at the corresponding position of the first heating element R1 is heated and expands to drive liquid drops to move along the direction of the first heating area H1 to the second heating area H2, at the next moment b, the first heating element R1 does not receive the heating signal, the temperature of the first heating element R1 can be room temperature, the heating signal is applied to the second heating element R2, the temperature of the second heating element R2 receives the heating signal and rises (more than 100 ℃), at the moment, air in the second heating area H2 corresponding to the position of the second heating element R2 is heated and expands to drive the liquid drops to move along the direction of the first heating area H1, and the liquid drops reciprocate between the first heating area H1 and the second heating area H2 at the moment b, that is, agitation of the droplets between the first heating region H1 and the second heating region H2 of the first channel 21 is achieved so that the droplets in the first channel 21 are sufficiently fused. It should be noted that, the temperature of the first heating element R1 may be lower than the temperature of the second heating element R2 in the time b by applying a cooling signal to the first heating element R1, alternatively, the temperature of the first heating element R1 may be room temperature, and the air expansion is faster by the higher temperature difference between the first heating element R1 and the second heating element R2, so that the liquid droplet moves at a higher speed in the reciprocating motion, and the stirring rate is increased.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 5 and fig. 6, fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another microfluidic device provided in the present invention, and fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view in the M-M' direction in fig. 5. The driving layer 10 in the microfluidic device 200 of this embodiment further includes at least one driving electrode P, where the front projection of the driving electrode P on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the driving region Q on the plane of the first substrate 00.
In fig. 6, the driving electrode P and the heating electrode R0 are disposed on the same layer, which is an example, and the driving electrode P and the heating electrode R0 are disposed on the same layer, which is favorable for the process of the microfluidic device 200 and is favorable for the light and thin microfluidic device 200, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the driving electrode P and the heating electrode R0 may be disposed on different layers, and in particular, may be disposed according to a film structure that is specifically required in the microfluidic device 200.
It can be understood that the driving layer 10 of the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment further includes a driving electrode P, where the front projection of the driving electrode P on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlaps the front projection of the driving region Q on the plane of the first substrate 00. Introducing liquid drops into the first channel 21, utilizing the principle of thermal expansion, instantly heating (above 100 ℃) the heating element R to enable air in the heating area H at the corresponding position of the heating element R to expand rapidly, dividing the liquid drops in the heating area H into a plurality of sub-liquid drops, providing an initial force for the sub-liquid drops to move in the first channel 21, enabling the subsequent sub-liquid drops to move to a driving area Q, and continuously driving the sub-liquid drops to continuously move in the first channel 21 by controlling the potential of a driving electrode P corresponding to the driving area Q, so as to finally reach the required position; in fig. 5, only 2 driving electrodes P are correspondingly disposed for each first channel 21, but the number of driving electrodes P is not limited thereto, and the number, shape and arrangement of driving electrodes P may be set according to actual requirements.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in connection with fig. 7, fig. 7 is a further cross-sectional view taken along the direction M-M' in fig. 5. The microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment: the micro-fluidic structure layer comprises a driving layer 10, a micro-fluidic structure layer 20, a second substrate 30 and a common electrode layer 31, wherein the driving layer 10 is arranged on the micro-fluidic structure layer; the front projection of the common electrode layer 31 on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the driving electrode P on the plane of the first substrate 00.
