KR102094687B1 - Chip for analyzing fluids - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a chip for fluid analysis forms a fluid channel, through which fluid is able to move, to observe the movement of a detection target substance contained in the fluid or count the detection target substance. The present invention includes: an upper plate which has an inlet; and a lower plate which is disposed in the lower side of the upper plate and forms the fluid channel by having a support structure supporting the lower surface of the upper plate inside. A plurality of air walls are formed to guide the flow of the fluid in the fluid channel. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow of fluid is stabilized to prevent the generation of bubbles in the fluid by forming the air walls to guide the movement of the fluid inside the fluid channel, and the exact amount of fluid in the fluid channel can be quantified to enable accurate fluid analysis.

Description

Chip for fluid analysis {CHIP FOR ANALYZING FLUIDS}

The present invention relates to a fluid analysis chip, and more particularly, to a fluid analysis chip capable of observing and counting cells and the like contained in a fluid sample.

In general, the analysis of fluid samples has been widely used not only in the chemical and biotechnology fields, but also in the diagnosis field through analysis of blood and body fluids collected from patients. In recent years, various types of miniaturized analysis and diagnostic equipment and technologies have been developed to perform the analysis of the fluid sample more conveniently and efficiently.

In particular, the lab-on-a-chip technology is a small-sized chip that utilizes microfluidics techniques to perform various experimental procedures performed in the laboratory, such as separation, purification, mixing, labeling, analysis, and cleaning of samples. Refers to the technology implemented on the platform.

In connection with this lab-on-a-chip technology, various fields of industry are being developed, such as a portable DNA identification device for personal identification that can perform the process from DNA extraction to analysis on the chip at once. Its utilization is actively taking place.

In addition, in the field of in vitro diagnostics, a portable diagnostic tool, that is, a point of care testing (POCT) field that can be easily performed by an individual in the field for complex and precise examinations such as blood and body fluids performed in a hospital or a laboratory. Research has also been actively conducted.

POCT refers to a field diagnosis technology that can easily diagnose a disease in an emergency room, an operating room, or a general home, and is also an area where the need and demand for the aging and welfare society continue to increase. Currently, the diagnostic tool for measuring blood sugar occupies the mainstream of the market, but as the demand for POCT increases, the demand for a diagnostic tool for analyzing various biological substances such as lactic acid, cholesterol, urea and infectious pathogens is also rapidly increasing. .

These analysis or diagnostic techniques generally detect whether a fluid reacts with an antibody protein immobilized inside the chip or other samples while moving various fluid samples through a micro channel formed in the chip by various detection methods, It is done by analysis.

Lab-on-a-chip related to such detection and analysis can be used for various experiments performed in the laboratory, such as separation, purification, mixing, labeling, analysis, and washing of samples. It means implementing on a chip of size. In the design of the lab-on-a-chip, micro-fluidics and micro-LHS technologies are mainly used. In addition, in manufacturing a chip structure that implements microfluidics and microfluidic manipulation systems, chips are formed on the chip by using a semiconductor circuit design technology to form a fine channel inside the chip.

The plastic microchip used for the POCT or the lab-on-a-chip described above is polyethylene derivatives such as polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl meta It is made of acrylate (PMMA), or an acrylic-based plastic type material, and is used for disposable use.

The plastic microchip is manufactured by bonding the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and is provided with a space for a sample filling part of a predetermined height to fill a sample between the bonded upper substrate and the lower substrate, or a microstructure.

Since the plastic microchip must be precisely manufactured so that the sample filling section space has a height of several to several hundreds of μm, the plastic microchip is perfect only when the sample filling section space or the upper and lower substrates including the microstructures are precisely and precisely bonded. Can function.

However, conventional plastic microchips have a problem in that they simply form a space in which a sample is accommodated, so that the movement of cells or cells contained in the sample cannot be counted.

In addition, as the conventional plastic microchip is formed in a structure capable of flowing in one direction along the inner wall of the upper substrate or the lower substrate, the flow rate of the sample is not uniform, as well as the sample during the flow of the sample There was a problem in that it was impossible to accurately analyze the amount of sample in the receiving space because air bubbles were generated in the chamber.

Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0075448

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to observe and count the movement of cells contained in the fluid sample, and allow the fluid to move at a uniform velocity within the fluid channel. It is to provide a chip for fluid analysis that can quantify the quantity and enable accurate fluid analysis.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A chip for fluid analysis according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems is a chip for fluid analysis capable of observing the movement of a detection target substance contained in a fluid or counting the detection target substance, wherein an inlet is formed Tops; And a lower plate disposed on the lower side of the upper plate to support the upper plate; includes, between the upper plate and the lower plate is a fluid channel through which the fluid introduced through the inlet is movable, and formed on both sides of the fluid channel, An air-wall is formed to guide the flow of the fluid in motion along the fluid channel.

A support structure for forming the fluid channel by supporting a lower surface of the upper plate may be formed inside the lower plate.

The fluid channel may include: a first section in which the fluid introduced through the inlet is accommodated in a receiving groove formed in the lower plate to a predetermined height and then discharged in one direction; A second section in which the fluid discharged from the first section is guided to an inclined surface formed in the lower plate and a second air wall formed in the support structure and moved to an inner central portion of the fluid channel; A third section in which the fluid passing through the second section is guided to the first air wall formed inside the support structure along the longitudinal direction and moved in one direction; A fourth section in which the fluid that has passed through the third section is guided to the inner surface of the support structure, the direction of movement is switched, and then moved in the other direction; And a fifth section in which the fluid passing through the fourth section is received.

