US-12623217-B2 - Microfluidic device and application method thereof

US12623217B2US 12623217 B2US12623217 B2US 12623217B2US-12623217-B2

Abstract

Microfluidic device and application method thereof are provided. The microfluidic device includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are oppositely arranged along a first direction; and a first storage box and a second storage box that are oppositely arranged along the first direction. The first direction is a thickness direction of the microfluidic device. The first storage box includes a first storage cavity and a first opening communicating with the first storage cavity, and the first substrate is fixed in the first storage cavity. The second storage box includes a second storage cavity and a second opening communicating with the second storage cavity, and the second substrate is fixed in the second storage cavity. Along the first direction, the first opening is arranged opposite to the second opening and the first storage box is nested with the second storage box.

Inventors

Kaidi Zhang
Baiquan Lin
Yunfei Bai
Wei Li
Xiaojun Chen
Qingsan ZHU

Assignees

Shanghai Tianma Micro-electronics Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230227
Priority Date: 20221122

Claims (18)

1 . A microfluidic device, comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate that are oppositely arranged along a first direction; a first storage box and a second storage box that are oppositely arranged along the first direction; the first direction being a thickness direction of the microfluidic device, wherein: the first storage box includes a first storage cavity and a first opening communicating with the first storage cavity, and the first substrate is fixed in the first storage cavity, the second storage box includes a second storage cavity and a second opening communicating with the second storage cavity, and the second substrate is fixed in the second storage cavity, and along the first direction, the first opening is arranged opposite to the second opening, the first storage box is nested with the second storage box, and a first channel is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate; and liquid guide holes passing through the second substrate and the second storage box along the first direction and communicating with the first channel.
2 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first storage box is integrally formed by injection molding, and the second storage box is integrally formed by injection molding.
3 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein: the first storage box includes a third storage cavity, the third storage cavity is between the first opening and the first storage cavity along the first direction, the third storage cavity communicates with the first opening and the first storage cavity respectively; and an orthographic projection of a cavity bottom of the third storage cavity to a plane where the first substrate is located surrounds an orthographic projection of the first storage cavity to the plane where the first substrate is located, and at least part of the second storage box in the third storage cavity and nested with an inner side wall of the third storage cavity.
4 . The microfluidic device according to claim 3 , wherein the third storage cavity is arranged around the second storage box, an inner side wall of the third storage chamber includes at least one recessed part, and an empty groove is formed between an outer side wall of the second storage box and the at least one recessed part.
5 . The microfluidic device according to claim 4 , wherein: the second storage box includes a boss connected to a side wall of the second storage cavity, the boss surrounds the second opening, and an orthographic projection of the boss to a plane where the second substrate at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the second storage cavity to the plane where the second substrate is located; and the second substrate is fixed between the boss and a cavity bottom of the second storage cavity.
6 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein a sealant is arranged between the second storage box and a bottom of the third storage cavity.
7 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , comprising: a first area and a second area arranged on a periphery of the first area, the second area comprising a plurality of first conductive pads, wherein: the first substrate includes a first substrate and a plurality of first electrodes arranged on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, the plurality of first electrodes is in the second area, and the plurality of first conductive pads is on the first substrate, and a first electrode is correspondingly connected to a first conductive pad through a signal line; and a plurality of first pinholes, along the first direction, the plurality of first pinholes penetrating through the first storage box or the second storage box and exposing the plurality of first conductive pads.
8 . The microfluidic device according to claim 7 , wherein: along the first direction, an orthographic projection of the plurality of first pinholes and the plurality of first conductive pads to the plane where the first substrate is located does not overlap an orthographic projection of the first channel to the plane where the first substrate is located.
9 . The microfluidic device according to claim 7 , wherein: the second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode arranged on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, the second electrode is at least in the first area, the second electrode receives a fixed voltage signal; and the second electrode is electrically connected to at least one first conductive pad on the first substrate through conductive glue.
10 . The microfluidic device according to claim 7 , wherein: the second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode arranged on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and the second electrode receives a fixed voltage signal; and the microfluidic device includes at least one second pinhole, and along the first direction, the second pinhole penetrates through the first storage box or the second storage box and exposes at least part of the second electrode.
11 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , comprising a box forming area and a binding area on a first side of the box forming area, the second storage box being only in the box forming area, and the binding area comprising a plurality of conductive pads, wherein: the first substrate includes a first substrate and a plurality of first electrodes arranged on a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate; the second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode arranged on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate; and both the plurality of first electrodes and the second electrode are electrically connected to the plurality of conductive pads.