It can be understood that the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment further includes a second substrate 30 disposed opposite to the first substrate 00, where the side of the second substrate 30 away from the first substrate 00 includes a common electrode layer 31, and the orthographic projection of the common electrode layer 31 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the orthographic projection of the driving electrode P on the plane of the first substrate 00 are at least partially overlapped, so that by controlling the voltages of the common electrode layer 31 and the driving electrode P respectively, the voltage between the common electrode layer 31 and the driving electrode P is greater than the droplet movement threshold voltage, and then the droplet is driven by the common electrode layer 31 and the driving electrode P, where fig. 7 only uses the common electrode layer 31 as an example, but is not limited thereto, as long as the orthographic projection of the common electrode layer 31 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the orthographic projection of the driving electrode P on the plane of the first substrate 00 are at least partially overlapped, so that the driving droplet movement is formed by the electric field between the common electrode layer 31 and the driving electrode P.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in connection with fig. 8 and 9, fig. 8 is a further cross-sectional view taken along the direction M-M 'in fig. 5, and fig. 9 is a further cross-sectional view taken along the direction M-M' in fig. 5. The microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment: the microfluidic structure layer 20 is located on a side far away from the driving layer 10, and the third substrate 40 includes at least one through hole 41 penetrating through the third substrate 40, where an orthographic projection of the through hole 41 on a plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the first channel 21 on the plane of the first substrate 00.
It can be understood that the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment further includes a third substrate 40 disposed opposite to the first substrate 00, where the third substrate 40 includes at least one through hole 41 penetrating through the third substrate 40, and at least a part of orthographic projection of the through hole 41 on a plane of the first substrate 00 and orthographic projection of the first channel 21 on a plane of the first substrate 00 overlap, and the through hole 41 is a feed inlet of the first channel 21, and drops to be fused are added at any time. Continuing to refer to fig. 9, the third substrate 40 further includes a negative pressure through hole 42 penetrating through the third substrate 40, where the negative pressure through hole 42 may be located at a side of the heating region H away from the driving region Q, that is, after the heating element R is heated to expand air in the heating region to cause the droplet to move, air may enter through the negative pressure through hole 42 to release negative pressure, so as to achieve air pressure balance of the inner and outer first channels 21.
In some alternative embodiments, as further shown in fig. 8, in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment, the orthographic projection of the through hole 41 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the orthographic projection of the heating region H on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlap.
It can be understood that in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment, the orthographic projection of the through hole 41 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the orthographic projection of the heating area H on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlap, that is, the heating area H is at the projection position of the third substrate 40, and the third substrate 40 is provided with a feeding port of the liquid drop, so that the liquid drop entering the first channel 21 through the through hole 41 can be just located in the heating area H, so that the heating element R heats the air of the expansion heating area H, and further pushes the liquid drop to move in the direction of the first channel 21, thereby avoiding the problem of insufficient driving force caused by the excessive distance between the liquid drop and the heating area H.
In some alternative embodiments, and with continued reference to fig. 3, the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment: a hydrophobic layer 50 is also included, the hydrophobic layer 50 being located between the driving layer 10 and the microfluidic structure layer 20.
It will be appreciated that the microfluidic device 200 provided in the embodiment further includes a hydrophobic layer 50, and the hydrophobic layer 50 can prevent the droplets from penetrating into the substrate of the microfluidic device 200, so that not only can the loss of the droplets be reduced and the droplets can be facilitated to move in the first channel 21, but also the droplets can be prevented from penetrating into the microfluidic device. In particular, the hydrophobic layer 50 is an insulating hydrophobic layer, and the insulating hydrophobic layer 50 also has an insulating effect, whereby the driving electrode P and the heating element R can be electrically insulated from the droplet. Illustratively, the hydrophobic layer 50 may be formed of teflon (teflon), and the hydrophobic layer 50 may also be formed of an inorganic insulating material or an organic insulating material, for example, formed of a resin, to which the present invention is not limited.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in connection with fig. 10, fig. 10 is a further cross-sectional view taken along the direction M-M' in fig. 5. The microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment: the driving layer 10 further includes a heating signal line 11, where the heating signal line 11 is electrically connected to the heating element R and is configured to provide a heating signal to the heating element R.
