JP2017009435A - Heating/cooling mechanism and heating/cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating/cooling mechanism which can repeatedly heat and cool fluid while allowing the fluid to continuously flow through a flow channel and which can rapidly obtain inspection result.SOLUTION: A heating/cooling mechanism having a flow channel with a width of 1 mm or less, through which fluid flows, includes: heating means in which heating areas for heating a fluid flowing through a flow channel 230 are formed; and cooling means in which cooling areas for cooling the fluid flowing through the flow channel 230 are formed. The flow channel 230 is formed in a manner to transfer the fluid in one direction in the heating and cooling areas and allow the fluid to pass through each of the heating and cooling areas one or more times. The temperature of the heating areas is higher than target heating temperature of the fluid, and the temperature of the cooling areas is lower than target cooling temperature of the fluid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a heating / cooling mechanism and a heating / cooling system.

  In recent years, μ-TAS (Micro-Total Analysis Systems) that performs various operations such as chemical reaction, synthesis, and extraction of substances in a fine channel formed in a substrate has been put into practical use. For example, a microfluidic chip having a plurality of temperature chambers set at different temperatures and capable of performing a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method by transferring a fluid between the temperature chambers has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents) 1).

JP 2007-278789 A

  However, in the microfluidic chip according to Patent Document 1, when the fluid is repeatedly heated and cooled, it is necessary to reciprocate the fluid between the temperature chambers, and the configuration and operation are complicated, and the fluid is continuously connected to the flow path. Can not be processed while flowing.

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the fluid is heated or cooled to the same temperature as the cold heat source in each process of denaturation, annealing, and elongation, and the temperature is maintained according to the time of the process. The advantage of comparing μ-TAS with other devices is that analysis and inspection can be performed from a very small amount of sample, so that the processing time (reaction time, etc.) can be shortened, and the inspection result can be obtained quickly. .

  On the other hand, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the case of a method in which a fluid is retained and heated or cooled to the same temperature as the cold heat source and the temperature is maintained for a time corresponding to the process, naturally, the inspection result is obtained. Since all these times are accumulated before being obtained, it is difficult to say that the advantage of μ-TAS that test results can be obtained quickly can be fully enjoyed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides a heating / cooling mechanism capable of repeatedly performing heating and cooling while flowing a fluid continuously through a flow path and capable of quickly obtaining a test result. With the goal.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heating / cooling mechanism having a channel having a width of 1 mm or less through which a fluid flows, a heating unit that forms a heating region for heating the fluid flowing through the channel, and the channel Cooling means for forming a cooling area for cooling the fluid flowing through the flow path, the flow path transfers the fluid in one direction in the heating area and the cooling area, and the fluid is in the heating area And the cooling region is formed so as to pass at least once, the temperature of the heating region is higher than the target heating temperature of the fluid, and the temperature of the cooling region is lower than the target cooling temperature of the fluid.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a heating and cooling mechanism that can repeatedly perform heating and cooling while continuously flowing a fluid through a flow path and that can quickly obtain a test result.

It is a figure which illustrates the composition of the heating cooling system in an embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates the composition of the heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment. It is a section schematic diagram which illustrates the composition of the heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates other composition of a heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates other composition of a heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates other composition of a heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates other composition of a heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment. It is a figure which illustrates other composition of a heating cooling mechanism in an embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a heating / cooling system 10 according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heating / cooling system 10 includes a heating / cooling device 100 and a flow path substrate 200.

  The heating / cooling device 100 includes a heating / cooling unit 130 therein. The heating / cooling unit 130 includes a heating unit 131 and a cooling unit 132, and repeatedly heats and cools the fluid flowing through the channel 230 formed in the channel substrate 200 inserted from the insertion port 120.

  In addition, the heating / cooling device 100 includes a display unit 110. The display unit 110 is a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays the heating temperature and cooling temperature in the heating / cooling unit 130. The display unit 110 may include a touch panel, for example, and may accept settings such as a heating temperature and a cooling temperature in the heating / cooling unit 130.

