JP2005031064A - Liquid inspection chip, and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively manufacture a liquid inspection chip having high analytical precision. <P>SOLUTION: In this liquid inspection chip, an opening part 10d corresponding to a flow passage is formed by laser work in the first member 10 provided with adhesive layers 10b, 10c having a self-adhesive property on both faces of a base material 10a. In the liquid inspection chip, planar support members 12, 13 are bonded to both upper and under faces of the adhesive layers 10b, 10c of the first member 10, using the self-adhesive property of the adhesive layers 10b, 10c of the first member 10, so as to form a flow passage 11 surrounded by a lower face of the support member 12, an upper face of the support member 13, and the opening part 10d. The liquid tightness is thereby high between the first member 10 and the support members 12, 13, and the precision of a cross-sectional area in the flow passage 11 is high because one-portions of the adhesive layers 10b, 10c are not protruded toward the flow passage or retracted therefrom. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid testing chip for testing a fluid sample such as a biological fluid such as blood and a method for manufacturing the same.

  As a method of measuring various components in blood, blood is flowed through a flow path having a fine cross-sectional area using capillary action, electrophoresis, etc., thereby separating each component in the blood and performing transmission spectroscopic analysis. Or performing a luminescence reaction with a reagent and spectroscopically analyzing the emitted light. In order to perform such blood analysis more simply and with a small amount of sample (blood), a chip-like small device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In such a blood test chip, as described in Patent Document 2, for example, a groove pattern having a predetermined shape is formed on a substrate such as glass or synthetic resin, and another substrate is bonded to the substrate, whereby the groove is formed. In general, a portion corresponding to a pattern is used as a flow path. In order to bond the two substrates together, a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like is used, and there are cases where bonding by ultrasonic fusion or the like is performed. Although depending on the analysis method, the shape and size of the flow path formed in this way are important factors that greatly affect the separation performance of components in blood.

  In the laminating method using the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape as described above, a part of the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is exposed in the flow path, which may adversely affect the blood flow in the flow path. Further, it is difficult to make the edge of the groove and the edge of the adhesive tape completely coincide with each other, so that the cross-sectional area of the flow path deviates from the design value and causes an error.

  Even in the bonding method using an adhesive, the adhesive protrudes into the flow path, and the cross-sectional area of the flow path deviates from the design value, causing an error. Also, in the bonding method using ultrasonic fusion, it is difficult to completely fuse the entire periphery of the groove, so that the blood injected into the flow path enters the gap between the substrates and the amount of sample changes. However, it can still cause errors.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, etching is employed to form a groove pattern on the substrate. However, it is difficult to sharpen the edge of the groove by etching, and an error in the cross-sectional area of the flow path increases. If the substrate is made of synthetic resin, it is possible to form grooves by injection molding, but such a method requires a precise mold. In general, it is necessary to carry out a trial and error experiment to some extent to design the flow path. However, it takes a lot of cost and time to manufacture a mold each time.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-294439 JP 2002-267777 A

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a liquid testing chip capable of obtaining high analysis accuracy at a low cost and a manufacturing method thereof.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

A first invention made to solve the above problems is a liquid inspection chip for inspecting a component contained in a sample liquid by flowing the sample liquid to be inspected through a flow path having a small cross-sectional area. Because
a) a resin sheet provided with self-adhesive layers on both sides, a first member formed with openings corresponding to flow paths of a predetermined shape;
b) a flat plate-like second member and a third member respectively attached to both surfaces of the first member using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer;
It is characterized by comprising.

A second invention made to solve the above problems is for liquid inspection for inspecting a component contained in a sample liquid by flowing the sample liquid to be inspected through a flow path having a small cross-sectional area. A chip,
a) a resin sheet provided with a self-adhesive layer on one side, wherein a first member formed with an opening corresponding to a predetermined-shaped flow path;
b) a flat plate-like second member attached to one surface of the first member using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer;
c) a flat plate-like third member that has a self-adhesive layer on one side and is bonded to the other surface of the first member using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer;
It is characterized by comprising.

Furthermore, the third invention made to solve the above-described problem is a liquid for inspecting a component contained in a sample liquid by flowing the sample liquid to be inspected through a flow path having a small cross-sectional area. An inspection chip,
a) a first member which is a resin sheet in which an opening corresponding to a predetermined-shaped channel is formed;
b) each having a self-adhesive layer on one side, and using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer, the flat plate-like second member and third member respectively attached to both sides of the first member;
It is characterized by comprising.

  In any of the liquid inspection chips according to the first to third inventions, an opening corresponding to a flow path is formed in the first member that is a resin sheet, and the second member and the third member sandwich the first member from both sides. A channel having the thickness of the first member in the depth direction is formed between the first member and the second member. Further, the bonding of the first member and the second and third members does not depend on an adhesive or a double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, but utilizes the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer provided on one side facing each other.

