BUBBLE MICRO-PUMP AND TWO-WAY FLUID-DRIVING DEVICE, PARTICLE-SORTING DEVICE, FLUID-MIXING DEVICE, RING-SHAPED FLUID-MIXING DEVICE AND COMPOUND-TYPE FLUID-MIXING DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20080186801A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Original Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Long, Wang, Wai William, Chou, Chung-Cheng, Liu, Cheng-Hsien, Cheng, Chih-Ming, Chiu, Sheng-Hung
• Application Number:
  US12/014,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/132
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/50 Circulation mixers, e.g. wherein at least part of the mixture is discharged from and reintroduced into a receptacle
• 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 33/30 Micromixers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/00 Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/24 Pumping by heat expansion of pumped fluid

Abstract

A bubble micro-pump includes a first component, a second component and a bubble-generating unit. The first component includes a flow path having a first area and a second area. The second component above the first component has a first roughness surface and a second roughness surface. The first roughness surface opposite the first area has a first roughness factor, and the second roughness surface opposite the second area has a second roughness factor smaller than the first roughness factor. The bubble-generating unit on the first component generates bubble in the first area and the second area when a fluid fills the vacancy between the first component and the second component. Due to the difference in roughness factor, the backfilling velocity of the fluid in the first area is faster than that in the second area when the bubble starts to vanish, such that the fluid is driven to flow.

Claims

1. A bubble micro-pump, comprising:

a first component having a flow path, wherein the flow path has at least a first area and a second area;

a second component disposed above the first component, wherein the second component has a first roughness surface and a second roughness surface, the first roughness surface opposite the first area has a first roughness factor, the second roughness surface opposite the second area has a second roughness factor, and the first roughness factor is substantially greater than the second roughness factor; and

a bubble-generating unit disposed on the first component and used for generating bubbles in the first area and the second area when a fluid fills the vacancy between the first component and the second component;

wherein due to the difference between the first roughness factor and the second roughness factor, when the bubbles generated by the bubble-generating unit start to vanish, the backfilling velocity of the fluid in the first area is greater than the backfilling velocity of the fluid in the second area, such that the fluid is driven to flow.

2. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first roughness factor and the second roughness factor increases or decreases along with the flowing direction of the fluid.

3. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the roughness surfaces of the second component opposite the first area and the second area is formed by a plurality of column elements.

4. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 3, wherein the cross-sectional areas of the column elements dispsoed in different areas of the flow path are substantially different.

5. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 3, wherein each of the column elements is formed by an adjustable membrane, and the curvature of the membrane changes when the deformation of the membrane is adjusted.

6. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 3, wherein there is a recess positioned on the surface of the second component, and the column elements are disposed in the recess.

7. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 6, wherein the first component and the second component at least form an exhaust hole by the recess for dissipating the air generated by the bubble-generating unit.

8. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein the second component further comprises a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet corresponding to two sides of the first area and the second area, respectively.

9. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein the bubble-generating unit comprises at least an electrode set disposed on the first component, the electrode set comprises:

a first electrode corresponding to the first area; and

a second electrode corresponding to the second area, wherein the polarity of the second electrode is opposite to that of the first electrode.

10. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein the material of the flow path of the first component comprises a hydrophilic material.

11. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein the material of the second component comprises a hydrophobic material.

12. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 1, wherein the bubble-generating unit comprises:

a substrate having a secondary flow path, at least an air exhaust channel, an air intake channel and a bubble outlet, wherein the air exhaust channel is connected with the front part of the secondary flow path, the air intake channel is connected with the rear part of the secondary flow path, the bubble outlet is located at a terminal of the secondary flow path, the air is taken in via the air intake channel and filled in part of the rear part of the secondary flow path; and

a bubble-generating element disposed at the front part of the secondary flow path;

wherein when the bubble-generating element generates a first bubble in the fluid at the front part of the secondary flow path, the fluid at the rear part of the secondary flow path is pushed to flow towards the terminal of the secondary flow path, such that the air at the rear part of the secondary flow path is pushed by the fluid to flow towards the bubble outlet and forms a second bubble in the first area and the second area.

13. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 12, wherein when the first bubble vanishes from the air exhaust channel and the fluid at front part of the secondary flow path backfills, the fluid at the rear part of the secondary flow path backflows to the front part of the secondary flow path, such that an external air enters the rear part of the secondary flow path via the air intake channel.

14. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 12, wherein the bubble-generating element comprises at least an electrode set having a first electrode and a second electrode, and the polarity of the first electrode is opposite to that of the second electrode.

15. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 12, wherein the substrate has a hydrophobic material disposed on the air exhaust channel.

16. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 12, wherein the substrate has a hydrophobic material disposed on the air intake channel.

17. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 12, wherein the substrate has a hydrophobic material disposed on the rear part of the secondary flow path.

18. The bubble micro-pump according to claim 12, wherein the width at the front part of the secondary flow path is substantially different from that at the rear part of the secondary flow path.

19. The bubble-generating device according to claim 12, wherein the substrate further comprises a fluid inlet disposed at the front end of the secondary flow path.

20. A two-way fluid-driving device, comprising:

a first primary flow path and a second primary flow path alternately disposed to form a common flow path area;

a first driving portion having at least a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1, wherein the bubble micro-pump is disposed on the first primary flow path and adjacent to the common flow path area;

a second driving portion having at least a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1, wherein the bubble micro-pump is disposed on the second primary flow path and adjacent to the common flow path area; and

a controlling unit electrically connected with the bubble-generating units of the first driving portion and that of the second driving portion;

wherein the first driving portion pushes the fluid in the first primary flow path to flow when the controlling unit drives the first driving portion, and the second driving portion pushes the fluid in the second primary flow path to flow when the controlling unit drives the second driving portion.