12 . The microfluidic device according to claim 11 , wherein: the box forming area includes a first area and a second area surrounding the first area, the plurality of first electrodes and the second electrode are in the first area, and the second area is between the binding area and the first area on the first side of the box forming area; and in the second area, a side wall of the second storage box facing a surface of the first substrate is fixed to the first substrate.
13 . The microfluidic device according to claim 12 , comprising a sealing gasket between the surface of the side wall of the second storage box facing the first substrate and the first substrate in the second area.
14 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid guide holes include at least one liquid injection hole and at least one liquid outlet hole, at least one liquid injection hole and at least one liquid outlet hole are at two ends of the microfluidic device along a second direction extending a diagonal of the microfluidic device.
15 . The microfluidic substrate according to claim 1 , wherein the second storage box further comprises liquid guiding grooves communicating with the liquid guide holes and being on a side of a bottom surface of the second storage box away from the first storage box.
16 . The microfluidic device according to claim 15 , wherein an inner wall of the guide groove is in a shape of an inverted cone or a cylinder.
17 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein: the liquid guide holes include a first sub liquid guide hole and a second sub liquid guide hole communicated with the first sub liquid guide hole, the first sub liquid guide hole is in the second storage box, the first sub liquid guide hole is in the second storage box, and the second sub liquid guide hole is on the second substrate; and at least part of an outer wall of the first sub liquid guide hole is nested with at least part of the inner wall of the second sub liquid guide hole.
18 . The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein a cavity bottom of the second storage box is made of a transparent material, and the second substrate is a transparent substrate.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202211466447.9, filed on Nov. 22, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure generally relates to the field of microfluidic technology and, more particularly, relates to a microfluidic device, and an application method thereof. BACKGROUND Microfluidic technology is an emerging interdisciplinary technology involving chemistry, fluid physics, microelectronics, new material, biology, and biomedical engineering, which can precisely control a movement of a droplet, realize a fusion and separation of droplets, and complete various biochemical reactions. Microfluidic technology is a technology mainly characterized by a manipulation of fluids in a micron-scale space. In recent years, microfluidic chips have advantages of small size, low power consumption, low cost, and small amount of samples and reagents required, which can achieve individual and precise control of droplets, short detection time, high sensitivity, and easy integration with other devices, and are widely applied in biology, chemistry, medicine, and other fields. In a related art, microfluidic device includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are oppositely arranged and a channel between the first substrate and the second substrate. Usually, the first substrate and the second substrate are boxed with double-sided tape or gasket and glue by hand, which is cumbersome in forming process and poor in alignment accuracy. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE One aspect of the present disclosure provides a microfluidic device. The microfluidic device includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are oppositely arranged along a first direction; and a first storage box and a second storage box that are oppositely arranged along the first direction. The first direction is a thickness direction of the microfluidic device. The first storage box includes a first storage cavity and a first opening communicating with the first storage cavity, and the first substrate is fixed in the first storage cavity. The second storage box includes a second storage cavity and a second opening communicating with the second storage cavity, and the second substrate is fixed in the second storage cavity. Along the first direction, the first opening is arranged opposite to the second opening, the first storage box is nested with the second storage box, and a first channel is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The microfluidic device also includes a liquid guide hole passing through the second substrate and the second storage box along the first direction and communicating with the first channel. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an application method of the microfluidic device. The application method includes: respectively forming a first storage box, a second storage box, a first substrate and a second substrate; nesting the first substrate into a first storage cavity of the first storage box through a first opening of the first storage box, and nesting the second substrate into a second storage cavity of the second storage box through a second opening of the second storage box; oppositely arranging the first opening and the second opening, nesting the first storage box and the second storage box to form a first channel between the first substrate and the second substrate; injecting silicone oil into the first channel through liquid guide holes, and injecting a detection liquid into the first channel through the liquid guide holes; and providing electrical signals to the first substrate and the second substrate to detect a detection liquid. Other aspects of the present disclosure can be understood by a person skilled in the art in light of the description, the claims, and the drawings of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of the present specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and together with a description, serve to explain principles of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a microfluidic device; FIG. 2 illustrates a planar view of a microfluidic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 illustrates an A-A cross-sectional view of the microfluidic device in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a first storage box in a microfluidic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a second storage box in a microfluidic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 illustrates another planar view of a microfluidic device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 7 illustrates a B-B cross-sectional view of the microfluidic device in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 illustrates another A-A cross-sectio