The support structure includes a first structure that forms the first section and is formed in a structure in which a width of a cross section gradually narrows along a moving direction of the fluid; It is disposed inside the first structure to form the second section, and the second air wall is formed to guide the movement of the fluid between the fluid introduced into the second section and the first structure. A second structure for concentrating the fluid introduced into the section into the inner central portion of the fluid channel; A third structure extending from the end of the first structure in the longitudinal direction of the lower plate to form the third section, and having an air channel formed therein along the longitudinal direction to form the first air wall; And a fourth structure disposed around the first structure and the third structure to form the fourth section and the fifth section.

The second structure may include: a first fluid guide portion forming a first small air wall between the inner surface of the first structure and the fluid introduced into the second section; And a second fluid guide portion forming a second small air wall between the first structure and the outer surface, and guiding the fluid guided through the second small air wall to an inner central portion of the fluid channel.

The second structure may include: a third fluid guide portion which is guided to the inner central portion of the fluid channel through the second fluid guide portion and is in contact with a fluid moving in one direction to delay the flow of the fluid; It may further include.

The fourth structure is disposed around the first structure and the third structure, one side is connected to the first structure and the other side is a frame portion of a closed loop structure spaced apart from the third structure; A load distribution portion protruding from the inner surface of the frame portion at a predetermined length to support the top plate; And a branch portion disposed between the end portion of the third structure and the inner surface of the frame portion facing the end portion of the third structure to branch the fluid passing through the third section in both directions.

In the lower plate forming the fourth section and the fifth section, a plurality of cell receiving grooves in which a portion of the fluid that is shifted in the other direction is moved in the fourth section is accommodated, and the fluid formed in the fifth section A storage groove, and an inclined surface for guiding the fluid passing through the fourth section to the fluid storage groove may be further formed.

The lower plate may protrude a predetermined length from the upper surface of the lower plate, and may include embossed protrusions formed in a lattice structure to form the plurality of cell receiving grooves inside.

The embossed protrusion may be formed on the upper surface of the lower plate through a mold having a fine pattern formed on the surface through femtosecond laser processing.

The height of the fluid channel and the height of the air wall may be formed in a size of 1: 6 to 1: 8.

Inside the upper plate, a groove portion recessed to a predetermined depth from a lower surface of the upper plate, and protrudes at a predetermined length from an inner surface of the upper plate where the groove portion is formed to form the air walls on both sides, and the ends and the lower plate. A fluid flow pad forming the fluid channel communicating with the air wall may be formed between upper surfaces.

The fluid flow pad may protrude at least 300 μm in length from the inner surface of the top plate.

The height of the fluid channel may be formed to a size of 0.04 to 0.06 mm, and the height of the air wall may be formed to a size of 0.24 to 0.48 mm.

The fluid flow pad is formed in a structure in which the size of the width gradually increases along the moving direction of the fluid, and may have different inclination angles depending on the length.

The fluid flow pad may be formed to achieve an inclination angle of 0.01 to 0.5 degrees at 2 mm, 0.5 to 3 degrees at 3 mm, 2 to 5 degrees at 5 mm, 4 to 7 degrees at 10 mm, 6 to 9 degrees at 20 mm, 30 mm and 40 mm, respectively. have.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by forming a plurality of air walls to guide the movement of the fluid inside the fluid channel, the flow of the fluid is stabilized to prevent the generation of bubbles in the fluid, the correct amount of fluid in the fluid channel Quantification may allow accurate fluid analysis.

In addition, by forming a plurality of cell receiving grooves capable of accommodating the detection target substance in one section of the fluid channel, the mobility of the detection target substance contained in the fluid can be observed or the detection target substance can be counted.

In addition, by forming a plurality of cell receiving grooves through embossed protrusions forming a lattice-like structure, separating the detection target material accommodated in the cell receiving grooves from the external space, mixing of the external fluid into the detection target material received in the cell receiving grooves, It is possible to prevent the detection target material received in the cell receiving groove from being lost to the outside.

In addition, by forming the end of the embossed projection in a curved or inclined structure so that the detection target material is located on the surface of the embossed projection, the target material is accommodated in a plurality of cells by moving to one side or the other along the surface of the end. By blocking the remaining on the boundary between the grooves, it is possible to stably partition the detection target substance, thereby enabling accurate observation of cells.

1 is a plan view showing a chip for fluid analysis according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1.
4 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged portion “A” of FIG. 1.
5 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged portion “B” of FIG. 1.
6 is an enlarged view showing a plurality of cell receiving grooves formed on the lower plate of the fluid analysis chip according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 to 8 are cross-sectional views schematically showing various embodiments of embossed protrusions of a chip for fluid analysis according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view schematically showing a cross-section of a chip for fluid analysis according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a plan view schematically showing a part of a fluid flow pad of a chip for fluid analysis according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, various embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein can be variously modified. Certain embodiments are depicted in the drawings and may be described in detail in the detailed description. However, the specific embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of various embodiments. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the technical spirit is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings, and includes all equivalents or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the invention.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by the above-described terms. The above-mentioned terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components.

In this specification, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to indicate that there are features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It should be understood that the existence or addition possibilities of fields or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof are not excluded in advance. When an element is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that other components may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle.

On the other hand, "module" or "unit" for a component used in the present specification performs at least one function or operation. And, the "module" or "unit" may perform a function or operation by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Also, a plurality of “modules” or a plurality of “parts” may be integrated into at least one module, excluding “modules” or “parts” that must be performed on specific hardware or performed on at least one processor. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, detailed descriptions thereof are abbreviated or omitted.

1 is a plan view showing a chip for fluid analysis according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is taken along line III-III of FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged portion “A” of FIG. 1.