21. The two-way fluid-driving device according to claim 20, wherein

the first driving portion comprises two bubble micro-pumps as defined in claim 1 and disposed on two opposite sides of the common flow path area;

the second driving portion comprises two bubble micro-pumps as defined in claim 1 and disposed on the other two opposite sides of the common flow path area.

22. The two-way fluid-driving device according to claim 20, wherein the first primary flow path is substantially perpendicular to the second primary flow path.

23. A particle-sorting device, comprising:

a primary flow path;

a driving portion disposed at the front part of the primary flow path;

a diversion portion having a first branch flow path for connecting with the rear part of the primary flow path, wherein there is a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1 disposed on the first branch flow path;

a detecting unit disposed on the primary flow path and located between the driving portion and the diversion portion; and

a controlling unit electrically connected with the driving portion, the detecting unit, and the bubble-generating unit of the diversion portion;

wherein after the driving portion pushes a particle-carrying fluid of the primary flow path to pass the detecting unit to complete particle identification, the detecting unit transmits a signal to the controlling unit for driving the bubble micro-pump of the diversion portion, such that the particles are prevented from flowing to the first branch flow path along with the fluid.

24. The particle-sorting device according to claim 23, wherein the diversion portion further comprises a second branch flow path, and there is a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1 disposed on the second branch flow path.

25. The particle-sorting device according to claim 23, wherein the driving portion comprises at least a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1, which is disposed on one side of the primary flow path, and electrically connect with the controlling unit.

26. The particle-sorting device according to claim 23, wherein the detecting unit comprises a photo sensor or an electro sensor.

27. A fluid-mixing device, comprising:

a mixing chamber having an inlet flow path and an outlet flow path;

a first driving portion having at least a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1 and disposed on the inlet flow path;

a second driving portion having at least a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1 and disposed on the outlet flow path; and

a controlling unit electrically connected with the bubble-generating units of the first driving portion and the second driving portion;

wherein after the controlling unit drives the first driving portion to introduce at least two fluids into the mixing chamber via the inlet flow path, the controlling unit alternately drives the second driving portion and the first driving portion repeatedly for guiding the two fluids to enter the mixing chamber via the inlet flow path and leave the mixing chamber via the outlet flow path respectively, such that the two fluids are mixed.

28. The fluid-mixing device according to claim 27, wherein the material of the mixing chamber comprises a transparent material.

29. A ring-shaped fluid-mixing device, comprising:

a ring-shaped primary flow path;

two first branch flow paths connected with the ring-shaped primary flow path;

two second branch flow paths connected with the ring-shaped primary flow path, wherein the first branch flow paths and the second branch flow paths are alternately disposed;

a first driving portion having two bubble micro-pumps as defined in claim 1, disposed on the ring-shaped primary flow path, and adjacent to the two first branch flow paths;

a second driving portion having two bubble micro-pumps as defined in claim 1, disposed on the ring-shaped primary flow path, and adjacent to the two second branch flow paths; and

a controlling unit electrically connected with the bubble-generating units of the first driving portion and the second driving portion;

wherein after different fluids are introduced into the ring-shaped primary flow path via the two first branch flow paths and the two second branch flow paths, the controlling unit alternately drives the first driving portion and the second driving portion, such that the different fluids are mixed in the ring-shaped primary flow path.

30. The ring-shaped fluid-mixing device according to claim 29, wherein the bubble micro-pumps of the first driving portion and the second driving portion are substantially separated by 90 degrees.

31. A compound-type fluid-mixing device, comprising:

a first flow path component having a ring-shaped primary flow path, at least an inlet flow path, at least an outlet flow path, a first driving portion and a second driving portion, wherein the inlet flow path and the outlet flow path are both connected with the ring-shaped primary flow path, the first driving portion is disposed at the junction of the ring-shaped primary flow path and the inlet flow path, the second driving portion is disposed at the junction of the ring-shaped primary flow path and the outlet flow path, each of the first driving portion and the second driving portion has at least a bubble micro-pump as defined in claim 1;

a second flow path component disposed above the first flow path component, wherein the second flow path component has a direct flow path and a third driving portion, the direct flow path is connected with the ring-shaped primary flow path, and the third driving portion has at least two bubble micro-pumps as defined in claim 1 and respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the junction of the direct flow path and the ring-shaped primary flow path; and

a controlling unit electrically connected with the bubble-generating units of the first driving portion, the second driving portion and the third driving portion;

wherein after the controlling unit drives the first driving portion to introduce a fluid into the ring-shaped primary flow path via the inlet flow path and drives the third driving portion to introduce the other fluid into the ring-shaped primary flow path via two sides of the direct flow path, the controlling unit alternately drives the first driving portion and the second driving portion, such that the fluids are mixed in the ring-shaped primary flow path and the mixed fluid is moved by the second driving portion to leave the ring-shaped primary flow path via the outlet flow path.

32. The compound-type fluid-mixing device according to claim 31, wherein the first flow path component comprises two inlet flow paths and two outlet flow paths.

33. The compound-type fluid-mixing device according to claim 32, wherein the inlet flow paths and the outlet flow paths are substantially separated by 90 degrees.

34. The compound-type fluid-mixing device according to claim 32, wherein each of the first driving portion and the second driving portion comprises two bubble micro-pumps as defined in claim 1 and disposed at the junction of the ring-shaped primary flow path and the inlet flow paths and the outlet flow paths.