METHOD OF PRODUCING A MULTI-MICROCHANNEL, FLOW-THROUGH ELEMENT AND DEVICE USING SAME

• US 20120032366A1
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Mexico Technical Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: New Mexico Technical Research Foundation
• Inventors: Shapovalov, Vladimir, Ivniski, Dmitri
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/51
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2201/013 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1121 by using decomposable, meltable or sublimatable fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/02 for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 9/023 By filtering filtration of aluminium C22B21/066
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/08 Alloys with open or closed pores
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/085 with external pressure or pressure buildup to make porous metals
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/002 containing In, Mg, or other elements not provided for in one single group C22C38/001 - C22C38/60
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/02 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/04 containing manganese
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/52 with cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/327 Biochemical electrodes , e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling

Abstract

A method of producing a multi-microchannel, flow-through element, including the steps of providing a body of material, and producing multiple microchannels within the body, wherein the microchannels extend through the body to produce a multi-microchannel, flow-through element. Such an element can be used as a micromixer, a sensor element, a filter, a fuel element or a chromatographic element.

Claims

1. A method of producing a multi-microchannel, flow-through element for use as a micromixer, sensor element, filter, fuel element or chromatographic element, including the steps of:

providing a solid body of material;

melting said body of material in a gas atmosphere such that at least one gas in said gas atmosphere dissolves in the resulting melt to form a material/gas liquid solution having a given concentration of said at least one gas therein; and

producing multiple microchannels within said body by cooling said melt, while controlling solidification pressure, speed and direction, to allow dissolved gas to nucleate and grow gas bubbles that together with solidifying material produce said microchannels in the again solidified material of said body, wherein said microchannels extend through said body to produce said multi-microchannel, flow-through element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said solidification pressure includes total gas pressure below solidifying liquid solution, hydrostatic pressure of solidifying liquid solution above growing bubbles, and surface tension of growing bubbles.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said solidification pressure, speed and direction are kept constant from the beginning of bubble nucleation to the end of material solidification, resulting in cylindrical microchannels in said elements.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the solidification pressure in increased from the beginning of bubble nucleation to the end of material solidification, resulting in conical microchannels in said element.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said solidification pressure is pulsated during bubble growth, and wherein pressure change is greater than 10% of said solidification pressure, resulting in periodical convergent and dilative or corrugated microchannels in said element.

6. The method of claim 2, which includes the further step of selecting solidification speed and metal composition of said body material such that a dendrite shaped solidification is obtained, resulting in a high density of microchannels that provide communication between opposite faces of said multi-microchannel element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said multi-microchannel element is made of ceramic and has a metal coating.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said microchannels have an average diameter or cross-section of 1 to 200 microns.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said elements is provided for use in an electrochemical sensor, and wherein said at least one element is provided as a transducer and is an electrically conductive, metallic element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein walls of said microchannels of said at least one element have a mirrored and smooth, unpolished, surface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a chemical or biological recognition agent is immobilized on at least some of the walls of said microchannels of said multi-microchannel element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said chemical or biological recognition agent is effective for carrying out binding reactions involving small molecules, macromolecules, particles or cellular systems.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said chemical or biological recognition agents are selected from the group consisting of polypeptides, proteins, nucleic acids, receptors, polysaccharides, phospholipids, cells, tissue, nano-particles, selected from the group consisting of metallic, and or carbon nanotubes, with immobilized biological recognition agent, and related unnatural polymers of biological relevance.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrochemical sensor is a flow-through amperometric detector coupled with a micropipette, wherein said multi-microchannel element is disposed in said amperometric detector.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrochemical sensor is a flow-through micro-array chip that includes a carrier for said at least one multi-microchannel element and a respective contact pad disposed on said carrier and electrically connected to said at least one multi-microchannel element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a plate is disposed on at least part of said carrier and is provided with holes to receive a portion of said at least one multi-microchannel element that extends beyond a surface of said carrier.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one cap is provided on said carrier for distributing said sample to said at least one multi-microchannel element.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is used as a micromixer, and wherein walls of at least some of said microchannels have a non-uniform cross section shape and size.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is used as a micromixer, and wherein channel shape of at least one of said microchannels have a non-uniform cross section shape and size.

20. The method of claim 5, wherein a plurality of said microchannels merge into a single, larger microchannel having a non-uniform cross section shape and size.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said multi-microchannels with an immobilized natural or artificial catalyst are used for construction a biocathode or bioanode element for biofuel cell.