It can be appreciated that the driving layer 10 in the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment includes the first metal layer M1, the second metal layer M2 and the first electrode layer M3 sequentially stacked on the first substrate 00, the insulating layer J is disposed between the adjacent first metal layer M1, second metal layer M2 and first electrode layer M3, the driving electrode P and the heating element R are both located on the first electrode layer M3, and the driving electrode P and the heating element R are disposed on the same layer, which is beneficial to the light and thin of the microfluidic device 200, but is not limited thereto, and different layers of the driving electrode P and the heating element R may be disposed. Further, the driving layer 10 further includes a heating signal line 11, where the heating signal line 11 is located on the second metal layer M2, and the heating signal line 11 is electrically connected to the heating element R, so that the heating element R is used for providing a heating signal for the heating element R, and the heating element R adopts a passive driving manner, and can be directly connected to a driving circuit board (not shown in the figure) of the microfluidic device 200 through the heating signal line 11, and the heating element R can be further controlled through the heating signal line 11 by presetting a time sequence in the driving circuit board. The driving electrode P may be actively driven, and the driving electrode P may be electrically connected to a source electrode of the transistor TFT, and a drain electrode of the transistor TFT is also electrically connected to a driving circuit board (not shown), and the droplet is driven to move by controlling a voltage of the driving electrode P at a predetermined timing in the driving circuit board. The source and the drain of the transistor TFT are also located in the second metal layer M2, and the heating signal line 11 and the source and the drain of the transistor TFT are disposed on the same layer, which is beneficial to simplifying the process of the driving layer 10 and reducing the thickness of the microfluidic device 200, but not limited thereto, the heating signal line 11 may be disposed with other metal layers, or may be disposed with a metal layer on one side alone, and the specific structure may be set according to practical situations.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 11, fig. 11 is a flowchart of a driving method of a microfluidic device according to the present invention. The driving method of the microfluidic device provided in this embodiment is suitable for driving the microfluidic device 200 shown in fig. 2 and 3, that is, the structure of the microfluidic device 200 may be combined with the structures shown in fig. 2 and 3: the microfluidic device includes: a first substrate base plate 00; a driving layer 10, the driving layer 10 being located on the first substrate base plate 00, the driving layer 10 including a heating element R; the microfluidic structure layer 20, the microfluidic structure layer 20 is located at one side of the driving layer 10 away from the first substrate base plate 00, the microfluidic structure layer 20 comprises at least one first channel 21, and the first channel 21 comprises a heating area H and a driving area Q; the front projection of the heating element R on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the heating region H on the plane of the first substrate 00;
the driving method comprises the following steps:
step S1: introducing liquid drops into the first channel;
step S2: applying a heating signal to a heating element, the heating element expanding air within the heating zone, dividing droplets located within the heating zone into a plurality of sub-droplets;
step S3: and drive the sub-droplets to move within the first channel.
It can be understood that, in the driving method of the microfluidic device provided in this embodiment, the structure of the microfluidic device 200 is defined first, the microfluidic device 200 is provided with the heating element R on the driving layer 10, and the orthographic projection of the heating element R on the plane of the first substrate 00 is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the heating region H of the first channel 21 in the microfluidic structure layer 20 on the plane of the first substrate 00. Subsequently, droplets are introduced into the first channel 21, and by utilizing the principle of thermal expansion, the heating element R is instantaneously heated (above 100 ℃) so that air in the heating zone H at the corresponding position of the heating element R is rapidly expanded, the droplets in the heating zone H are divided into a plurality of sub-droplets, and the sub-droplets are driven to move in the first channel 21. That is, the microfluidic device 200 provided in this embodiment utilizes the heating element R to integrate a large fluid driving structure in the device, further expands the detection application range of the digital microfluidic chip, can be compatible with fluids of different magnitudes, and meanwhile increases the integration level of the device, replaces an external driving device, reduces the volume of equipment, and increases the portability in use.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 11, a driving method of a microfluidic device provided in this embodiment is suitable for driving a microfluidic device 200 shown in fig. 4, where a heating element R in the microfluidic device 200 includes a first heating element R1 and a second heating element R2; the heating zone H includes a first heating zone H1 and a second heating zone H2, and the first heating zone H1 and the second heating zone H2 are respectively located at two ends of the first channel 21; the front projection of the first heating element R1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the first heating area H1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 are at least partially overlapped, and the front projection of the second heating element R2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the second heating area H2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 are at least partially overlapped;
the driving method further includes:
the step S2 further includes: transmitting a first heating signal to the first heating element and a second heating signal to the second heating element; the working time of the microfluidic device comprises a first time and a second time, and the voltage value of the first heating signal is larger than that of the second heating signal at the first time; at the second moment, the voltage value of the first heating signal is smaller than the voltage value of the second heating signal.