  The channel substrate 200 has an inlet 210, a channel 230, and a outlet 220. The flow path substrate 200 is inserted into the heating / cooling device 100 from the insertion port 120 and is detachably held by the heating / cooling device 100. The flow path substrate 200 is held at a position in contact with or close to the heating / cooling unit 130 in a state of being inserted into the heating / cooling apparatus 100.

  The introduction port 210 is a circular bottomed hole having an opening on the upper surface side of the flow path substrate 200 in FIG. 1, and is formed on one end side of the flow path substrate 200. The inlet 210 is supplied with fluid used for testing, inspection, and the like. The fluid supplied to the inlet 210 is, for example, a gas, a liquid, or a mixture thereof.

  The outlet 220 is a circular bottomed hole having an opening on the upper surface side of the flow path substrate 200 in FIG. 1, and is formed on the other end side of the flow path substrate 200. The outlet 220 is communicated with the inlet 210 through a channel 230 formed inside the channel substrate 200.

  The flow path 230 is formed inside the flow path substrate 200 so as to communicate the inlet 210 and the outlet 220. The channel 230 guides the fluid supplied to the inlet 210 and discharges it to the outlet 220. The channel 230 is formed with a width of 1 mm or less, for example. Moreover, it is preferable that the flow path 230 is 0.00 micrometer or less in width.

  The flow path substrate 200 is formed, for example, by laminating a plurality of substrates molded by a mold using a resin material. The flow path substrate 200 may be formed by laminating a glass plate on which the flow path 230 or the like is formed by, for example, etching or the like, or may be formed by a method other than the above.

  The configuration of the flow path substrate 200 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. For example, the flow path substrate 200 may be formed with mechanisms having various functions such as a dilution mechanism and a stirring mechanism.

  The heating / cooling system 10 has the above-described configuration, and the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 of the flow path substrate 200 is attached to the heating / cooling device 100 when the flow path substrate 200 to which the fluid is supplied is attached to the heating / cooling unit 100. Heat and cool repeatedly by 130.

  The heating / cooling unit 130 of the heating / cooling apparatus 100 and the channel 230 of the channel substrate 200 constitute a heating / cooling mechanism. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the heating / cooling mechanism 20 in a state where the flow path substrate 200 is held by the heating / cooling device 100 in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. Arrows in the following drawings indicate directions in which fluid flows in the flow path 230.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heating / cooling unit 130 includes a plurality of heating units 131 and a plurality of cooling units 132, and the heating units 131 and the cooling units 132 are alternately arranged.

  The heating unit 131 is a linear metal plate connected to a heat source, and is maintained at, for example, 100 ° C. to 150 ° C. by the heat source, and forms a heating region around the fluid that flows through the flow path 230.

  For example, when the fluid flowing in the flow path 230 is heated to the target heating temperature 95 ° C., the heating unit 131 is heated by the heat source so that the temperature of the heating region becomes 120 ° C. higher than the target heating temperature 95 ° C. In addition, for example, when the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 is heated to the target heating temperature 72 ° C., the heating unit 131 is heated by the heat source so that the temperature of the heating region becomes 100 ° C. higher than the target heating temperature 72 ° C. The Thus, by setting the temperature of the heating region to be equal to or higher than the target heating temperature of the fluid, the fluid flowing in the flow path 230 can be heated to the target heating temperature in a short time.

  The heating unit 131 may be, for example, a heat pipe, and is not limited to the above configuration as long as the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 can be heated. Moreover, when the heating part 131 is provided with two or more, the temperature of each heating part 131 may differ.

  The cooling unit 132 is a metal plate connected to a cooling source, and is maintained at, for example, 0 ° C. to 30 ° C. by the cooling source, and forms a cooling region around which the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 is cooled.

  For example, when the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 is heated to the target cooling temperature 55 ° C., the cooling unit 132 is cooled by the cooling source so that the temperature of the cooling region is 20 ° C. lower than the target cooling temperature 55 ° C. . For example, in order to cool the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 to the target cooling temperature in a shorter time, the cooling unit 132 preferably sets the temperature of the cooling region to room temperature or lower. Thus, by setting the temperature of the cooling region to be equal to or higher than the target cooling temperature of the fluid, the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 can be cooled to the target cooling temperature in a short time.

