JP4934206B2 - Micro valve mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a microvalve mechanism for opening and closing a fine fluid passage (microchannel) formed in a microfluidic device.

  As a conventional micro valve mechanism, for example, there is a micro valve mechanism using a membrane.

  Hereinafter, this conventional micro valve mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 24A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 24B is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state along the line BB ′ in FIG. 24A, and FIG. 24C is the valve open state along the line BB ′ in FIG. FIG. The microvalve mechanism 1 includes a fluid element chip 3, a drive element chip 17, and a membrane 18, and a movable membrane 18 is opened and closed with a valve seat 19 provided in the middle of the microchannel 5 being opened and closed. The fluid is switched by attaching to and detaching from the seat 19. Since the membrane 18 is driven by air pressure introduced from the outside, a driving microchannel 20 for introducing this air pressure is required. Therefore, in addition to the fluid element chip 3 having the microfluidic channel 5 of the fluid to be switched, a driving element chip 17 having the driving microchannel 20 is manufactured (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-304440 A

  In the conventional microvalve mechanism, since it is necessary to manufacture a member of a multilayer flow path of a fluid element chip and a driving element chip, the number of members increases and the manufacturing process becomes complicated. There was a problem that it was difficult to provide cheaply.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a microvalve mechanism that has a simple structure that does not require a drive element chip and that can reliably open and close the valve.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, the microvalve mechanism of the present invention has a microchannel, and at least a part of the upper part of the microchannel is erected on a fluid element chip made of an elastic member and an elastic member portion on the fluid element chip. And a pressure control port, which is configured to open and close by supplying and discharging pressure through the pressure control port.

  With the above configuration, the present invention allows the microchannel to be deformed by supplying and discharging the pressure of the pressing body provided in the pressure control port, and the microchannel can be opened and closed. .

  Further, according to the present invention, in order to be able to close the valve with a low load, a configuration is proposed in which a concave portion is formed on the upper surface of the fluid element chip in the deformed portion and the thickness of the deformed portion is reduced. Furthermore, it is also proposed to form a convex portion on the surface of the fluid element chip in the deformable portion on the micro flow path side.

  In addition, according to the present invention, it is also proposed to form a circular gap having a circular planar shape in the middle of the microchannel in the deformed portion so that the valve can be opened and closed reliably. However, when a plurality of valves are arranged on one chip in the microchannel in the deformed portion, the planar shape is elliptical in the direction along the microchannel in order to increase the density of the valves. You may form the elliptical space | gap part which is an ellipse which has the longitudinal direction of these.

  Further, according to the present invention, the circular gap toward the direction in which the pressure control port is provided so that accurate positioning of the pressing mechanism including the pressure control port and the pressing body is not required. It is also proposed to provide a concave structure in the circle of the part. However, the circular void portion may be a void such as the elliptical void portion, a planar shape of a polygon, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is also proposed to provide a meandering channel in the circular gap so that accurate positioning of the pressing mechanism including the pressure control port and the pressing body is not necessary. . However, the circular void portion may be a void such as the elliptical void portion, a planar shape of a polygon, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners.
Further, according to the present invention, in order to obtain a normally closed type valve, a convex-structured closure is provided in the microchannel in the direction in which the pressure control port is provided. It is proposed to provide a rigid member flat plate on the fluid element chip so as to be in contact with the wall surface and over the range of the closing element and the adjacent part of the closing element. Furthermore, in order to be able to open the valve with a low load, it is also proposed to form a gap adjacent to the closing element in the fluid element chip.

  In addition, according to the present invention, as means for applying pressure by the pressing body, for example, a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, a gas pressure by air or the like, a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like is proposed.

  Since the microvalve mechanism of the background art requires a driving element chip in addition to a fluid element chip, the number of members increases and the manufacturing process is complicated. In the present invention, the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure including only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip.

  Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost of the chip. That is, the present invention can be applied to a disposable biochip.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 1 of this invention, (a) is the top view which looked at the micro valve mechanism from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing in the BB 'line of (a). . It is sectional drawing in the C-C 'line | wire of FIG. 1, (a) is a valve open state, (b) is a valve closed state. It is explanatory drawing which shows the experimental apparatus used in order to perform opening-and-closing evaluation of a microvalve mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacture process of the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 2 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing in the BB 'line of (a). It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 3 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing in the BB 'line of (a). FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C ′ in FIG. 6, where (a) is a valve open state and (b) is a valve closed state. It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 4 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing in the BB 'line of (a). It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 5 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing of the valve open state in the BB 'line of (a), (c) is sectional drawing of the valve closed state in the BB 'line of (a). It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the basic composition 6 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing of the valve open state in the BB 'line of (a), (c) is sectional drawing of the valve closed state in the BB 'line of (a). It is sectional drawing in the C-C 'line | wire of FIG. 10, (a) is a valve open state, (b) is a valve closed state. It is a perspective view in the valve | bulb area | region A of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement position of the press mechanism of the basic composition 6 of this invention, (a) is a top view seen from the upper part, (b) is a press mechanism arrange | positioned on the fluid element chip | tip of the center of a circular space | gap part. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state when the pressing mechanism is disposed on the fluid element chip at a position shifted from the center of the circular gap. It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism in the valve open state of the basic structure 7 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing in the BB 'line of (a). . It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism in the valve closed state of the basic structure 7 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing in the BB 'line of (a). . It is explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement position of the press mechanism of the basic composition 7 of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is a press mechanism arrange | positioned on the fluid element chip | tip of the center of a circular space | gap part. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state when the pressing mechanism is disposed on the fluid element chip at a position shifted from the center of the circular gap. It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of the Example of this invention, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing of a valve closed state, (c) is sectional drawing of a valve open state. . It is sectional drawing in the C-C 'line | wire of FIG. 17, (a) is a valve closed state, (b) is a valve open state. It is a perspective view in the valve | bulb area | region A of FIG. In the Example of this invention, it is explanatory drawing which shows the microvalve mechanism which has a space | gap part, (a) is a top view seen from upper direction, (b) is the valve | bulb closed state in CC 'line of (a). Sectional drawing and (c) are sectional drawings of the valve | bulb open state in CC 'line of (a). It is a perspective view in the valve | bulb area | region A of FIG. In the Example of this invention, it is explanatory drawing which shows the microvalve mechanism which has a structure where a closure protrudes in a space | gap part, (a) is a top view seen from upper direction, (b) is CC 'of (a). Sectional drawing of the valve | bulb closed state in a line, (c) is sectional drawing of the valve | bulb open state in the CC 'line | wire of (a). It is a perspective view in the valve | bulb area | region A of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the micro valve mechanism of a prior art example, (a) is the top view seen from upper direction, (b) is sectional drawing of the valve closed state in the BB 'line of (a), (c) is ( It is sectional drawing of the valve open state in the BB 'line | wire of a).

