MICROCHANNEL CHIP AND CONVERGING DEVICE

• US 20080130402A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sawayashiki, Yoshihiro, Wakabayashi, Akira, KARAKI, Hideyuki, Iwaki, Yoshihide
• Application Number:
  US11/940,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130402A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/142
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/712 for feeding fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7172 using capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0621 Control of the sequence of chambers filled or emptied
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0684 Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0867 Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/049 vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0688 surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502723 characterised by venting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502738 characterised by integrated valves microvalves F16K99/0001

Abstract

A microchannel chip, includes: a first channel where a first liquid is transported from one end side to an opposite end side; a port section to which a second liquid is supplied from outside for accumulating the second liquid; and a second channel connecting the first channel and the port section through a first opening provided in a side of the first channel and a second opening provided in the port section, wherein the second channel checks flowing out of the second liquid accumulated in the port section to the first channel by a Laplace pressure valve until the first liquid arrives at the first opening, and the second channel converges the second liquid into the first liquid after the first liquid reaches the first opening, and a converging device using the same.

Claims

1. A microchannel chip, comprising:

a first channel where a first liquid of a first quantity is transported from one end side to an opposite end side;

a port section having a capillary force smaller than a capillary force of the first channel, the port section to which a second liquid of a given quantity is supplied from outside for accumulating the second liquid; and

a second channel having a capillary force larger than the capillary force of the first channel, the second channel connecting the first channel and the port section through a first opening provided in a side of the first channel and a second opening provided in the port section,

wherein the second channel checks flowing out of the second liquid accumulated in the port section to the first channel by a Laplace pressure valve until the first liquid arrives at the first opening, and

the second channel converges the second liquid of a second quantity resulting from subtracting a volume of the second channel from the given quantity into the first liquid of the first quantity after the first liquid reaches the first opening.

2. The microchannel chip according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of pairs of the port sections and the second channels are apposed along the first channel.

3. A converging device, comprising:

the microchannel chip according to claim 1; and

a decompression unit that applies a decompression force to the opposite end side of the first channel for transporting the first liquid under decompression to the opposite end side.

4. A converging device, comprising:

the microchannel chip according to claim 1;

a decompression unit that applies a decompression force to the opposite end side of the first channel for transporting the first liquid under decompression to the opposite end side; and

a valve unit provided between the decompression unit and the port section, the valve unit allowing the decompression unit to also apply the decompression force to the port section until the first liquid arrives at the first opening, and releasing the port section into atmosphere after the first liquid arrives at the first opening.

5. A converging device, comprising:

the microchannel chip according to claim 2;

a decompression unit that applies a decompression force to the opposite end side of the first channel for transporting the first liquid under decompression to the opposite end side; and

a plurality of valve units each provided between the decompression unit and each of the port sections, the plurality of valve units each allowing the decompression unit to also apply the decompression force to the corresponding port section until the first liquid arrives at the first opening for each of the pairs, and releasing the corresponding port section into atmosphere after the first liquid arrives at the first opening.

6. A converging device, comprising:

the microchannel chip according to claim 1;

a compression and decompression unit that compresses the first liquid from the one end side for transporting the first liquid under compression until the first liquid arrives at the first opening, stops the compression after the first liquid arrives at the first opening, and applies a decompression force to the opposite end side for transporting the first liquid under decompression; and

a valve unit that performs route switching of the compression force and the decompression force made by the compression and decompression unit.

7. The converging device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a sensor that detects the first liquid arriving at the first opening.

8. The converging device according to claim 7,

wherein the valve unit is subjected to automatic switching control according to a detection signal of the sensor.