1 to 3, the fluid analysis chip 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a “fluid analysis chip 1”) is a fluid channel (C1, C2) through which fluid can move. , C3, C4, C5) to observe the movement of the detection target substance contained in the fluid, or to count the detection target substance. In addition, the present fluid analysis chip 1 forms an air-wall guiding the flow of fluid therein, so that the fluid is uniformly flowed in the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5. By making it movable, the generation of bubbles in the fluid can be suppressed, and the amount of fluid in the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 can be quantified. Here, the term “fluid” may mean a liquid or gas or a fluid sample that can freely flow in the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 by maintaining their intermediate state. For example, the fluid may be cell lysate, whole blood, plasma, serum, saliva, ocular fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, sweat, urine, milk, ascites fluid, synovial fluid, and peritoneal fluid, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the detection target substance such as a cell or an antigen may be contained in the fluid. In addition, the term “channel” may mean a predetermined fluid movement space formed along the longitudinal direction inside the present fluid analysis chip 1. In addition, the motility of the detection target substance may be observed, or the count of the detection target substance may be performed using an analysis microscope equipped with an optical microscope or a CCD camera equipped with the present chip for fluid analysis 1.

In addition, the present chip 1 for fluid analysis includes upper and lower plates 20 and upper plates 10 stacked up and down to form fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 therein.

The top plate 10 is formed of a rectangular flat plate structure having a predetermined thickness, and an inlet 111 through which fluid is injected is formed. In addition, the upper plate 10 may be formed of a material such as a transparent plastic material or an acrylic material or glass to visually check the fluid flowing in the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 during fluid analysis.

In addition, the top plate 10 may include an upper body 11 and an upper junction (12).

2 and 3, the upper body 11 forms an accommodation space 11a capable of accommodating the support structure 23 to be described later inside, and is seated on the upper surface of the support structure 23 to support the structure 23 ). In addition, an inlet 111 communicating with the accommodation space may be formed at one side of the upper body 11.

Here, the inlet 111 is formed in a circular or semi-circular shape so that the fluid can flow smoothly into the fluid channels (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5), as shown in FIGS. It may be located on the upper portion of the first section (C1) of the fluid channel to be.

In addition, the inlet 111 may be formed in a structure in which the size of the inner diameter gradually decreases from the upper surface of the upper body 11 toward the receiving space 11a.

In more detail, the inner surface of the top plate 10 on which the inlet 111 is formed is in contact with the fluid that is introduced from the outside into the inlet 111, and a time difference is applied to the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5. An inclined guide surface 112 for guiding may be formed. For example, the inclined guide surface 112 may be formed of an inclined structure having a preset inclination angle with respect to the lower surface of the top plate 10.

Accordingly, the inclined guide surface 112 prevents the fluid introduced into the inlet 111 from falling directly to the upper surface of the lower plate 20 and scatters, thereby stably preventing fluid from flowing into the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, C5. ).

In addition, although not shown in the drawing, a guide projection (not shown) may be further formed on the inclined guide surface 112.

More specifically, in order to prevent the fluid remaining on the surface of the inclined guide surface 112 on the inclined guide surface 112, the fluid protrudes from the surface of the inclined guide surface 112 to a predetermined length and falls on the inclined guide surface 112. Guide protrusions for guiding the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 may be formed. For example, a plurality of guide protrusions are formed along the circumference of the inclined guide surface 112, and the cross section of the cross section along the protruding direction so that the fluid falling into the guide protrusion and falling on the surface flows toward the inclined guide surface 112 and moves. It may be formed in a wedge structure with a narrow width. In addition, the connecting portion between the guide projection and the inclined guide surface 112 may be curved to minimize the residual fluid.

In addition, the guide projection, the fluid moving to the fluid channel (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) side along the surface of the guide projection does not fall from the end of the guide projection, by the surface tension to the lower surface of the top plate 10 In order to prevent the movement, it may be formed in a structure that protrudes more outward than the lower surface of the top plate 10. For example, the portion protruding outward from the guide projection more than the lower surface of the top plate 10 is formed in a form in which the width of the cross section gradually narrows toward the end to improve the drop rate of the fluid at the end, or the end is round It may be formed in a hemisphere shape.

1 and 2, the upper bonding portion 12 is formed around the upper body 11 is supported on the upper surface of the lower plate 20, it can be bonded to the upper surface of the lower plate 20. Accordingly, the upper junction portion 12 distributes the load acting in the vertical direction on the upper plate 10, and the fluid channels (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) formed between the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20 You can determine the height.

In addition, a plurality of through holes 121 that are symmetrical in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the upper plate 10 may be formed in the upper bonding portion 12. Accordingly, it may be coupled to a plurality of coupling structures 221 provided on the lower plate 20 to be described later.

In addition, although not shown in the drawings, a solvent (not shown) may be provided on the surface of the upper bonding portion 12 that is seated on the upper surface of the lower plate 20. At this time, a diffusion surface (not shown) having a curved or inclined surface structure capable of diffusing the solvent dissolved on the surface of the upper bonding portion 12 around the upper bonding portion 12 may be formed at a corner portion of the upper bonding portion 12. have. Accordingly, when the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20 are joined, the solvent leaked to the corner portion of the upper joint portion 12 is evenly spread throughout the upper joint portion 12 along the diffusion surface, thereby causing the upper plate 10 and the lower plate ( The bonding performance of 20) can be improved.

In addition, the upper bonding portion 12 may be formed in a structure in which the width of the cross section gradually decreases toward the support direction. Accordingly, the upper bonding portion 12 can minimize the contact with the lower plate 20, simplifying the structure, and reducing the overall weight.