It can be understood that, in the driving method of the microfluidic device provided in this embodiment, the heating area H in the defining microfluidic device 200 includes a first heating area H1 and a second heating area H2, where the first heating area H1 and the second heating area H2 are respectively located at two ends of the first channel 21, and the two ends not only define the end-to-end two ends of the first channel, but also can be two positions of one channel. The heating element R includes a first heating element R1 and a second heating element R2, where the front projection of the first heating element R1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the first heating region H1 on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlap, and the front projection of the second heating element R2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 and the front projection of the second heating region H2 on the plane of the first substrate 00 at least partially overlap, that is, the first heating element R1 and the second heating element R2 are respectively disposed at two positions of the first channel 21. Transmitting a first heating signal to the first heating element R1 and a second heating signal to the second heating element R2; the working time of the microfluidic device comprises a first time and a second time, the first time is when the second heating element R2 does not receive a heating signal, the temperature of the second heating element R2 can be room temperature, the heating signal is applied to the first heating element R1, the temperature of the heating signal received by the first heating element R1 is increased (more than 100 ℃), the voltage value of the first heating signal is larger than the voltage value of the second heating signal, at the moment, air in the first heating area H1 at the corresponding position of the first heating element R1 is heated and expanded, and liquid drops are promoted to move along the direction that the first heating area H1 points to the second heating area H2; at the second moment, the first heating element R1 does not receive the heating signal, the temperature of the first heating element R1 may be room temperature, the heating signal is applied to the second heating element R2, the temperature of the second heating element R2 receives the heating signal and rises (more than 100 ℃), the voltage value of the first heating signal is smaller than the voltage value of the second heating signal, at this moment, air in the second heating area H2 corresponding to the position of the second heating element R2 is heated and expanded, so that the liquid drops move along the direction that the second heating area H2 points to the first heating area H1, and the first moment and the second moment are set up in a reciprocating manner, and the liquid drops reciprocate between the first heating area H1 and the second heating area H2, that is, the liquid drops in the first channel 21 and the second heating area H2 are stirred, so that the liquid drops in the first channel 21 are sufficiently fused and reacted.
In some alternative embodiments, referring to fig. 11, a driving method of a microfluidic device provided in this embodiment is performed by alternately performing a first time and a second time.
It will be appreciated that by alternately providing the first time and the second time, the temperature of the first heating element R1 may be made greater than the temperature of the second heating element R2 at one time, and the temperature of the first heating element R1 may be made less than the temperature of the second heating element R2 at the next time, so that the droplets between the first heating region H1 and the second heating region H2 of the first channel 21 are stirred by the reciprocal arrangement, so that the droplets in the first channel 21 are sufficiently fused.
According to the embodiment, the microfluidic device and the driving method thereof provided by the invention have the following beneficial effects:
compared with the prior art, the microfluidic device and the driving method thereof provided by the invention have the advantages that the microfluidic device comprises a first substrate, a driving layer is positioned on the first substrate, and the driving layer comprises a heating element; the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer far away from the first substrate base plate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area; the front projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the heating region on the plane of the first substrate. The method comprises the steps of integrating a heating element in a microfluidic device, setting at least partial overlapping of orthographic projection of the heating element on a plane of a first substrate and orthographic projection of a heating zone on the plane of the first substrate, expanding air in the heating zone through the heating element, dividing liquid drops in the heating zone into a plurality of sub-liquid drops, and driving the sub-liquid drops to move in a first channel, wherein additional driving equipment is not needed, the equipment volume is reduced, and the using portability is improved.