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Further, they can be combined with each other without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Basic configuration 1

FIG. 1 is a view showing a microvalve mechanism 1 having a first basic configuration of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. Sectional drawing in the BB 'line | wire of 1 (a) is shown.

The microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm in this basic configuration . The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm in this basic configuration .

  The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and the passage and blocking of the fluid can be performed by supplying and discharging the pressure of the pressing body 7 to and from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2. The fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, which is the region to be performed, is deformed, and the circular gap 6 is opened and closed to allow passage and blocking of the fluid.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 has a micro-channel 5 having a width of 200 μm and a depth of 40 μm and a circular gap 6 having a radius of 0.5 mm and a depth of 40 μm, which are manufactured by micromachining. Is formed. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes, and the circular gap portion 6 is a gap that performs passage and blocking of the fluid in the valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In and the outlet port Out and meets the circular gap 6 in the valve region A.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C ′ of the valve region A of FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view in the valve open state, and FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view in the valve closed state. The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally open with a circular gap 6 open. A pressing body 7 having a curvature radius of 1.5 mm of a pressing curved surface installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A via the pressure control port 2, and the circular gap 6 in the valve region A is deformed in the direction of closing the microvalve mechanism 1, When the load by the pressing body 7 is 100 gf or more, the microvalve mechanism 1 can be completely closed. The pressing body 7 uses an electromagnetically driven linear actuator.

Even if a fluid element chip 3 made of silicon resin having a Young's modulus of 100 N / cm ² or 2000 N / cm ² is used in place of the fluid element chip 3 having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , the pressing body is the same as in this basic configuration. When the load due to 7 becomes 100 gf or more, the microvalve mechanism 1 can be completely closed. Further, in these fluid element chips 3, even if the height of the fluid element chip 3 is set to 0.5 mm and the curvature radius of the pressing curved surface of the pressing body 7 is set to 0.5 mm or 2 mm, the pressing is performed similarly to the basic configuration. When the load by the body 7 becomes 100 gf or more, the microvalve mechanism 1 can be completely closed. Furthermore, by controlling the load applied by the pressing body 7 to be less than 100 gf, the flow rate passing through the circular gap 6 can be adjusted.

The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. FIG. 3 shows an experimental apparatus used for the open / close evaluation. FIG. 3 shows a tube filled with (a) a vacuum pump, (b) a vacuum regulator, (c) a waste liquid tank, (d) a microvalve mechanism 1, and (e) pure water. The microvalve mechanism 1 in FIG. 3 forms two inlet ports (In1, In2) and one outlet port (Out), and the microchannel 5 comes from the inlet ports In1, In2 and the outlet port Out and is a fluid element chip. Match at the center of 3. A circular gap 6 was formed in the middle of the micro flow path 5 from the respective inlet ports In1 and In2 to the center, and two valves were provided in the valve regions A1 and A2. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm.

  The microchannel 5 was formed with a width of 200 μm and a depth of 40 μm, and the circular gap 6 was formed as a circle having a planar shape of 1 mm in diameter and a depth of 40 μm. A negative pressure of 20-30 kPa was used to suck in water. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet ports In1 and In2 were connected to a tube filled with pure water.

  The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when the pressing body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and a load of 100 gf is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve area A1, the pressure element 7 in the valve area A2 is supplied. Although the fluid could pass, the fluid flow in the valve region A1 could be completely blocked. Similarly, when the pressing body 7 is driven and a load of 100 gf is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A2, the fluid in the valve region A1 can pass, but the fluid flow in the valve region A2 is completely blocked. I was able to. In this way, the flow of fluid supplied from the plurality of inlet ports could be selectively blocked.

Next, a manufacturing method of the micro valve mechanism 1 of the basic configuration 1 will be described. The manufacturing process of the microvalve mechanism 1 is shown in FIG. An ultra-thick film photoresist 9 (SU-8) is spin-coated on the silicon substrate 10 in order to form a reverse pattern for producing the microchannel 5 and the circular gap 6. Thereafter, the reverse pattern is exposed and developed (FIG. 4A). An unpolymerized solution of PDMS is poured onto the silicon substrate 10 using a mold that holds the solution (FIG. 4B). The PDMS chip is peeled from the silicon substrate 10 to obtain the fluid element chip 3 (FIG. 4C). The inlet port In and the outlet port Out are formed by fixing the fluid element chip 3 with a silicon adhesive using a brass pipe. The fluid element chip 3 and the glass are subjected to a surface treatment with oxygen plasma on both surfaces of the fluid element chip 3 on which the micro-channel 5 and the circular gap 6 are formed and the glass support substrate 4. The micro-valve mechanism 1 is obtained by fixing the support substrate 4 (FIG. 4D).