When the solvent is provided on the surface of the upper bonding portion 12 and the upper plate 10 is stacked on the lower plate 20, the solvent is dissolved in contact with the upper surface of the lower plate 20 so that the upper bonding portion 12 and the lower plate 20 The upper surface can be joined. For example, the solvent may be applied as an organic solvent that cures over a predetermined period of time after being dissolved when heat, ultrasound, or external force is applied. However, the upper bonding portion 12 is not necessarily bonded to the upper surface of the lower plate 20 through this method, and can be bonded through various bonding methods utilizing thermal bonding, plasma, pressure, ultrasonic waves, and the like.

2 and 3, the lower plate 20 is disposed on the lower side of the upper plate 10 and is formed in the shape of an outer shape corresponding to the upper plate 10, the same as the upper plate 10, or the upper plate 10 It is formed with a thicker thickness. In addition, a support structure 23 is formed inside the lower plate 20 to support a lower surface of the upper plate 10 and to form a fluid channel in which a fluid is movable in one direction between the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20. . For example, the lower plate 20 may be formed of a material such as a transparent plastic material or an acrylic material or glass so that the fluid flowing in the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 can be visually checked during fluid analysis.

In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the lower surface of the lower plate 20 protrudes from the lower surface of the lower plate 20 to a predetermined length, and is seated at a set position, thereby applying a load acting in the vertical direction to the fluid analysis chip 1 A plurality of dispersing support protrusions (not shown) may be further formed.

In addition, the lower plate 20 may include a lower body 21 and a lower joint 22.

The lower body 21 is disposed opposite to the upper body 11 along the vertical direction to form fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 inside. In addition, a support structure 23 supporting the upper body 11 and a receiving groove 211 and an inclined surface 212 to be described later may be formed on the upper surface of the lower body 21.

Here, the support structure 23 supporting the lower surface of the upper body 11 and the lower joint 22 to distribute the load acting in the vertical direction on the top plate 10, between the top plate 10 and the bottom plate 20 It is possible to determine the height of the fluid channels (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) formed in. In addition, a solvent (not shown) may be provided on the surface of the support structure 23 in contact with the lower surface of the top plate 10. At this time, in the corner portion of the support structure 23, a diffusion surface (not shown) having a curved or inclined surface structure capable of diffusing the solvent dissolved on the surface of the support structure 23 around the support structure 23 may be formed. have. For example, the solvent can be applied as an organic solvent that can be dissolved in contact with the lower surface of the upper plate 10 to bond the support structure 23 and the lower surface of the upper plate 10. However, the support structure 23 is not necessarily bonded to the lower surface of the top plate 10 through its method, and can be bonded through various bonding methods utilizing thermal bonding, plasma, pressure, ultrasonic waves, and the like.

The lower bonding portion 22 is formed around the lower body 21 to support the upper bonding portion 12 and may be bonded to the upper bonding portion 12. In addition, a plurality of coupling structures 221 coupled to the plurality of through holes 121 may be formed in the lower junction 22 corresponding to the plurality of through holes 121 formed in the upper junction 12.

In addition, a plurality of air walls (air-wall) for guiding the flow of the fluid to the fluid channels (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) formed between the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20 through the support structure 23 It is formed.

Hereinafter, the fluid channels C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 and the supporting structure 23 will be described in more detail.

1 to 4, the fluid channel may be divided into a plurality of sections along the moving direction of the fluid.

In more detail, the fluid channel, the first section (C1) is discharged in one direction after the fluid introduced through the inlet 111 is accommodated to a predetermined height in the receiving groove 211 formed in the lower plate 20, and A second section in which the fluid discharged from section 1 (C1) is guided to the inclined surface 212 formed on the lower plate 20 and the second air wall AW2 formed on the support structure 23 and moved to the inner central portion of the fluid channel ( C2). For example, between the first section (C1) and the second section (C2), there is a filtration filter (not shown) that can filter the components of a certain size or more in the inclusion in the fluid, and a hole for adjusting the speed to adjust the speed of the fluid It may be provided. In addition, in the second section (C2), magnetic particles that cause specific substances by performing an antigen-antibody reaction with a detection target substance contained in the fluid may be provided. Next, the fluid channel is a third section in which the fluid passing through the second section C2 is guided to the first air wall AW1 formed inside the support structure 23 along the longitudinal direction and moved in one direction ( C3), the fourth section (C4), and the fourth section (C4) which is moved in the other direction after the fluid passing through the third section (C3) is guided to the inner surface of the support structure (23) and the movement direction is switched. It may include a fifth section (C5) in which the fluid passing through is received. For example, the second section (C2) or the third section (C3) may be provided with a reactant (not shown) that causes an antigen-antibody reaction with the fluid, and the reactant is accommodated in the lower plate 20 forming the section. A plurality of wells (not shown) or a plurality of pillars (not shown) may be provided. Further, a lower surface of the upper plate 10 forming the third section C3 may be further provided with a fluid flow adjustment filler (not shown) that can control the flow of fluid.

Here, the plurality of air walls (AW1, AW2) provided in the second section (C2) and the third section (C3), when the fluid flows in the section, the water molecules are attracted to each other in the absence of a solid medium. Force acts in the direction of reducing the surface area of the whole, guiding the flow of the fluid flowing into the fluid channel, so that the interface between the fluid and air has the same tension as a rubber band, and the fluid is channeled by the interfacial action. Accurate fluid analysis by quantifying the amount of fluid by preventing air bubbles from occurring in the fluid by uniformly moving at a uniform speed, without first moving to both sides of the Make this possible.

In addition, the air walls AW1 and AW2 may serve as a guide in fluid flow, and may also serve to quantify samples in the fluid channel by receiving overflow samples from the fluid channel (Overflow troughs).