  As described above, the heating / cooling mechanism 130 in the present embodiment can heat or cool the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 in a short time, and for example, it is possible to quickly perform an experiment using the PCR method or the like. .

  The cooling unit 132 may be, for example, a heat pipe, a Peltier element, or the like, and is not limited to the above configuration as long as the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 can be cooled. Moreover, when the cooling part 132 is provided with two or more, the temperature of each cooling part 132 may differ.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the flow path 230 formed in the flow path substrate 200 has a plurality of bent portions, and the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 is heated by the heating region and the cooling unit 132 formed by the heating unit 131. Each cooling region is formed so as to pass one or more times. Further, the channel 230 transfers the fluid in one direction in the heating region and the cooling region. The fluid passes through the heating area and the cooling area along the flow path 230 without stagnation in the flow path 230.

  In the heating / cooling mechanism 20 according to the present embodiment, the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132 formed in a bar shape or a plate shape are alternately arranged in parallel so that the longitudinal direction thereof is parallel, and the flow path 230 is cooled with the heating region. It is formed so as to pass through the region alternately.

  With such a configuration, the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 alternately passes through the heating region facing the heating unit 131 and the cooling region facing the cooling unit 132, and heating and cooling are alternately performed repeatedly. Is done. One or more heating units 131 and cooling units 132 are provided in accordance with the configuration of the flow path 230, the number of times heating and cooling are repeated, and the like.

  The width d1 of the heating unit 131, the width d2 of the cooling unit 132, the interval d3 in the arrangement direction of the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132, and the like are the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the flow path 230, the required heating time and cooling time, and the like. It is set appropriately according to For example, when the fluid is heated for a long time, the width d1 of the heating unit 131 is increased, and when the heating time is short, the width d1 of the heating unit 131 is decreased. For example, when the fluid is cooled for a long time, the width d2 of the cooling unit 132 is increased, and when the cooling time is short, the width d2 of the cooling unit 132 is decreased. Thus, the width d1 of the heating unit 131, the width d2 of the cooling unit 132, and the like are set according to the heating time, the cooling time, and the like.

  For example, when the fluid heating time is longer than the cooling time with the same flow path 230 configuration as in FIG. 2, the width of the heating unit 131 is made larger than the width of the cooling unit 132 as shown in FIG. 4. . With such a configuration, the heating time of the fluid can be made longer than the cooling time.

  Further, for example, when the fluid cooling time is longer than the heating time with the same flow path 230 configuration as in FIG. 2, a plurality of cooling units 132 are provided between the heating units 131 as shown in FIG. It may be provided. With such a configuration, it is possible to make the cooling time of the fluid longer than the heating time, and an effect equivalent to making the width of the cooling unit 132 larger than the width of the heating unit 131 is obtained.

  Furthermore, the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132 are not limited to linear shapes, and any arbitrary shape other than a rectangle can be used as long as the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 can be heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature. It may be a shape.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132 may be provided on the opposite side with the flow channel 230 interposed therebetween. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 6, the heating unit 131 is provided on one surface side of the flow path substrate 200, and the cooling unit 132 is provided on the other surface side of the flow path substrate 200. With such a configuration, overlap between the heating region of the heating unit 131 and the cooling region of the cooling unit 132 is reduced, and the fluid can be efficiently heated or cooled.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132 may be provided on both surfaces of the flow path substrate 200 so as to sandwich the flow path 230. In the configuration illustrated in FIG. 7, the heating units 131 and the cooling units 132 are alternately arranged on both surfaces of the flow path substrate 200 so that the heating units 131 and the cooling units 132 provided on the opposite surfaces face each other. Is arranged.

  In the heating and cooling mechanism 20 shown in FIG. 8, the first heating unit 131a, the cooling unit 132, the second heating unit 131b, the third heating unit 131c, and the cooling unit are arranged from the upstream side in the flow direction of the fluid flowing through the flow path 230. The heating / cooling unit 130 is configured to be arranged in the order of 132, the second heating unit 131b, the third heating unit 131c,.