While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail by way of example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
Claims (12)
1. A microfluidic device, comprising:
a first substrate base plate;
a drive layer on the first substrate base plate, the drive layer comprising a heating element;
the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer away from the first substrate base plate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area;
the orthographic projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate is overlapped with the orthographic projection of the heating area on the plane of the first substrate at least partially;
the device also comprises a third substrate which is arranged oppositely, the third substrate is positioned at one side of the microfluidic structure layer away from the driving layer,
the third substrate comprises at least one through hole penetrating through the third substrate, and the orthographic projection of the through hole on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the first channel on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlap;
the third substrate further comprises a negative pressure through hole penetrating through the third substrate, and the negative pressure through hole is located at one side, far away from the driving area, of the heating area.
2. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the heating element is a heating electrode.
3. The microfluidic device of claim 2, wherein the heating electrode is a metal electrode.
4. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a first heating element and a second heating element;
the heating areas comprise a first heating area and a second heating area, and the first heating area and the second heating area are respectively positioned at two ends of the first channel;
the orthographic projection of the first heating element on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the first heating area on the plane of the first substrate are at least partially overlapped, and the orthographic projection of the second heating element on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second heating area on the plane of the first substrate are at least partially overlapped.
5. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the driving layer further comprises at least one driving electrode, and wherein an orthographic projection of the driving electrode on a plane of the first substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the driving region on the plane of the first substrate.
6. The microfluidic device of claim 5, further comprising an oppositely disposed second substrate on a side of the microfluidic structure layer remote from the drive layer, the second substrate comprising a common electrode layer;
the orthographic projection of the common electrode layer on the plane of the first substrate is overlapped with the orthographic projection of the driving electrode on the plane of the first substrate at least partially.
7. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein an orthographic projection of the through-hole on a plane of the first substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the heating region on the plane of the first substrate.
8. The microfluidic device of claim 1, further comprising a hydrophobic layer between the drive layer and the microfluidic structure layer.
9. The microfluidic device of claim 1, wherein the drive layer further comprises a heating signal line electrically connected to the heating element for providing a heating signal to the heating element.
10. A driving method of a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device comprising:
a first substrate base plate;
a drive layer on the first substrate base plate, the drive layer comprising a heating element;
the microfluidic structure layer is positioned on one side of the driving layer away from the first substrate base plate, and comprises at least one first channel, wherein the first channel comprises a heating area and a driving area;
the orthographic projection of the heating element on the plane of the first substrate is overlapped with the orthographic projection of the heating area on the plane of the first substrate at least partially;
the device also comprises a third substrate which is arranged oppositely, the third substrate is positioned at one side of the microfluidic structure layer away from the driving layer,
the third substrate comprises at least one through hole penetrating through the third substrate, and the orthographic projection of the through hole on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the first channel on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlap;
the third substrate comprises a negative pressure through hole penetrating through the third substrate, and the negative pressure through hole is positioned at one side of the heating zone far away from the driving zone;
the driving method includes:
introducing liquid drops into the first channel;
applying a heating signal to the heating element, the heating element expanding air within the heating zone, dividing droplets located within the heating zone into a plurality of sub-droplets;
and driving the sub-droplets to move within the first channel.
11. The driving method according to claim 10, wherein the heating element includes a first heating element and a second heating element, the heating zones including a first heating zone and a second heating zone, the first heating zone and the second heating zone being located at both ends of the first channel, respectively;
the orthographic projection of the first heating element on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the first heating area on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the orthographic projection of the second heating element on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second heating area on the plane of the first substrate at least partially overlap;
the driving method further includes:
transmitting a first heating signal to the first heating element and a second heating signal to the second heating element;
the working time of the microfluidic device comprises a first time and a second time, and the voltage value of the first heating signal is larger than that of the second heating signal at the first time; at the second moment, the voltage value of the first heating signal is smaller than the voltage value of the second heating signal.
