FLOW CELL AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20120288421A1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Tsutomu, Miura, Toru, Iwasaki, Yuzuru, Haga, Tsuneyuki, Seyama, Michiko, Takahashi, Jyunichi, Hayashi, Katsuyoshi, Camou, Serge
• Granted Patent: US 8,647,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/500
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0673 Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
• 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 2300/0887 Laminated structure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• 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 3/502761 specially adapted for handling suspended solids or molecules independently from the bulk fluid flow, e.g. for trapping or sorting beads, for physically stretching molecules investigating characteristics of particles G01N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1095 for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide various flow cells and a method for manufacturing the same, in which formation of a groove on a substrate and formation of components such as an electrode, auxiliary parts such as a pump are not necessary. The inventive flow cells are capable of realize complicated chemical analysis or synthesis or the like. A channel of a porous member provided on a sample-incompatible substrate is formed; the porous member is composed of an air non-contact region having a network structure and an air contact region covering the air non-contact region and having a lower pore density than the air non-contact region; in which a capillary force to be generated within the porous member is a drive force for pumping a liquid.

Claims

1. A flow cell for an aqueous sample, the flow cell comprising:

a hydrophobic substrate; and

a porous member provided on the hydrophobic substrate, the porous member comprising;

a first region having a network structure; and

a second region positioned on the first region and having a lower pore density than the first region;

wherein a cavity is formed between the hydrophobic substrate and the second region, the first region being positioned in the cavity, and

wherein a capillary force generated within the porous member is a drive force for pumping a liquid.

2. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein the first region has a higher hydrophilicity than the second region.

3. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein the porous member is formed of a cellulose.

4. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein the porous member further contains particles.

5. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein openings are present in at least a part of the second region.

6. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the porous member communicates with a hydrophilic region formed on a surface of the hydrophobic substrate and wherein the hydrophilic region acts as a drain.

7. The flow cell according to claim 1, further comprising a second hydrophobic substrate disposed on the porous member to form a fine gap between the porous member and the second hydrophobic substrate, wherein a width of the fine gap falls within the range of from about 10 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

8. The flow cell according to claim 7, wherein the second hydrophobic substrate includes a recess opposed to the porous member.

9. A flow cell for a non-aqueous sample, the flow cell comprising:

a hydrophilic substrate; and

a porous member positioned on the hydrophilic substrate, the porous member comprising;

a first region having a network structure; and

a second region positioned on the first region and having a lower pore density than the first region;

wherein a cavity is formed between the hydrophillic substrate and the second region, the first region being positioned in the cavity, and

wherein a capillary force generated within the porous member is a drive force for pumping a liquid.

10. The flow cell according to claim 9, wherein the first region has a higher hydrophobicity than the second region.

11. The flow cell according to claim 9, wherein the porous member is formed of a cellulose.

12. The flow cell according to claim 9, wherein the porous member further contains particles.

13. The flow cell according to claim 9, wherein openings are present in at least a part of the second region.

14. The flow cell according to claim 9, wherein at least a part of the porous member communicates with a hydrophobic region formed on a surface of the hydrophilic substrate;

and wherein the hydrophobic region acts as a drain.

15. The flow cell according to claim 9, further comprising a second hydrophilic substrate on the porous member to form a fine gap between the porous member and the second hydrophilic substrate, wherein a width of the fine gap falls within the range of from about 10 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

16. The flow cell according to claim 15, wherein the second hydrophilic substrate includes a recess opposed to the porous member.