Chemical analysis apparatus

• US 20060039823A1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mimura, Tomonori, Harada, Kunio, Adachi, Sakuichiro, Enoki, Hideo, Yamakawa, Hironobu
• Application Number:
  US11/204,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20060039823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/63
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/65 the materials to be mixed being directly submitted to a pulsating movement, e.g. by means of an oscillating piston or air column
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3021 the components to be mixed being combined in a single independent droplet, e.g. these droplets being divided by a non-miscible fluid or consisting of independent droplets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3031 using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0654 Lenses; Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502784 specially adapted for droplet or plug flow, e.g. digital microfluidics automatic analysis using a stream of discrete samples in a tube system G01N35/08
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00158 Elements containing microarrays, i.e. "biochip"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00237 Handling microquantities of analyte, e.g. microvalves, capillary networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/102 Preventing or detecting loss of fluid by dripping
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1016 Control of the volume dispensed or introduced

Abstract

A chemical analysis apparatus is equipped with analysis sections having openings, means for supplying samples or reagents from the openings, means for combining and mixing samples with reagents to obtain droplets as liquids to be measured, and means for measuring the physical properties of the liquids to be measured during reaction or after completion of reaction. Furthermore, plate members are provided facing each other in analysis sections and a plurality of electrodes are provided on the plate member faces that face each other. Voltage is applied from the plurality of electrodes to the droplets of the samples and the reagents.

Claims

1. A chemical analysis apparatus, which is equipped with analysis sections having openings, means for supplying samples or reagents from the openings, mixing means for combining and mixing the samples with the reagents to obtain droplets as liquids to be measured, and means for measuring the physical properties of the liquids to be measured during reaction or after completion of reaction, and having a mechanism wherein plate members are provided facing each other in said analysis sections, a plurality of electrodes are provided on plate member faces that face each other, and voltage is applied from said plurality of electrodes to the droplets of the samples and the reagents.

2. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said analysis sections are equipped with film having an insulating effect and/or water-repellent effect disposed on the plurality of electrodes on said plate member faces that face each other.

3. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein tips of means for supplying samples or reagents and/or means for discharging liquids are composed of electrically-conductive material, film having an insulating effect and/or water-repellent effect is provided on the tips, and the tips are connected with wires to the electrodes on said plate members.

4. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate members of said analysis sections are provided with steps each of which is larger than a half of the gap between every two of said electrodes and smaller than the external size of a single electrode.

5. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of electrodes are provided on both plate members that are provided facing each other in said analysis sections.

6. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes in said analysis sections differ in shape, and specifically, wherein the electrodes in the vicinity of the openings differ in shape from the electrodes in the vicinity of the measurement means.

7. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electrodes in said analysis sections is larger than the gap between every two electrodes and projects from the periphery without being in contact with either of the plate members that face each other.

8. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes in said analysis sections are dotted electrodes, each of which is almost the same size as that of the gap between every two electrodes.

9. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes provided in said analysis sections, specifically, ground electrodes and applicator electrodes in said analysis sections, are provided in a manner such that the order thereof on the top plate and that on the bottom plate are opposite.

10. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes of said analysis sections have a curvature radius that is smaller than the curvature radius of electrodes placed closest to the openings but have a curved part larger than that of adjacent electrodes.

11. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, which has image processing means for conducting image processing of droplets formed from samples and reagents, by which image processing means the volumes of the droplets are determined and corrected at the time of measuring the droplets.

12. The chemical analysis apparatus according to claim 1, which has means for dividing samples and reagents supplied from the openings of said analysis sections into a large number of small droplets and dispensing the droplets at many separate times.