On the other hand, in general, in order to maintain an error within 5% in a channel of 0.1 mm or less, a height adjustment of 0.005 mm is required. However, the plastic bonding method through the ultrasonic welding method has a problem in that a material has to be welded over a larger area in order to prevent a leak in a fluid, thereby causing a height change. So, in order to solve this, conventionally, a method of making a jaw that maintains the distance between the two plates without making plastic ultrasonic welding and infiltrating the liquid adhesive through the jaw was used. However, this method has a problem that the process is complicated and takes a long working time. Accordingly, the present fluid analysis chip 1 serves to guide the fluid through the above-described air walls AW1 and AW2 and to quantify the sample in the fluid channel by receiving overflow samples from the fluid channel (Overflow troughs). Of course, as the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20 are not separated by a pressure difference, and maintain a constant distance from each other, the ultrasonic welding portion is minimized to confine the liquid through ultrasonic welding to a conventional fluid analysis chip. It can have a comparatively thin thickness, can significantly shorten the manufacturing time and cost of the product, and can simplify the manufacturing equipment.

The support structure 23 may include a plurality of structures forming the plurality of fluid channel sections.

1 to 4, the support structure 23 may include a first structure 231, a second structure 232, a third structure 233, and a fourth structure 234.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first structure 231 may be formed as a funnel structure in which the first section C1 is formed and the width of the cross section gradually narrows along the direction of movement of the fluid.

1 and 4, the second structure 232 may be disposed inside the first structure 231 to form a second section C1. In addition, the second structure 232 is formed by forming a second air wall AW2 that guides the movement of the fluid between the fluid introduced into the second section C1 and the first structure 231. The fluid introduced into C2) can be concentrated to the inner central portion of the fluid channel.

Also, the second structure 232 may include a first fluid guide portion 2321 and a second fluid guide portion 2322.

The first fluid guide 2232 protrudes from the inner surface of the first structure 231 toward the inside of the first structure 231 to a predetermined length to the inner surface of the first structure 231 and the second section C2. A first small air wall AW2a may be formed between the introduced fluids. In addition, a guide member 2321a for guiding the fluid guided through the first small air wall AW2a to the second section C2 may be formed on one side of the first fluid guide part 2321.

The second fluid guide 2232 may be spaced apart at a predetermined interval from the first fluid guide 2232 along the direction of movement of the fluid and disposed in front of the first fluid guide 2232. In addition, the second fluid guide portion 2322 is spaced apart from the inner surface of the first structure 231 at a predetermined interval between the first structure 231 and the outer surface facing the first structure 231, the second small air wall ( AW2b). In addition, a fluid guide surface 2322a for guiding the fluid guided through the second small air wall AW2b to the inner central portion of the fluid channel may be formed on one side of the second fluid guide part 2322.

In addition, the second structure 232 may further include a third fluid guide portion 2323.

The third fluid guide part 2323 may be disposed in front of the second fluid guide part 2322 along the direction of movement of the fluid. In addition, the third fluid guide unit 2323, a plurality of pillars that can be guided to the inner central portion of the fluid channel through the second fluid guide unit 2322 and contact the fluid moving in one direction to delay the flow of the fluid. It can be formed into a shape.

1, the third structure 233 may extend from the end of the first structure 231 in the longitudinal direction of the lower plate 20 to form a third section C3. In addition, an air channel 233a forming a first air wall AW1 along the longitudinal direction may be formed inside the third structure 233. For example, the end of the third structure 233 may be formed in a curved shape to minimize resistance to the fluid to which direction is changed and to guide the movement of the fluid.

1 and 3, the fourth structure 234 is disposed around the first structure 231 and the third structure 233 to cover the fourth section C4 and the fifth section C5. Can form.

In addition, the fourth structure 234 may include a frame portion 2341, a load distribution portion 2342, and a branch portion 2343.

The frame part 2341 may be disposed around the first structure 231 and the third structure 233. In addition, one side of the frame portion 2341 is connected to the first structure 231, and the other side of the frame portion 2341 may be formed as a closed loop structure spaced from the third structure 233.

The load distribution portion 2342 protrudes from the inner surface of the frame portion 2431 to a predetermined length to support the top plate 10 together with the frame portion 2431, and through this, the load transmitted from the top plate 10 can be distributed. have. For example, the load distribution portion 2322 is disposed in a symmetrical structure along the length and width directions of the lower plate, and can support the lower surface of the upper plate 10 at least four locations.

The branching portion 2343 is disposed between the end portion of the third structure 233 and the inner surface of the frame portion 2341 facing the end portion of the third structure 233 to transfer the fluid that has passed through the third section C3. You can branch in the direction. For example, one side of the branch portion 2343 facing the direction of movement of the fluid may be formed in a wedge shape in which the width of the cross section gradually narrows toward one direction. Accordingly, the fluid that has passed through the third section C3 may contact the ends of the branching portions 2343 and branch in a plurality of directions.

On the other hand, the present chip for fluid analysis 1 may form a plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 on the upper surface of the lower plate 20 to observe the movement of the detection target substance contained in the fluid or to count the detection target substance. .

5 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged portion “B” of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged view of a plurality of cell receiving grooves formed in a lower plate of a fluid analysis chip according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 to 8 are cross-sectional views schematically showing various embodiments of embossed projections of a chip for fluid analysis according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the lower plate 20 forming the fourth section C4 and the fifth section C5 includes a part of the fluid that is shifted in the other direction by changing the direction in the fourth section C4. A plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 are accommodated may be formed.

Here, the lower plate 20 may include embossed projections 25.

The embossed protrusion 25 protrudes from the upper surface of the lower plate 20 to a predetermined length along the vertical direction to form a lattice-like structure, and may form a plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 inside.

Here, the embossed protrusion 25 does not affect the flow of the fluid, and the cells contained in the fluid do not span the end of the embossed protrusion 25 so that the dichotomous discrimination based on the embossed protrusion 25 can be objectively made. So, it can be formed in a size having a preset ratio of line width and height.