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Furthermore, in a fluid element chip having a Young's modulus in the range of 100 N / cm ² to 2000 N / cm ² , the height of the fluid element chip is 0.5 times or more and the radius of curvature of the pressing curved surface of the pressing body is 0.25 times. To adjust the flow rate passing through the circular gap by controlling the load by the pressing body to be less than 100 gf by providing a circular gap having a circle with a radius satisfying a range from 1 to 1 times. The valve can be completely closed when the load applied by the pressing body is 100 gf or more.

Basic configuration 2

FIG. 5 is a view showing the micro valve mechanism 1 of the second basic configuration of the present invention, FIG. 5 (a) is a plan view of the micro valve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. Sectional drawing in the BB 'line of 5 (a) is shown.

The microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PPP).

  The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and the passage and blocking of the fluid can be performed by supplying and discharging the pressure of the pressing body 7 to and from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2. The fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, which is the region to be performed, is deformed, and the elliptical gap portion 11 is opened and closed to allow passage and blocking of the fluid.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The fluidic device chip 3 seals the support substrate 4 with a microchannel 5 manufactured by micromachining and an elliptical gap portion 11 whose planar shape is an ellipse having a longitudinal direction along the microchannel 5. Is formed. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path that allows fluid to pass therethrough, and the elliptical gap portion 10 is a gap that performs passage and blocking of the fluid in the valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In and the outlet port Out and meets the elliptical gap 11 in the valve region A.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally open with an elliptical cavity 11 open. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A via the pressure control port 2, and the elliptical gap portion 11 in the valve region A is deformed in a direction to close the microvalve mechanism 1. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 was formed to have a width of 200 μm, a depth of 40 μm, and an elliptical gap 11 having a planar shape of an ellipse having a diameter of 1 mm in the longitudinal direction and a diameter of 0.5 mm in the short direction and a depth of 40 μm. A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator.

The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when a pressure body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, the fluid flow is completely eliminated. I was able to shut it down. Also, since the planar shape of the circular air gap 6 in the basic configuration 1 is a circle, one but densification is difficult when arranging the plurality of valves on the chip, the basic structure in elliptical cavities Since the planar shape of the portion 11 is an ellipse, a plurality of valves can be densely arranged by shortening the width of the ellipse in the short direction.

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Furthermore, since the width of the ellipse in the short direction in the bulb region can be narrowed by configuring the oval void portion whose planar shape is an ellipse, when a plurality of bulbs are arranged on one chip, The arrangement can be densified.

Basic configuration 3

FIG. 6 is a view showing a microvalve mechanism 1 having a third basic configuration of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. Sectional drawing in the BB 'line of 6 (a) is shown.

The micro valve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and the pressure of the pressing body 7 is supplied to and discharged from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2, thereby causing a depression in the fluid element chip 3. The shape of the concave portion 12 is deformed, and the circular gap portion 6 opens and closes to allow passage and blocking of the fluid.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. On one side of the fluid element chip 3, a micro flow path 5 manufactured by micro machining and a circular gap 6 having a circular plane shape are formed by sealing with the support substrate 4, and the valve area A on the other side. A concave portion 12 having a concave shape is formed. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes, and the circular gap portion 6 is a gap that performs passage and blocking of the fluid in the valve region A. Immediately above the recess 12 is the pressure control port 2. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In and the outlet port Out and meets the circular gap 6 in the valve region A.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C ′ of the valve region A in FIG. 6. FIG. 7A shows a cross-sectional view in the valve open state, and FIG. 7B shows a cross-sectional view in the valve closed state. The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally open with a circular gap 6 open. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the concave portion 12 of the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A via the pressure control port 2, and the circular gap portion 6 in the valve region A is in a direction to close the microvalve mechanism 1. Deform. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The circular gap 6 may be a gap such as an ellipsoidal gap 11 whose plane shape is an ellipse, or a plane whose shape is a polygon, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners.
The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The concave portion 12 in the bulb region A has a planar shape of a circle with a diameter of 4 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm, the microchannel 5 has a width of 200 μm and a depth of 40 μm, and the circular gap 6 has a planar shape with a circle of 1 mm in diameter and a depth of 40 μm. Formed as. A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator.

The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when a pressure body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, the fluid flow is completely eliminated. I was able to shut it down. In the basic configurations 1 and 2, a pressing load of 100 gf or more is required to completely close the valve. However, in this basic configuration , the thickness of the fluid element chip 3 in this portion is reduced by providing the recess 12. As a result, the valve could be completely closed with a load of less than 100 gf.

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Furthermore, since the thickness of the fluid element chip immediately above the circular gap is reduced by configuring the concave recess, the valve can be closed with a low load. That is, the output of the pressing body can be reduced.

Basic configuration 4

FIG. 8 is a view showing the micro valve mechanism 1 of the fourth basic configuration of the present invention, FIG. 8 (a) is a plan view of the micro valve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. Sectional drawing in the BB 'line | wire of (a) is shown.

The microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 includes a deformable portion 13 of an elastic member in the valve region A and a non-deformed portion 14 of a rigid member other than the deformable portion 13.