12. The driving method according to claim 11, wherein the first timing and the second timing are alternately performed.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202111451337.0A CN114100716B (en) | 2021-12-01 | 2021-12-01 | Microfluidic device and driving method thereof |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202111451337.0A CN114100716B (en) | 2021-12-01 | 2021-12-01 | Microfluidic device and driving method thereof |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN114100716A CN114100716A (en) | 2022-03-01 |
| CN114100716B true CN114100716B (en) | 2023-04-21 |
Family
ID=80369064
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN202111451337.0A Active CN114100716B (en) | 2021-12-01 | 2021-12-01 | Microfluidic device and driving method thereof |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CN (1) | CN114100716B (en) |
Citations (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN103212455A (en) * | 2012-01-20 | 2013-07-24 | 奥索临床诊断有限公司 | Assay device having uniform flow around corners |
| WO2014032396A1 (en) * | 2012-08-28 | 2014-03-06 | 博奥生物有限公司 | Microfluidic chip and application thereof |
| CN107635477A (en) * | 2015-03-06 | 2018-01-26 | 英国质谱公司 | For being coupled to rapid evaporation MALDI-MS（“REIMS”）The entrance instrument of the ion analyser of device |
| CN109870205A (en) * | 2017-12-04 | 2019-06-11 | 上海新微技术研发中心有限公司 | Microfluidic flow meter and manufacturing method thereof |
| CN109894167A (en) * | 2019-03-25 | 2019-06-18 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Micro-fluidic chip |
| WO2021003631A1 (en) * | 2019-07-08 | 2021-01-14 | 中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院 | Microfluidic droplet printing system-based digital pcr detection method and application thereof |
| CN112675798A (en) * | 2020-12-14 | 2021-04-20 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Microfluidic reaction device and microfluidic reaction driving method |
| CN112892626A (en) * | 2021-01-29 | 2021-06-04 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Microfluidic device and manufacturing method thereof |
| CN112965284A (en) * | 2021-03-23 | 2021-06-15 | 成都天马微电子有限公司 | Display panel and display device |
Family Cites Families (11)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US20120100552A1 (en) * | 2010-10-20 | 2012-04-26 | Richard Welle | Microfluidic Liquid Heating Method And Apparatus |
| US8821705B2 (en) * | 2011-11-25 | 2014-09-02 | Tecan Trading Ag | Digital microfluidics system with disposable cartridges |
| CN102590398A (en) * | 2012-03-23 | 2012-07-18 | 电子科技大学 | Miniature gas enricher with membranes on double surfaces |
| FR3026320B1 (en) * | 2014-09-29 | 2019-05-03 | Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives | FLUID CARD COMPRISING AN EXPANSION CHAMBER CONNECTED TO A RESISTANCE TANK |
| WO2018005843A1 (en) * | 2016-06-29 | 2018-01-04 | Digital Biosystems | High resolution temperature profile creation in a digital microfluidic device |
| EP3357578B1 (en) * | 2017-02-06 | 2021-01-06 | Sharp Life Science (EU) Limited | Temperature control system for microfluidic device |
| CN107583694B (en) * | 2017-09-06 | 2020-08-04 | 京东方科技集团股份有限公司 | Microfluidic system and method |
| CN107983426A (en) * | 2017-12-13 | 2018-05-04 | 京东方科技集团股份有限公司 | The digital microcurrent-controlled chip of thermal drivers, production method and method of work |
| CN109261234B (en) * | 2018-11-23 | 2021-03-23 | 京东方科技集团股份有限公司 | Microfluidic chip and analysis device |
| US11666910B2 (en) * | 2018-11-26 | 2023-06-06 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Microfluidic devices |
| US11660602B2 (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2023-05-30 | Mgi Holdings Co., Limited | Temperature control on digital microfluidics device |
-
2021
- 2021-12-01 CN CN202111451337.0A patent/CN114100716B/en active Active
Patent Citations (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN103212455A (en) * | 2012-01-20 | 2013-07-24 | 奥索临床诊断有限公司 | Assay device having uniform flow around corners |