More specifically, the embossed projection 25 has a line width and height ratio of 1:01 to 1: 2 in size, specifically, the embossed projection 25 has a line width of 1 to 3 μm in size, and embossed. The height of the projection 25 may be formed in a size of 0.5 to 2㎛.

In addition, the embossed protrusion 25 may be manufactured through an injection molding method using a mold having a fine pattern formed on its surface.

In more detail, the embossed protrusion 25 is formed of a lower plate through an injection molding method using a mold (injection core) in which a fine pattern having a lattice shape is formed on the surface through processing of micro-nano-level ultra-short lasers (femtosecond 10-15). It can be formed on the upper surface. For reference, the fine pattern of the lattice shape, after polishing the surface of the mold, fixing the mold to the stage, placing the femtosecond regeneration amplifying device on the top of the mold fixed to the stage, and following the preset path of the mold Moving on the surface, irradiating a laser on the surface of the mold to form a fine pattern in a lattice shape, and performing post-treatment on the surface of the mold on which the fine pattern in a lattice shape is formed to remove deposits and burrs in the processing groove. It may be formed on the surface of the mold through the step of removing. Here, the femtosecond reproducing amplifier can perform laser processing from the pattern with the largest grid width to the pattern with the smallest grid width, and adjust the intensity and movement speed of the laser output according to each processing to control the surface of the mold. The width and depth of the processing groove formed in the can be adjusted.

Here, the injection core, which is imprinted with a fine pattern directly on the surface through ultra-short laser processing, is applied as a heat-treated steel material such as NAK55, NAK80, STAVAX, and has the advantage of being resistant to corrosion and not being caused by fine particles. In addition, the injection core has the advantages of resin penetration problem, shortened production time, and reduced manufacturing cost, and accordingly, it is possible to significantly reduce the production cost when producing the fluid analysis chip 1.

That is, the present fluid analysis chip 1 may form a lattice-like protruding structure on the upper surface of the lower plate 20 through the embossed protrusion 25, thereby forming a plurality of cell receiving grooves 24.

Meanwhile, the plurality of cell accommodating grooves 24 formed on the upper surface of the lower plate 20 may be divided into a plurality of cell accommodating areas according to the size of the plane of the single cell accommodating groove 24.

Referring to FIG. 6, the plurality of cell accommodating regions include a first cell accommodating region (A1) composed of a plurality of cell accommodating grooves (24) having the largest planar size among the plural cell accommodating grooves (24). The second cell composed of a plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 formed in a size of 1/4 to 1/6 of the plane area of the single cell receiving groove 24 constituting the 1 cell receiving region A1 A plurality of cell receiving grooves (24) formed in a size of a plane area between 1/4 and 1/6 compared to the planar area of the single cell receiving groove (24) constituting the receiving area (A2) and the second cell receiving area (A2) ) Is formed in a size of a flat area between 1/4 and 1/6 compared to the flat area of the single cell receiving groove 24 constituting the third cell receiving area A3 and the third cell receiving area A3. Consists of a fourth cell receiving area (A4) composed of a plurality of cell receiving grooves (24), and a fourth cell receiving area (A4) It may include a fifth cell receiving region (A5) consisting of a plurality of cell receiving grooves (24) formed in a size of a flat area between 1/4 to 1/6 compared to the planar area of the single cell receiving groove (24). have. However, the plurality of cell receiving regions is not necessarily limited thereto, and the number of cell receiving regions may be increased or decreased as necessary.

In addition, the plurality of cell receiving regions may be formed in different sizes on the upper surface of the lower plate 20.

More specifically, the first cell receiving area (A1) is 84 to 86% of the total cell receiving area, the second cell receiving area (A2) is 10 to 12% of the total cell receiving area, and the third cell receiving area (A3) Is 1 to 2% of the total receiving area, the fourth cell receiving area (A4) is 0.5 to 1% of the total receiving area, and the fifth cell receiving area (A5) can occupy 0.1 to 0.5% of the total receiving area. . Here, the fifth cell accommodating region (A5) is disposed in the center of the entire cell accommodating region, the fourth cell accommodating region (A4) is cross-arranged around the fifth cell accommodating region (A5), and the third cell accommodating region is (A3) may be disposed between the cross-arranged fourth cell receiving region (A4). Through this, the fifth cell receiving area (A5), the fourth cell receiving area (A4) and the third cell receiving area (A3) is the size of the single cell receiving groove (24) constituting the first cell receiving area (A1) and A single receiving area of the same size can be formed. In addition, the second cell accommodating region A2 may be arranged to be cross-centered around the single accommodating region, and the first cell accommodating region A1 may be disposed around the second cell accommodating region A2. However, the plurality of cell receiving regions is not necessarily limited thereto, and the size and arrangement structure of each cell receiving region may be changed and applied as necessary.

Meanwhile, the embossed protrusions 25 forming the plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 may be formed to have the same height as a whole or different heights depending on the receiving area.

In addition, the embossed protrusion 25 may be formed in a structure in which the height gradually increases or decreases along at least one of the direction of the movement of the fluid and the width of the lower plate 20.

More specifically, the embossed projection 25 is formed in a structure in which the height is gradually increased along the direction of movement of the fluid as shown in Figure 7 (a), or as shown in Figure 7 (b) of the fluid It may be formed in a structure in which the height gradually decreases along the moving direction. In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the embossed projection 25 is formed to form a concavo-convex structure such as a waveform along the direction of movement of the fluid or the width of the lower plate 20, or the outer side from the center along the width direction of the lower plate 20 It may be formed in a half-type (harp) structure, the height of which gradually increases toward the. However, the embossed projection 25 is not necessarily limited to this, and may be changed and applied to various structures as necessary.