  The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and the pressure of the pressing body 7 is supplied to and discharged from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2, whereby the elasticity in the fluid element chip 3 is restored. The deformed portion 13 of the member is deformed, and the circular gap portion 6 opens and closes to allow passage and blocking of the fluid.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The deformable portion 13 is made of a deformable elastic member made of silicon resin such as PDMS, and the non-deformed portion 14 is made of a rigid member made of thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The fluid element chip 3 is formed by sealing a micro-channel 5 manufactured by micro-processing and a circular gap 6 having a circular planar shape with the support substrate 4, and a deformed portion 13 of an elastic member is formed in the valve region A. Is formed. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes, and the circular gap portion 6 is a gap that performs passage and blocking of the fluid in the valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In and the outlet port Out and meets the circular gap 6 in the valve region A.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally open with a circular gap 6 open. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the deformed portion 13 of the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A via the pressure control port 2, and the circular gap 6 in the valve region A closes the microvalve mechanism 1. Transforms into The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The circular gap 6 may be a gap such as an ellipsoidal gap 11 whose plane shape is an ellipse, or a plane whose shape is a polygon, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners. A recess 12 may be formed in the fluid element chip 3.
The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. The valve area A is a rectangular area having a planar shape of 2 mm × 2 mm, and the deformable portion 13 in the valve area A of the fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ^2. 14 was made of a rigid member of PET. The height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 was formed with a width of 200 μm and a depth of 40 μm, and the circular gap 6 was formed as a circle having a planar shape of 1 mm in diameter and a depth of 40 μm. A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator.

The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when a pressure body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, the fluid flow is completely eliminated. I was able to shut it down. In the basic configurations 1 to 3, since all of the fluid element chips 3 are made of silicon resin such as PDMS, the material cost is higher than that of a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. In this basic configuration , By manufacturing the non-deformable portion 14 of the fluid element chip 3 with a thermoplastic resin, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Furthermore, the chip cost can be further reduced by configuring the non-deformable portion with a rigid member of a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP.

Basic configuration 5

FIG. 9 is a view showing the micro valve mechanism 1 of the fifth basic configuration of the present invention, and FIG. 9A is a plan view of the micro valve mechanism 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 9B shows a cross-sectional view of the valve open state along the line BB ′ in FIG. 9A, and FIG. 9C shows the valve closed state along the line BB ′ in FIG. 9A. FIG.

The micro valve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and the pressure of the pressing body 7 is supplied to and discharged from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2, thereby causing the convexity in the fluid element chip 3. The convex portion 15 having a shape is deformed, and the micro flow path 5 is opened and closed to allow passage and blocking of the fluid.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is formed by sealing a microchannel 5 manufactured by micromachining with a support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 has a convex portion 15 formed in the valve region A. The micro flow path 5 includes a micro flow path that allows fluid to pass therethrough and a micro flow path that allows passage and blocking of the fluid in the valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In, passes through the valve region A, and matches the outlet port Out.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally open with the microchannel 5 open. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A via the pressure control port 2, and the micro flow path 5 in the valve region A is deformed in a direction to close the micro valve mechanism 1. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The support substrate 4 may be processed so that the convex base 16 is erected in the valve region A on the support substrate 4. A recess 12 may be formed in the fluid element chip 3. The fluid element chip 3 may be composed of a deformable portion 13 of an elastic member and a non-deformed portion 14 of a rigid member.
The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 was formed to have a width of 120 μm, a depth of 50 μm, the projection 15 having a rectangular shape with a planar shape of 1 mm × 120 μm and a height of 20 μm, and the pedestal 16 having a rectangular shape with a planar shape of 1 mm × 120 μm and a height of 10 μm.

A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when a pressure body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, the fluid flow is completely eliminated. I was able to shut it down. Also, since the planar shape of the circular air gap 6 in the basic configuration 1 is circular, but density is difficult when arranging a plurality of valves on a single chip, the present basic arrangement, the micro flow Providing a convex portion in the valve region A of the path 5 eliminates the need for the circular gap 6, so that a plurality of valves can be arranged closely.

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Furthermore, since the valve region can be narrowed by configuring a micro flow path that allows passage and blocking of fluid in the valve region, when arranging a plurality of valves on one chip, the valve arrangement has a higher density. Is possible.

Basic configuration 6

FIG. 10 is a view showing the microvalve mechanism 1 of the sixth basic configuration of the present invention. FIG. 10A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the valve open state along the line BB ′ in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view in the valve closed state of the line BB ′ in FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of the valve region A in FIG. FIG. 11A shows a sectional view in the valve open state, and FIG. 11B shows a sectional view in the valve closed state. FIG. 12 is a perspective view in the valve region A of FIG.

The micro valve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and is formed in the fluid element chip 3 by supplying and discharging the pressure of the pressing body 7 to and from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2. The concave structure 21 in the formed circular gap 6 is deformed, and the circular gap 6 is opened and closed to allow passage and blocking of the fluid. By providing such a concave structure 21, the portion of the fluid element chip 3 in which the circular gap portion 6 is formed does not bend and adhere to the support substrate 4 when the microvalve mechanism 1 is manufactured. And the effect that the exact position alignment of the press mechanism which consists of the pressure control port 2 and the press body 7 becomes unnecessary is acquired.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is formed by sealing a micro-channel 5 manufactured by micro-processing and a circular gap 6 having a circular plane shape with the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes. In the circular gap 6 having a circular planar shape, a concave structure 21 is formed in the circle of the circular gap 6 in the direction in which the pressure control port 2 is provided. It is a gap that shuts off. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In and the outlet port Out and meets the circular gap 6 in the valve region A. The circular gap 6 may be a gap such as an ellipsoidal gap 11 whose plane shape is an ellipse, or a plane whose shape is a polygon, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners. A recess 12 may be formed in the fluid element chip 3. A recess 12 may be formed in the fluid element chip 3. The fluid element chip 3 may be composed of a deformable portion 13 of an elastic member and a non-deformed portion 14 of a rigid member.