| WO2014032396A1 (en) * | 2012-08-28 | 2014-03-06 | 博奥生物有限公司 | Microfluidic chip and application thereof |
| CN107635477A (en) * | 2015-03-06 | 2018-01-26 | 英国质谱公司 | For being coupled to rapid evaporation MALDI-MS（“REIMS”）The entrance instrument of the ion analyser of device |
| CN109870205A (en) * | 2017-12-04 | 2019-06-11 | 上海新微技术研发中心有限公司 | Microfluidic flow meter and manufacturing method thereof |
| CN109894167A (en) * | 2019-03-25 | 2019-06-18 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Micro-fluidic chip |
| WO2021003631A1 (en) * | 2019-07-08 | 2021-01-14 | 中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院 | Microfluidic droplet printing system-based digital pcr detection method and application thereof |
| CN112675798A (en) * | 2020-12-14 | 2021-04-20 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Microfluidic reaction device and microfluidic reaction driving method |
| CN112892626A (en) * | 2021-01-29 | 2021-06-04 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Microfluidic device and manufacturing method thereof |
| CN112965284A (en) * | 2021-03-23 | 2021-06-15 | 成都天马微电子有限公司 | Display panel and display device |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN114100716A (en) | 2022-03-01 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Paratore et al. | Reconfigurable microfluidics | |
| Chen et al. | Electrokinetically synchronized polymerase chain reaction microchip fabricated in polycarbonate | |
| Tachibana et al. | Self-propelled continuous-flow PCR in capillary-driven microfluidic device: Microfluidic behavior and DNA amplification | |
| Nath et al. | Rapid prototyping of robust and versatile microfluidic components using adhesive transfer tapes | |
| Tanaka et al. | An active valve incorporated into a microchip using a high strain electroactive polymer | |
| US20130206250A1 (en) | Bubble-based microvalve and its use in microfluidic chip | |
| WO2002072267A1 (en) | Convectively driven pcr thermal-cycling | |
| WO2001088525A1 (en) | Structurally programmable microfluidic systems | |
| KR20050063358A (en) | Microfluidic control device and method for controlling microfluidic | |
| CN101663089A (en) | micromachined electrowetting microfluidic valve | |
| US20080178987A1 (en) | Laminated microfluidic structures and method for making | |
| Venancio-Marques et al. | Digital optofluidics: LED-gated transport and fusion of microliter-sized organic droplets for chemical synthesis | |
| CN110496657B (en) | Microfluidic chip capable of forming liquid metal droplets and preparation method thereof | |
| Chae et al. | 3D electrowetting-on-dielectric actuation | |
| CN107983426A (en) | The digital microcurrent-controlled chip of thermal drivers, production method and method of work | |
| CN113811389B (en) | Micro-fluidic chip and micro-fluidic system | |
| CN114100716B (en) | Microfluidic device and driving method thereof | |
| CN103100451A (en) | Temperature response micro-pump based on micro-fluidic chip and preparation method thereof | |
| Lee et al. | AC EWOD-induced asymmetric droplet oscillation and manipulation | |
| Nath et al. | Polymerase chain reaction compatibility of adhesive transfer tape based microfluidic platforms | |
| Li et al. | A self-powered microfluidic monodispersed droplet generator with capability of multi-sample introduction | |
| Liou et al. | Modular component design for portable microfluidic devices | |
| JP4579490B2 (en) | Device for parallel synchronous injection for sequential injection of various reactants | |
| CN103055975A (en) | Micro-fluid self-driven micro-fluidic chip with temperature response and preparation method thereof | |
| CN111692400B (en) | Micro valve for controlling flow velocity of micro-fluidic chip based on piezoelectric film feedback |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PB01 | Publication | ||
| PB01 | Publication | ||
| SE01 | Entry into force of request for substantive examination | ||
| SE01 | Entry into force of request for substantive examination | ||
| GR01 | Patent grant | ||
| GR01 | Patent grant |