  As one embodiment of the first or second invention, the first member is coated with an elastomer (olefin-based, urethane-based, silicone-based, etc.) having self-adhesiveness on both sides or one side using PET (polyethylene terephthalate) as a base material. Thus, a thin film layer can be formed. Further, as one embodiment of the second or third invention, the second member or the third member is a thin film layer formed by coating a self-adhesive material as described above on one side of a plate member made of glass or synthetic resin. Can be formed.

  Note that a sample liquid (blood, etc.) is injected from the outside into the flow path formed between the second and third members, or a voltage is applied to flow the sample liquid into the flow path. In order to inject a reagent in the middle of the path, the second or third member can be configured to have a through hole drilled at a position communicating with the flow path.

  As described above, according to the liquid inspection chip according to the first to third aspects of the invention, the size of the flow path in the depth direction can be determined by controlling the thickness of the first member. Moreover, since the first member and the second and third members are bonded together with high liquid-tightness due to self-adhesiveness, the sample liquid flowing in the flow path does not enter the gap, and the adhesive and the adhesive tape In contrast, since the adhesive layer does not protrude into the flow path or reversely move from the flow path, the error in the cross-sectional area of the flow path is reduced. In addition, since an adhesive layer such as an elastomer is basically water-repellent, even if such a surface is exposed in the flow path, it does not affect the flow of the sample liquid. By these things, high analysis accuracy can be ensured.

  Furthermore, in the liquid inspection chip according to the first to third inventions, the first member and the second and third members can be bonded together by pressing them with an appropriate pressure, so that the manufacturing process is simplified. The cost can be reduced. In addition, since it can be easily peeled even after the pasting, it is not necessary to discard it as a defective product even if a deviation occurs during the pasting, and the pasting can be performed again.

  Further, when forming the opening in the first member, it is preferable to use a punching process or a punching process by laser irradiation. According to this, a narrow opening can be formed with high accuracy, and there is no need to produce an expensive mold for forming a flow path by injection molding, which is advantageous in terms of cost. Moreover, when the adhesion layer is provided in the single side | surface or both surfaces of the 1st member, this adhesion layer can be sharply cut off with a base material. Therefore, it is advantageous for ensuring analysis accuracy.

  First, a liquid inspection chip according to an embodiment (first embodiment) of the first invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid testing chip 1 of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a flow path of the liquid testing chip, and FIG. FIG.

  The liquid inspection chip 1 of the first embodiment is a thin resin sheet formed by two relatively thick flat plate-like upper support members 12 and lower support members 13 (second and third members in the present invention). It has a three-layer structure in which the member 10 is sandwiched. A portion corresponding to the flow path 11 in the first member 10 is cut out by a punching process or the like as will be described later to form an opening 10d (see FIG. 3B). By closing with 12 and 13, the flow path 11 is formed between the support members 12 and 13. Therefore, basically, the width of the flow path 11 is determined by the width of the opening 10 d, and the depth of the flow path 11 is determined by the thickness of the first member 10.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (A), the first member 10 is formed by coating an adhesive layer 10b with a self-adhesive material very thinly on both surfaces of a sheet-like substrate 10a having appropriate rigidity and flexibility. 10c is formed. Various resins can be used as the base material 10a, and for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is preferable. On the other hand, the adhesive layers 10b and 10c are, for example, an elastomer, and more specifically, for example, a polyolefin-based elastomer, a silicone-based elastomer, a polyurethane-based elastomer, and the like are preferable. If an example using a polyolefin elastomer is given, a gel polymer sheet of Panac Corporation may be used.

  On the other hand, the upper and lower support members 12 and 13 are plate-like members made of glass or synthetic resin (for example, acrylic resin), and the close contact surface with the first member 10 preferably has high smoothness.

  As described above, the depth of the flow path 11 in the liquid inspection chip 1 is basically determined by the thickness of the first member 10. Therefore, it is necessary to select the sheet thickness of the first member 10 according to the cross-sectional area and size of the target flow path 11. Typically, the thickness of the base material 10a is about several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm, and the thickness of the adhesive layers 10c and 10d is about several μm to several tens of μm. In general, these thicknesses can be controlled with very high accuracy, whereby the size of the flow path 11 in the depth direction is also highly accurate.

Next, an example of a manufacturing procedure of the liquid inspection chip 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
(1) On the sheet material of the first member 10 (FIG. 3A), an opening 10d corresponding to the flow path 11 is formed by punching by laser irradiation (FIG. 3B). High-precision processing with an opening width of about 0.1 to 0.3 mm is possible by laser processing. FIG. 2 shows an example of the opening 10d (that is, the flow path 11) pattern formed in this way, but it is natural that the pattern can have any shape and size within the limits of processing accuracy.