In the concave structure 21 formed in the circle of the circular gap 6 toward the direction in which the pressure control port 2 is provided, the circular gap 6 is formed when the microvalve mechanism 1 is manufactured. The fluid element chip 3 has a role of preventing the fluid element chip 3 from being bent and fixed to the support substrate 4 by its own weight. For example, the fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² and the height of the fluid element chip 3 is 1 mm. The support substrate 4 is made of glass. At this time, when a circular gap 6 having a diameter of 1 mm and a depth of 10 μm is manufactured, the portion of the fluid element chip 3 in which the circular gap 6 is formed bends and adheres to the support substrate 4. End up. However, when the concave structure 21 having a diameter of 0.9 mm and a depth of 40 μm is formed in the circle of the circular gap 6 toward the direction in which the pressure control port 2 is provided, Even if the portion of the fluid element chip 3 in which the gap 6 is formed is bent, it does not adhere to the support substrate 4.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally open with a circular gap 6 open. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A through the pressure control port 2. This supplied pressure deforms the concave structure 21 formed in the circular gap 6 so that the stepped portion of the concave structure 21 comes into contact with the support substrate 4 and blocks the fluid. In this way, the microvalve mechanism 1 is closed when the circular gap 6 is closed. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The arrangement position of the pressing mechanism constituted by the pressure control port 2 and the pressing body 7 in the micro valve mechanism 1 of the basic configuration will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram relating to the arrangement position of the pressing mechanism in the basic configuration . FIG. 13A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, as in FIG. FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 13A when the pressing mechanism is disposed on the fluid element chip 3 at the center of the circular gap 6. FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 13A when the pressing mechanism is disposed on the fluid element chip 3 at a position shifted from the center of the circular gap 6. It is. Since the valve is opened and closed by separating the stepped portion of the concave structure 21 formed in the circular gap 6 from the support substrate 4, the step of the concave structure 21 is driven by the pressing body 7 in the valve closed state. Even if the portion is in contact with the support substrate 4, the fluid can be effectively blocked even if the arrangement position of the pressing mechanism is deviated from the center of the circular gap 6. Accordingly, the pressing mechanism does not need to be accurately aligned with the circular gap 6, so that the positioning can be facilitated when the pressing mechanism is disposed.

The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 has a width of 120 μm, a depth of 50 μm, the circular gap 6 has a planar shape of a circle with a diameter of 1 mm and a depth of 10 μm, and the concave structure 21 has a circular gap in the direction in which the pressure control port 2 is provided. In the circle of the part 6, the planar shape was a circle having a diameter of 0.9 mm and a depth of 40 μm. A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when a pressure body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, the fluid flow is completely eliminated. I was able to shut it down. Further, in the basic configurations 1 to 5, accurate alignment between the pressing mechanism and the gap portion is necessary. However, in this basic configuration , the micro mechanism is not performed without accurate alignment between the pressing mechanism and the circular gap portion 6. The valve mechanism 1 could be opened and closed. The pressing body 7 was an electromagnetically driven linear actuator.

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Further, by providing a concave structure in the circle of the circular gap, the portion of the fluid element chip in which the circular gap is formed is bent and fixed to the support substrate when the microvalve mechanism is manufactured. There is no. Furthermore, since this concave structure eliminates the need for accurate positioning of the pressing mechanism, it is possible to facilitate positioning when the pressing mechanism is disposed.

Basic configuration 7

FIG. 14 is a view showing the microvalve mechanism 1 in the valve open state according to the seventh basic configuration of the present invention. FIG. 14A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above. (B) has shown sectional drawing in the BB 'line | wire of Fig.14 (a). FIG. 15 is a view showing the microvalve mechanism 1 in the valve closed state of the basic configuration . FIG. 15A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ of FIG.

The micro valve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, and a support substrate 4. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The pressure control port 2 is erected in the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and is formed in the fluid element chip 3 by supplying and discharging the pressure of the pressing body 7 to and from the fluid element chip 3 through the pressure control port 2. The meander channel 23 in the circular gap 6 thus opened and closed opens and closes the fluid. As described above, by providing the meandering flow path 23 in the circular gap 6, it is possible to obtain an effect that the accurate positioning of the pressing mechanism including the pressure control port 2 and the pressing body 7 becomes unnecessary.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is formed by sealing a micro-channel 5 manufactured by micro-processing and a circular gap 6 having a circular plane shape with the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes. The circular void portion 6 is a void in which a meander-shaped flow path 23 is formed in the circular void portion 6 and allows passage and blocking of fluid in the valve region A. The meander channel 23 is constituted by a plurality of walls 22 formed in the circular gap 6. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 comes from the inlet port In and the outlet port Out and meets the circular gap 6 in the valve region A. The circular gap 6 may be a gap such as an ellipsoidal gap 11 whose plane shape is an ellipse, or a plane whose shape is a polygon, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners. A recess 12 may be formed in the fluid element chip 3. The fluid element chip 3 may be composed of a deformable portion 13 of an elastic member and a non-deformed portion 14 of a rigid member.