  In such a configuration, the fluid flowing through the flow path 230 is heated to the first target heating temperature 95 ° C., for example, by passing through a heating region formed by the first heating unit 131a. In addition, the fluid heated to the first target heating temperature 95 ° C. is cooled to the target cooling temperature 55 ° C. by passing through the cooling region formed by the cooling unit 132.

  Further, the fluid cooled to the target cooling temperature 55 ° C. passes through the heating region formed by the second heating unit 131b and the third heating unit 131c, so that the first target again from the second target heating temperature 72 ° C. Heated to a heating temperature of 95 ° C.

  The fluid flowing through the flow path 230 passes through a total of four regions including three heating regions and one cooling region formed by the first heating unit 131a, the cooling unit 132, the second heating unit 131b, and the third heating unit 131c. Thus, the temperature is heated or cooled to the three temperatures of the first target heating temperature, the second target heating temperature, and the target cooling temperature.

  Thus, the heating / cooling unit 130 is provided with the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132 so that the number of heating regions and cooling regions is larger than the number of the target heating temperature and the target cooling temperature of the fluid. By arranging the heating unit 131 and the cooling unit 132 in accordance with the conditions for heating or cooling the fluid, the flow path 230 can be shortened.

  As described above, according to the heating and cooling mechanism 20 according to the present embodiment, the fluid that flows without remaining in the flow path 230 from the inlet 210 to the outlet 220 in the flow path substrate 200 is continuously generated by the heating and cooling unit 130. Repeatedly heated and cooled. By using such a heating / cooling mechanism 20, heating and cooling of the fluid can be continuously and repeatedly performed without requiring a complicated operation or the like.

  Further, according to the heating and cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, by preparing the flow path substrate 200 having a different flow path 230 configuration, without changing the configuration of the heating and cooling unit 130 of the heating and cooling apparatus 100, Processes with different heating and cooling conditions can be executed. As described above, in the heating / cooling system 10, different heating / cooling processes can be easily performed by changing the configuration of the flow path 230 of the flow path substrate 200 or changing the setting of each temperature in the heating / cooling unit 130. it can. The heating / cooling system 10 and the heating / cooling mechanism 20 described above can be used, for example, in a PCR method or the like.

  The heating / cooling mechanism and the heating / cooling system according to the embodiment have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and improvements can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the heating and cooling mechanism 20 according to the above-described embodiment, the heating and cooling unit 130 and the flow path 230 are provided separately in the heating and cooling device 100 and the flow path substrate 200. It may be configured as one heating / cooling device having the path 230.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Heating / cooling system 20 Heating / cooling mechanism 100 Heating / cooling apparatus 130 Heating / cooling part 131 Heating part 132 Cooling part 200 Channel board 210 Inlet 220 Outlet 230 Channel

Claims (5)

A heating / cooling mechanism having a flow path of 1 mm or less in width through which a fluid flows,
Heating means for forming a heating region for heating the fluid flowing through the flow path;
Cooling means for forming a cooling region for cooling the fluid flowing through the flow path,
The flow path is formed so that the fluid is transferred in one direction in the heating region and the cooling region, and the fluid passes through the heating region and the cooling region at least once,
The temperature of the heating region is higher than the target heating temperature of the fluid,
The heating and cooling mechanism, wherein the temperature of the cooling region is lower than a target cooling temperature of the fluid.   The heating / cooling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the cooling region is equal to or lower than normal temperature.   3. The heating and cooling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the number of the heating region and the cooling region is greater than the number of the target heating temperature and the target cooling temperature.   The heating and cooling mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heating unit and the cooling unit are provided on opposite sides of the flow path. A flow path substrate in which a flow path of 1 mm or less in width through which the fluid flows is formed;
Heating / cooling provided with a heating means for detachably holding the flow path substrate and forming a heating area for heating the fluid flowing through the flow path and a cooling means for forming a cooling area for cooling the fluid flowing through the flow path. An apparatus,
The flow path transfers the fluid in one direction in the heating area and the cooling area in a state where the flow path substrate is held by the heating and cooling device, and the fluid is in the heating area and the cooling area. Are formed so that each of them passes at least once,
The temperature of the heating region is higher than the target heating temperature of the fluid,
The heating / cooling system, wherein a temperature of the cooling region is lower than a target cooling temperature of the fluid.

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