  (2) The upper support member 12 is formed with an opening 14 for injection for injecting the sample solution into the flow path 11. Moreover, you may form other opening holes, such as for drainage or a reagent injection | pouring as needed. The size of the opening hole may be much lower in dimensional accuracy than the flow path, but care should be taken not to cause burrs or the like on the contact surface with the first member 10.

  (3) The first member 10 having the opening 10d is sandwiched between the upper and lower support members 12 and 13 from both sides. When the supporting members 12 and 13 are brought into close contact with the first member 10 and pressed with an appropriate pressure, the self-adhesive action of the adhesive layers 10b and 10c causes the air between them to escape and has high air tightness and liquid tightness. And stick. Thereby, the flow path 11 surrounded by the lower surface of the upper support member 12, the upper surface of the lower support member 13 and the opening 10 c of the first member 10 is formed.

  Therefore, the sample liquid (blood) injected into the flow channel 11 through the opening hole 14 during the test using the liquid test chip 1 flows along the flow channel 11, and the first member 10 and the support member 12 are in the middle. , 13 does not enter the gap. Moreover, the cross-sectional area of the flow path 11 is ensured with high accuracy almost as designed, thereby achieving high analysis accuracy.

  Next, an embodiment (second embodiment) of the second invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4 corresponding to FIG. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The most different point from the first embodiment is that the first member 10 has an adhesive layer 10b only on one side (upper surface in FIG. 4), and instead, the lower support member 13 bonded to the lower surface is a base material 13a. An adhesive layer 13b having self-adhesiveness is provided on the upper surface. In this case, the adhesive layer 13b is exposed in the flow path 11, but the adhesive layer 13b is water-repellent, so that it hardly affects the flow of the sample liquid when it flows through the flow path 11.

  Subsequently, an embodiment (third embodiment) of the third invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 corresponding to FIG. The same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. The difference from the second embodiment is that the first member 10 does not have an adhesive layer on the upper surface and the lower surface, but instead has an upper support member 12 bonded to the upper surface, and an adhesive layer 12b on the lower surface of the substrate 12a. ing.

  Obviously, the configurations of the second and third embodiments have the same effects and advantages as the first embodiment. The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and it is obvious that any modification, modification, or addition as appropriate within the scope of the present invention is included in the claims of the present application. For example, in the above embodiment, the flow path is formed by the punching process by laser irradiation, but a similar flow path can be formed by a punching process or the like.

The perspective view of the chip | tip for a liquid test | inspection by one Example of 1st invention. The top view of the chip | tip for a liquid test | inspection by one Example of 1st invention. Explanatory drawing of the cross-section of the chip | tip for a liquid test | inspection by one Example of 1st invention, and a preparation procedure. Explanatory drawing of the cross-section of the chip | tip for a liquid test | inspection by one Example of 2nd invention, and a preparation procedure. Explanatory drawing of the cross-section of the chip | tip for liquid inspection by one Example of 3rd invention, and a preparation procedure.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Chip | tip 10 for liquid inspection ... 1st member 10a, 12a, 13a ... Base material 10b, 12b, 13b ... Adhesive layer 10d ... Opening part 11 ... Flow path 12, 13 ... Support member 14 ... Opening hole

Claims (4)

A liquid inspection chip for inspecting components contained in a sample liquid by flowing the sample liquid to be inspected through a flow path having a small cross-sectional area,
a) a resin sheet provided with self-adhesive layers on both sides, a first member formed with openings corresponding to flow paths of a predetermined shape;
b) a flat plate-like second member and a third member respectively attached to both surfaces of the first member using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer;
A liquid inspection chip comprising: A liquid inspection chip for inspecting components contained in a sample liquid by flowing the sample liquid to be inspected through a flow path having a small cross-sectional area,
a) a resin sheet provided with a self-adhesive layer on one side, wherein a first member formed with an opening corresponding to a predetermined-shaped flow path;
b) a flat plate-like second member attached to one surface of the first member using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer;
c) a flat plate-like third member that has a self-adhesive layer on one side and is bonded to the other surface of the first member using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer;
A liquid inspection chip comprising: A liquid inspection chip for inspecting components contained in a sample liquid by flowing the sample liquid to be inspected through a flow path having a small cross-sectional area,
a) a first member which is a resin sheet in which an opening corresponding to a predetermined-shaped channel is formed;
b) each having a self-adhesive layer on one side, and using the adhesiveness of the self-adhesive layer, the flat plate-like second member and third member respectively attached to both sides of the first member;
A liquid inspection chip comprising:   The method for producing a liquid inspection chip according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the first member is formed by a punching process or a punching process by laser irradiation. .

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