  In the microvalve mechanism 1, the meander channel 23 in the circular gap 6 is normally open and open. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A through the pressure control port 2. The supplied pressure deforms the plurality of walls 22 constituting the meandering channel 23 in the circular gap 6 so that the side surfaces of the adjacent walls 22 come into contact so as to close the meandering channel 23. To shut off the fluid. In this way, the microvalve mechanism 1 is closed by closing the meandering channel 23. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

Next, the arrangement position of the pressing mechanism constituted by the pressure control port 2 and the pressing body 7 in the micro valve mechanism 1 of the basic configuration will be described. FIG. 16 is a diagram relating to the arrangement position of the pressing mechanism in the basic configuration . FIG. 16A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, as in FIG. FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 16A when the pressing mechanism is disposed on the fluid element chip 3 at the center of the circular gap portion 6. FIG. 16C is a cross-sectional view of the valve closed state taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 16A when the pressing mechanism is disposed on the fluid element chip 3 at a position shifted from the center of the circular gap 6. It is. Since the valve is opened and closed by separating the side surfaces of the adjacent walls 22 in the circular gap 6, the side surfaces of the adjacent walls 22 come into contact with each other when the pressing body 7 is driven in the valve closed state. As long as the meandering channel 23 is closed, the fluid can be effectively blocked even if the arrangement position of the pressing mechanism is deviated from the center of the circular gap 6. Accordingly, the pressing mechanism does not need to be accurately aligned with the circular gap 6, so that the positioning can be facilitated when the pressing mechanism is disposed.

The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 having the basic configuration will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 was formed to have a width of 120 μm and a depth of 50 μm, and the circular gap 6 was a circle having a planar shape with a diameter of 1 mm and a depth of 50 μm. The meander channel 23 in the circular gap 6 was manufactured by forming four walls 22 having a width of 40 μm at intervals of 70 μm. A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In.
The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when a pressure body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and pressure is supplied to the fluid element chip 3 in the valve region A, the fluid flow is completely eliminated. I was able to shut it down.
Further, in the basic configurations 1 to 5, accurate alignment between the pressing mechanism and the gap portion is necessary. However, in this basic configuration , the micro mechanism is not performed without accurate alignment between the pressing mechanism and the circular gap portion 6. The valve mechanism 1 could be opened and closed. The pressing body 7 was an electromagnetically driven linear actuator.

As described above, according to this basic configuration , the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting a chip structure of only a fluid element chip without requiring a driving element chip. it can. Therefore, this basic configuration can reduce the cost of the chip. Furthermore, since the positioning of the pressing mechanism is not required by providing the meander channel in the circular gap, it is possible to facilitate the positioning when the pressing mechanism is arranged.

  FIG. 17 is a view showing the microvalve mechanism 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. 17B is FIG. 17A. FIG. 17C is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the valve open state taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 17A. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C ′ of the valve region A in FIG. 17. FIG. 18A shows a cross-sectional view in the valve closed state, and FIG. 18B shows a cross-sectional view in the valve open state. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the valve region A of FIG.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 according to this embodiment includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, a support substrate 4, and a flat plate 25. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The flat plate 25 is made of glass, a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP, or a metal rigid member such as iron or copper.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally closed by closing the microchannel 5 by a closing member 24 in the microchannel 5 formed in the fluid element chip 3. The flat plate 25 is bonded to the valve region A on the fluid element chip 3, and the pressure control port 2 is erected on the flat plate 25, and the pressure of the pressing body 7 is supplied to the flat plate 25 through the pressure control port 2. The fluid element chip 3 on the closing member 24 is deformed, the micro flow path 5 is communicated, and the micro valve mechanism 1 is opened. Thus, by providing the closure 24 in the microchannel 5 and the flat plate 25 on the fluid element chip 3, a normally-closed press drive valve can be obtained.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 does not have a specific flow direction, but the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and shut off is referred to as a valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is formed by sealing a microchannel 5 manufactured by micromachining with a support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes. On the side of the support substrate 4 that is to be sealed with the fluid element chip 3, a convex structure closure 24 manufactured by micromachining is formed.

  The closing member 24 is in a state where the valve is closed, that is, in a state where the closing member 24 is in contact with the wall surface in the micro flow path 5 formed in the fluid element chip 3 so that the inlet port In and the outlet port Out do not communicate with each other. In addition, the microchannel 5 is provided to be blocked. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The flat plate 25 is bonded onto the fluid element chip 3 over the range of the closing element 24 and the portion of the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closing element 24. The pressure control port 2 is erected on a flat plate 25 in the portion of the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closing member 24. The fluid element chip 3 may be composed of a deformable portion 13 of an elastic member and a non-deformed portion 14 of a rigid member.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 is normally closed with the microchannel 5 blocked by a closing member 24. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the flat plate 25 in the portion of the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closing member 24 through the pressure control port 2.

  The supplied pressure pushes down the fluid element chip 3 bonded to one end of the flat plate 25 (the flat plate 25 in the portion of the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closet 24), thereby causing the other end (closer of the flat plate 25 to close). The fluid element chip 3 bonded to the flat plate 25) in the portion 24 is pulled up, a gap is created between the closing element 24 and the fluid element chip 3 on the closing element 24, and the micro flow path 5 communicates with the fluid. pass. In this way, the micro flow path 5 is communicated through the gap generated on the closing member 24, and the micro valve mechanism 1 is opened. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 of this embodiment will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 was formed with a width of 120 μm and a depth of 50 μm, and the closing member 24 was a rectangular shape having a planar shape of 2 mm × 120 μm and a height of 50 μm. The flat plate 25 was made of glass, and the planar shape was a rectangle of 2 mm × 2 mm and the height was 1 mm. The flat plate 25 and the fluid element chip 3 were bonded by performing surface treatment on both bonding surfaces with oxygen plasma. A negative pressure of 20 to 30 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In.