In addition, the embossed projection 25 may be formed in a structure capable of guiding the target material located on the surface to one side or the other side.

In more detail, the end of the embossed protrusion 25 may be formed in a curved structure to guide the detection target material seated on the surface to one side or the other side as shown in FIG. 8 (a). In addition, although not shown in the drawing, the end of the embossed projection 25 may be formed in a structure of an inclined surface. In addition, the end of the embossed projection 25 may be formed in a structure that can guide the detection target material seated on the surface in only one direction.

In addition, the embossed protrusion 25 is gradually narrowed in cross-section toward the end from the upper surface of the lower plate 20 so as to minimize contact with the detection target material seated at the end, as shown in Figure 8 (b) The paper may be formed in an oval-shaped wedge structure.

In addition, as shown in Figure 8 (c), the end portion of the embossed projection 25 is preset in the vertical direction from the end of the embossed projection 25 formed in a curved shape so that the detection object can remain blocked A fine protrusion 251 protruding to a length may be further formed. For example, the fine protrusion 251 may be formed of a wedge structure in which the width of the cross section gradually narrows toward the end, and may be formed with a smaller width and height than the embossed protrusion 25.

In addition, in the lower plate 20 forming the fifth section C5, the fluid storage groove 26 in which the fluid passing through the fourth section C4 is stored and the fluid passing through the fourth section C4 are stored in the fluid. An inclined surface 27 leading to the groove 26 may be further formed.

Hereinafter, a chip 1 for fluid analysis according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

For reference, for the configuration of the fluid analysis chip 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention, for convenience of description, the same reference numerals are used while describing the fluid analysis chip 1, and the same Or, duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

9 is a schematic view showing a cross-section of a chip for fluid analysis according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a part of a fluid flow pad of a chip for fluid analysis according to another embodiment of the present invention to be.

Referring to FIG. 9, the fluid analysis chip 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention is a fluid analysis chip 1 capable of observing the movement of a detection target substance contained in a fluid or counting a detection target substance As, it includes a lower plate 20 is disposed on the lower side of the upper plate 10, and the upper plate 10 is formed with an inlet port to support the upper plate 10. Here, between the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20, the fluid flowing through the inlet is formed on both sides of the movable fluid channel (C), and the fluid channel (C), the fluid being moved along the fluid channel (C) An air-wall is formed to guide the flow of the air.

More specifically, the inside of the top plate 10, the groove portion 14 is recessed to a predetermined depth from the lower surface of the top plate 10, and the groove portion 14 is formed to protrude to the predetermined length from the inner surface of the top plate 10 A fluid flow pad 13 is formed on both sides to form an air-wall, and a fluid channel C communicating with the air-wall between the end and the upper surface of the lower plate 20 is formed. Can be.

On the other hand, the fluid channel (C), and a plurality of air walls (air-wall) formed on both sides of the fluid channel (C) may be formed in a predetermined size.

More specifically, the height (h1) of the fluid channel (C) and the height (h2) of the air wall (air-wall) may be formed in a size of 1: 6 to 1: 8. At this time, the fluid flow pad 13, when the flow of the fluid in the longitudinal direction, the osmotic pressure and air-wall (air-wall) does not disappear, the top plate is formed with a groove 14 so that the fluid flow can be stably maintained It can protrude at least 300 μm or more from the inner surface of (10) to form a fluid channel (C) of a predetermined size. For example, the height h1 of the fluid channel C may be formed in a size of 0.04 to 0.06 mm, and the height h2 of an air-wall may be formed in a size of 0.24 to 0.48 mm.

In addition, referring to FIG. 10, the fluid flow pad 13 may be formed in a structure in which the size of the width gradually increases along the moving direction of the fluid so that the fluid passing through the fluid flow pad 13 flows at a uniform flow rate. You can.

At this time, the fluid flow pad 13 may be formed to have different inclination angles depending on the length.

That is, the fluid flow pad 13 is formed in a structure in which the size of the width gradually increases along the direction of movement of the fluid, and may be formed in a structure having different inclination angles depending on the length.

For example, the fluid flow pad 13 has an inclination angle of 0.01 to 0.5 degrees at 2 mm, 0.5 to 3 degrees at 3 mm, 2 to 5 degrees at 5 mm, 4 to 7 degrees at 10 mm, 6 to 9 degrees at 20 mm, 30 mm and 40 mm, respectively. It can be formed to achieve. However, the fluid flow pad 13 is not necessarily limited to this, and can be changed and applied to various structures.

Thus, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by forming an air wall to guide the movement of the fluid inside the fluid channels (C2, C3), the flow of the fluid is stabilized to prevent the generation of air bubbles in the fluid, accurate in the fluid channel The amount of fluid can be quantified to allow accurate fluid analysis.

In addition, by forming a plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 capable of accommodating the detection target substance in one section of the fluid channel, the mobility of the detection target substance contained in the fluid can be observed or the detection target substance can be counted.

In addition, by forming a plurality of cell receiving grooves 24 through the embossed protrusions 25 forming a lattice-like structure, the cell receiving grooves 24 are separated from the detection target material accommodated in the cell receiving grooves 24 from the external space. It is possible to prevent the incorporation of an external fluid into the detection target substance accommodated in, or the detection target substance accommodated in the cell receiving groove 24 to the outside.

In addition, by forming the end of the embossed protrusion 25 in a structure of a curved or inclined surface, when the detection target material is located on the surface of the embossed protrusion 25, the object to be detected is moved to one side or the other along the surface of the end. The substance to be detected can be stably partitioned by blocking the substance from remaining at the boundary between the plurality of cell accommodating grooves 24, thereby enabling accurate observation of cells.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and it is usually in the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. It is of course possible to perform various modifications by a person having knowledge of, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.

