FLUIDIC STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION OF A FLUID STRUCTURE

• US 20090041624A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Fiedler, Wolfgang, Ocvirk, Gregor, Hochmuth, Gernot
• Application Number:
  US11/722,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20090041624A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0838 Capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4845 Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/54 between pre-assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1222 comprising at least a lapped joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1224 comprising at least a butt joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/522 Joining tubular articles B29C66/53241 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/534 Joining single elements to open ends of tubular or hollow articles or to the ends of bars
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/38 Polymers of cycloalkenes, e.g. norbornene or cyclopentene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 : Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/025 : with an inner elastic part pressed against an outer part by reason of its elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 : Subsequent to assembly

Abstract

A fluidic structure and a method for production of a fluidic structure are provided. The method may comprise, in order, introducing at least one externally accessible opening into at least one base substrate of the fluidic structure, partially introducing at least one section of a fluidic conductor, which has at least one inner lumen and at least one conductor wall, in particular of a tube or flexible tube, into the at least one opening, introducing at least one curable fluid sealing material into the at least one opening, entirely or partially curing the at least one fluid sealing material, and producing at least one connecting channel between at least one inner lumen in the at least one fluidic conductor and at least one fluid channel in the fluidic structure, the at least one connecting channel passing through at least one conductor wall.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A method for production of a fluidic structure, the method comprising the following steps performed in the given order:

a) introducing at least one externally accessible opening into at least one base substrate of the fluidic structure,

b) partially introducing at least one section of a fluidic conductor, which has at least one inner lumen and at least one conductor wall, in particular of a tube or flexible tube, into the at least one opening,

c) introducing at least one curable fluid sealing material into the at least one opening,

d) entirely or partially curing the at least one fluid sealing material, and

e) producing at least one connecting channel between at least one inner lumen in the at least one fluidic conductor and at least one fluid channel in the fluidic structure, the at least one connecting channel passing through at least one conductor wall.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

f) applying at least one intermediate substrate and/or cover substrate to the at least one base substrate, with the at least one cover substrate and/or the at least one intermediate substrate partially closing the at least one opening.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein at least one cover substrate is applied, with the at least one cover substrate having at least one fluid channel.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein at least one intermediate substrate is applied, with the intermediate substrate being removed again after carrying out method step d).

40. The method of claim 36, wherein step a) is carried out such that the at least one opening has at least one groove with a rectangular, round, U-shaped or V-shaped cross section.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the at least one opening is in the form of a groove with a cross section in the form of a trapezoid.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the longer edge of the trapezoid rests on one surface of the at least one base substrate.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the at least one opening has at least one hole with a round, oval or polygonal cross section.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein the at least one section of the at least one fluidic conductor which is introduced in step b) has at least one open end of the at least one fluidic conductor.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein, in step c), the at least one conductor opening in the open end is closed by the at least one curable fluid sealing material.

46. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step c), the at least one curable fluid sealing material is introduced into the at least one opening through at least one filling channel, which is connected to at least one opening, in the fluidic structure.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the at least one filling channel passes through at least one base substrate and/or at least one intermediate substrate.

48. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step d), electromagnetic rays, in particular light, are used to influence at least one curable fluid sealing material.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the electromagnetic rays pass entirely or partially through the fluidic structure before influencing the at least one curable fluid sealing material.

50. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step d), the at least one curable fluid sealing material is influenced thermally, in particular in the form of a temperature increase or a temperature decrease.

51. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step d), polymerization, in particular photopolymerization, and/or a liquid-to-solid phase transition, in particular solidification, of the at least one curable fluid sealing material takes place.

52. The method of claim 36, wherein step c) is carried out entirely or partially at an increased pressure, with at least one viscoelastic or pseudoplastic sealing material being used,

and wherein, in step d), the pressure is reduced below that for step c), by which the at least one viscoelastic or pseudoplastic sealing material is entirely or partially cured.

53. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step c), the curable fluid sealing material has at least one self-curing cement.

54. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step c), at least one cavity which remains after carrying out step b) in the at least one opening is completely filled with the at least one curable fluid sealing material.

55. The method of claim 36, wherein, in step e), at least one connecting channel is produced between at least one inner lumen in the at least one fluidic conductor and at least one fluid channel which is introduced entirely or partially into the at least one base substrate and/or at least one fluid channel which is introduced entirely or partially into the at least one cover substrate.

56. The method of claim 36, wherein a mechanical drilling method and/or milling method and/or a stamping method and/or laser beam drilling and/or a wet-chemical or dry etching method is used in step e).

57. The method of claim 36, wherein the connecting channel which is produced in step e) passes through at least one intermediate substrate and/or at least one sealing material in addition to the at least one conductor wall.

58. The method of claim 36, wherein, in addition to the at least one base substrate, at least one further substrate, in particular a cover substrate and/or an intermediate substrate, is used, with at least two of the substrates being connected by an adhesion method and/or a welding method, in particular a laser welding method or ultrasound welding method, and/or a thermal bonding method.

59. A fluidic structure comprising:

at least one base substrate, with the at least one base substrate having at least one externally accessible opening,

at least one fluidic conductor which has at least one inner lumen and at least one conductor wall, with at least one section of the at least one fluidic conductor being arranged in the at least one opening, and wherein the at least one section of the at least one fluidic conductor has at least one open end of the at least one fluidic conductor,

at least one curable sealing material, which is introduced into the at least one opening in the cured state, with the curable sealing material entirely or partially filling at least one intermediate space between at least one wall of the at least one opening and at least one fluidic conductor,

at least one fluid channel, and

at least one connecting channel between at least one inner lumen in the at least one fluidic conductor and at least one fluid channel, with the at least one connecting channel passing through at least one conductor wall of the at least one fluidic conductor.

60. The fluidic structure of claim 59, wherein the at least one connecting channel passes entirely or partially through the at least one curable sealing material in the cured state.

61. The fluidic structure of claim 59, wherein the fluidic structure further has at least one cover substrate, with the at least one cover substrate partially closing the at least one opening.

62. The fluidic structure of claim 61, wherein the cover substrate has at least one fluid channel.

63. The fluidic structure of claim 62, wherein the at least one fluid channel of the at least one cover substrate has at least one groove.

64. The fluidic structure of claim 61, wherein at least one intermediate substrate is introduced between the at least one base substrate and the at least one cover substrate.

65. The fluidic structure of claim 64, wherein the at least one connecting channel passes through the at least one intermediate substrate.

66. The fluidic structure of claim 59, wherein the at least one opening has at least one groove with a rectangular, round, U-shaped, V-shaped or trapezoidal cross section.

67. The fluidic structure of claim 59, wherein the at least one opening has at least one hole with a round, oval or polygonal cross section.

68. The fluidic structure of claim 59, wherein the at least one open end is closed by the at least one curable sealing material in the cured state.

69. The fluidic structure of claim 59, wherein the at least one section of the at least one fluidic conductor is firmly connected to the at least one base substrate by means of the at least one curable sealing material in the cured state.