The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, the pressing body 7 having a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm of the pressing curved surface installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven to supply a load of 200 gf to the flat plate 25 in the portion of the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closing member 24. As a result, the micro flow path 5 communicated and allowed the fluid to pass. Further, when the pressure member 7 was not driven and no pressure was supplied, the fluid flow could be completely blocked by the closing member 24. In the basic configurations 1 to 7, the valve is a normally open type valve. However, in this embodiment, by providing the closing 24 and the flat plate 25, a normally closed type valve can be obtained.

  In the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 17, it is preferable that a gap 26 is formed in the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closing member 24 so that the valve can be opened with a low load. 20 is a view showing the microvalve mechanism 1 in which the gap portion 26 is formed in the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 17, and FIG. 20A is a plan view of the microvalve mechanism 1 as viewed from above, and FIG. ) Is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the closed state along line CC ′ in FIG. 20A, and FIG. 20C is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the open state along line CC ′ in FIG. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the valve region A in FIG.

  The microvalve mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 20 includes a pressure control port 2, a fluid element chip 3, a support substrate 4, and a flat plate 25. The fluid element chip 3 is made of a deformable elastic member of silicon resin such as PDMS. The support substrate 4 is made of glass or a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP. The flat plate 25 is made of glass, a thermoplastic resin such as PET or PPP, or a metal rigid member such as iron or copper.

  Although the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20 does not have a specific flow direction, the two access ports in the fluidic device chip 3 are referred to as an inlet port (In) and an outlet port (Out) for convenience. In the microvalve mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 20, a region where the valve is opened and closed to allow fluid to pass and block is referred to as a valve region A. The fluid element chip 3 is formed by sealing the micro flow path 5 and the gap 26 manufactured by micro machining with the support substrate 4. The micro flow path 5 is a micro flow path through which a fluid passes.

  On the side of the support substrate 4 that is to be sealed with the fluid element chip 3, a convex structure closure 24 manufactured by micromachining is formed. The closing member 24 is in a state where the valve is closed, that is, in a state where the closing member 24 is in contact with the wall surface in the micro flow path 5 formed in the fluid element chip 3 so that the inlet port In and the outlet port Out do not communicate with each other. In addition, the microchannel 5 is provided to be blocked. The gap 26 is formed adjacent to the closing member 24. The fluid element chip 3 is fixed to the support substrate 4. The flat plate 25 is bonded onto the fluid element chip 3 over the range of the closing member 24 and the gap 26. The pressure control port 2 is erected on the flat plate 25 in the gap portion 26. The fluid element chip 3 may be composed of a deformable portion 13 of an elastic member and a non-deformed portion 14 of a rigid member.

  The micro valve mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 20 is normally closed with the micro flow path 5 blocked by a closing member 24. A pressing body 7 installed in the pressure control port 2 is connected to a pressure control unit 8 provided outside. The pressure control unit 8 is a controller that controls the pressure by driving the pressing body 7. By driving the pressing body 7, pressure is supplied to the flat plate 25 in the gap portion 26 via the pressure control port 2. The supplied pressure pushes down the fluid element chip 3 bonded to one end of the flat plate 25 (the flat plate 25 in the gap portion 26), whereby the other end of the flat plate 25 (the flat plate 25 in the portion of the closing member 24). As a result, the fluid element chip 3 is pulled up, a gap is created between the closing element 24 and the fluid element chip 3 on the closing element 24, and the micro flow path 5 communicates with the fluid. In this way, the micro flow path 5 is communicated through the gap generated on the closing member 24, and the micro valve mechanism 1 is opened. The pressing body 7 uses a linear actuator such as an electromagnetic drive type, or a gas pressure by air or the like, or a hydrostatic pressure by silicon oil or the like.

The results of opening / closing evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20 will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The micro-channel 5 is 120 μm wide and 50 μm deep, the closure 24 is a rectangular shape having a planar shape of 2 mm × 120 μm and a height of 50 μm, and the gap 26 is a rectangular shape having a planar shape of 2 mm × 1.88 mm and a height of 50 μm. .

  The flat plate 25 was made of glass, and the planar shape was a rectangle of 2 mm × 2 mm and the height was 1 mm. The flat plate 25 and the fluid element chip 3 were bonded by performing surface treatment on both bonding surfaces with oxygen plasma. A negative pressure of 10 to 20 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure. At this time, when the pressing body 7 having a curvature radius of 1.5 mm of the pressing curved surface installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and a load of 100 gf is supplied to the flat plate 25 in the gap portion 26, the microchannel 5 Were able to communicate and allow fluids to pass.

  In the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 17, a pressing load of 200 gf is required to open the valve, but in the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20, the valve is opened with a load of at least 100 gf by providing the gap portion 26. I was able to. Further, when the pressure member 7 was not driven and no pressure was supplied, the fluid flow could be completely blocked by the closing member 24. Accordingly, the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20 improves the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 17 and can open the valve with a low load by forming the gap portion 26 in the fluid element chip 3 adjacent to the closing member 24. That is, it is possible to drive the pressing body at a low output.

  In addition, the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20 expands the width of the closing member 24 so that the fluid does not pass from the gap portion 26 in the valve closed state even when the pressure of the fluid is high, and the closing member 24 enters the gap portion 26. A protruding structure is preferable. FIG. 22 is a view showing the microvalve mechanism 1 having a structure in which the closure 24 in the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20 is protruded into the gap 26, and FIG. 22 (a) is a view of the microvalve mechanism 1 from above. 22B is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the closed state along line CC ′ in FIG. 22A, and FIG. 22C is the valve in the open state along line CC ′ in FIG. A cross-sectional view is shown.

  FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the valve region A in FIG. The closing member 24 is in a state in which the valve is closed, that is, in a state where the closing member 24 is in contact with the wall surface in the microchannel 5 formed in the fluidic device chip 3 so that the inlet port In and the outlet port Out do not communicate with each other. The micro-channel 5 is provided so as to be blocked, and the closing member 24 protrudes into the gap portion 26. The protruding portion of the closing member 24 is formed so as to be in contact with the wall surface in the gap portion 26. ing.

The result of performing the open / close evaluation of the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 23 will be described. The fluid element chip 3 was made of a deformable elastic member of PDMS having a Young's modulus of 1000 N / cm ² , and the height of the fluid element chip 3 was 1 mm. The support substrate 4 was made of glass, and the height of the support substrate 4 was 1 mm. The microchannel 5 is 120 μm wide and 50 μm deep, the closure 24 is a rectangular shape with a planar shape of 2 mm × 500 μm and a height of 50 μm, and the gap 26 is a rectangular shape with a planar shape of 2 mm × 1.88 mm and a height of 50 μm. . The closing member 24 is provided so that a portion with a planar shape of 2 mm × 380 μm and a height of 50 μm protrudes into the gap 26.
The flat plate 25 was made of glass, and the planar shape was a rectangle of 2 mm × 2 mm and the height was 1 mm. The flat plate 25 and the fluid element chip 3 were bonded by performing surface treatment on both bonding surfaces with oxygen plasma. A negative pressure of 10 to 40 kPa was used to suck water from the inlet port In. The negative pressure was supplied by a vacuum pump and was adjusted using a vacuum regulator for water suction control. The water pumped up from the outlet port Out is stored in a waste tank in order to avoid sucking into the vacuum regulator. The inlet port In was connected to a tube filled with pure water. The other end of the tube is opened to atmospheric pressure.

  At this time, when the pressing body 7 having a curvature radius of 1.5 mm of the pressing curved surface installed in the pressure control port 2 is driven and a load of 100 gf is supplied to the flat plate 25 in the gap portion 26, the microchannel 5 Were able to communicate and allow fluids to pass. Further, when the pressure member 7 was not driven and no pressure was supplied, the fluid flow could be completely blocked by the closing member 24. Therefore, the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 23 improves the microvalve mechanism 1 of FIG. 20, and can close the valve even when the fluid pressure is high by adopting a structure in which the closing member 24 protrudes into the gap portion 26. That is, it is possible to increase the pressure resistance against the fluid.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the valve can be reliably opened and closed, and the microvalve mechanism can be simplified by adopting the chip structure of only the fluid element chip without requiring the driving element chip. . Therefore, in this embodiment, the cost of the chip can be reduced. In addition, a normally closed type pressure-driven valve can be formed by forming a closing element in the microchannel and providing a flat plate on the fluid element chip. Furthermore, by providing a gap in the fluid element chip and having a structure in which the closing member protrudes into the gap, the thickness of the fluid element chip below the pressing body is reduced, so that the valve can be opened with a low load. And since the sealing property of a space | gap part becomes high, even if the pressure of fluid is high, a valve can be closed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Micro valve mechanism 2 Pressure control port 3 Fluidic device chip 4 Support substrate 5 Micro flow path 6 Circular gap part 7 Pressing body 8 Pressure control part 9 Ultra-thick film photoresist 10 Silicon substrate 11 Elliptical gap part 12 Recess 13 Deformation part 14 Non-deformable portion 15 Convex portion 16 Base 17 Drive element chip 18 Membrane 19 Valve seat 20 Drive microchannel 21 Concave structure 22 Wall 23 Meander channel 24 Closure 25 Flat plate 26 Gap

Claims (11)

A micro valve mechanism that opens and closes a micro flow path that is a fine fluid passage,
A support substrate;
A fluid element chip provided on the support substrate, wherein at least a part of the upper part of the microchannel is made of an elastic member;
A first rigid member provided in the elastic member;
A pressure control port comprising a cylinder standing on the first rigid member;
A pressure body provided in the pressure control port and movable in the longitudinal direction of the pressure control port;
The support substrate has a convex structure in a direction in which the pressing member of the elastic member is provided, and includes a closing member that contacts the elastic member, and the first rigid member is on the pressing member side of the elastic member. Is provided over a range of the closure and the adjacent portion of the closure,
When the pressing body presses the first rigid member, a part of the elastic member facing the closing member is pulled away from the closing member, thereby generating a gap between the elastic member and the closing member, When the gap becomes the micro-channel, the micro-channel is opened, and the elastic member and the closing member are brought into close contact with each other by releasing the pressing of the pressing body to the first rigid member. And a microvalve mechanism that performs any one of a closed state in which the microchannel is closed.   The microvalve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the fluid element chip has a gap portion adjacent to the closing member.   The microvalve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the closing member is made of a thermoplastic resin or glass.   4. The microvalve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first rigid member is made of metal, a thermoplastic resin, or glass. 5.   5. The fluid element chip according to claim 1, wherein a portion excluding a portion that is deformed by being pressed by the pressing body or being released by the pressing body is formed of a second rigid member. The micro valve mechanism according to 1.   The microvalve mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the elastic member is made of silicon resin.   6. The microvalve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).   The microvalve mechanism according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the second rigid member is made of a thermoplastic resin.   The micro-valve mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pressing body is configured by a linear actuator.   The microvalve mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pressure of the pressing body is controlled by a gas pressure.   The microvalve mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pressure of the pressing body is controlled by hydrostatic pressure.

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