1. Fluid analysis chip
10. Tops
11. Upper body 11a. Accommodation space
111. Inlet
112. Inclined guide surface
12. Upper junction
121. Through Hole
13. Fluid flow pad
14. Home part
20. Bottom
21. Lower body
211.
212.Slope
22. Lower junction
221. Coupling structure
23. Support structure
231. First Structure
232. Second structure
2321. First fluid guide 2321a. Guide member
2322. Second fluid guide 2322a. Fluid guide surface
2323. Third fluid guide
233. Third Structure
233a. Air channel
234. Structure 4
2341. Frame
2342. Load distribution
2343. Branch
24. Multiple cell receiving grooves
25. Embossed projection
251.
26. Fluid storage groove
27. Slope

Claims (16)

As a chip for fluid analysis that can observe the movement of the detection target substance contained in the fluid, or to count the detection target substance,
An upper plate on which an inlet is formed; And
A lower plate disposed under the upper plate to support the upper plate;
Including,
Between the upper plate and the lower plate is a fluid channel through which the fluid introduced through the inlet is movable, and air-walls formed on both sides of the fluid channel to guide the flow of the fluid moving along the fluid channel Is formed,
A support structure is formed inside the lower plate to support the lower surface of the upper plate to form the fluid channel,
The fluid channel,
A first section in which the fluid introduced through the inlet is accommodated in a receiving groove formed in the lower plate to a predetermined height and then discharged in one direction;
The fluid discharged from the first section is formed on the inclined surface and the
A second section guided by the second air wall formed in the support structure and moved to the inner central portion of the fluid channel;
A third section in which the fluid passing through the second section is guided to the first air wall formed inside the support structure along the longitudinal direction and moved in one direction;
A fourth section in which the fluid that has passed through the third section is guided to the inner surface of the support structure, the direction of movement is switched, and then moved in the other direction; And
A fifth section in which the fluid passing through the fourth section is received;
Chip for fluid analysis comprising a. delete delete According to claim 1,
The support structure
A first structure forming the first section, and having a structure in which a width of a cross section gradually narrows along a moving direction of the fluid;
It is disposed inside the first structure to form the second section, and the second air wall is formed to guide the movement of the fluid between the fluid introduced into the second section and the first structure. A second structure for concentrating the fluid introduced into the section into the inner central portion of the fluid channel;
A third structure extending from the end of the first structure in the longitudinal direction of the lower plate to form the third section, and having an air channel formed therein along the longitudinal direction to form the first air wall; And
A fourth structure disposed around the first structure and the third structure to form the fourth section and the fifth section;
Chip for fluid analysis comprising a. According to claim 4,
The second structure,
A first fluid guide portion forming a first small air wall between the inner surface of the first structure and the fluid introduced into the second section; And
A second fluid guide portion forming a second small air wall between the first structure and the outer surface, and guiding the fluid guided through the second small air wall to an inner central portion of the fluid channel;
Chip for fluid analysis comprising a. The method of claim 5,
The second structure,
A third fluid guide portion which is guided to the inner central portion of the fluid channel through the second fluid guide portion and is in contact with a fluid moving in one direction to delay the flow of the fluid;
Chip for fluid analysis further comprising a. According to claim 4,
The fourth structure,
A frame portion of a closed loop structure disposed around the first structure and the third structure, one side connected to the first structure, and the other side spaced apart from the third structure;
A load distribution portion protruding from the inner surface of the frame portion at a predetermined length to support the top plate; And
A branch portion disposed between an end portion of the third structure and an inner surface of the frame portion facing the end portion of the third structure to branch the fluid passing through the third section in both directions;
Chip for fluid analysis comprising a. According to claim 1,
In the lower plate forming the fourth section and the fifth section, a plurality of cell receiving grooves in which a portion of the fluid that is shifted in the other direction is moved in the fourth section is accommodated, and the fluid formed in the fifth section A storage groove, and a fluid analysis chip further comprising an inclined surface for guiding the fluid passing through the fourth section to the fluid storage groove. The method of claim 8,
The lower plate protrudes from the upper surface of the lower plate to a predetermined length, is formed in a lattice-like structure, the fluid analysis chip including embossed projections forming the plurality of cell receiving grooves inside. The method of claim 9,
The embossed protrusion is a fluid analysis chip formed on the upper surface of the lower plate through a mold having a fine pattern formed on the surface through femtosecond laser processing. According to claim 1,
The height of the fluid channel and the height of the air wall are formed for a fluid analysis chip having a size of 1: 6 to 1: 8. The method of claim 11,
Inside the upper plate, a groove portion recessed to a predetermined depth from a lower surface of the upper plate, and protrudes at a predetermined length from an inner surface of the upper plate where the groove portion is formed to form the air walls on both sides, and the ends and the lower plate. A fluid analysis chip in which a fluid flow pad forming the fluid channel communicating with the air wall is formed between upper surfaces. The method of claim 12,
The fluid flow pad, the fluid analysis chip protruding from the inner surface of the top plate to a length of at least 300㎛. The method of claim 13,
The height of the fluid channel is formed in a size of 0.04 to 0.06mm, the height of the air wall is a chip for fluid analysis that is formed in a size of 0.24 to 0.48mm. The method of claim 12,
The fluid flow pad is formed in a structure in which the size of the width gradually increases along the movement direction of the fluid, and the fluid analysis chip has different inclination angles depending on the length. The method of claim 15,
The fluid flow pad
A chip for fluid analysis formed to achieve an inclination angle of 0.01 to 0.5 degrees at 2 mm, 0.5 to 3 degrees at 3 mm, 2 to 5 degrees at 5 mm, 4 to 7 degrees at 10 mm, 6 to 9 degrees at 20 mm, 30 mm and 40 mm respectively.

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