PRODUCTION OF CHEMICAL REACTORS

• US 20190314817A1
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PharmaFluidics NV (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PharmaFluidics NV (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: OP DE BEECK, Jeff, JACOBS, Paul, DE MALSCHE, Wim
• Granted Patent: US 11,724,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/22 relating to the construction of the column
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/025 with wetted adsorbents; Chromatography analytical chromatography G01N30/00 - G01N30/96; for liquids B01D15/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00846 comprising nanostructures, e.g. nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00894 More than two inlets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00905 Separation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00993 Design aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2220/80 Aspects related to sorbents specially adapted for preparative, analytical or investigative chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0864 comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/086 using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions
• 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 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502753 characterised by bulk separation arrangements on lab-on-a-chip devices, e.g. for filtration or centrifugation separation in general B01D; microapparatus for analysis using electrophoresis G01N27/44791; sample preparation G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/6095 Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize

Abstract

A method for producing a chemical reactor, wherein the chemical reactor comprises one or more effective channels which comprise pillar structures, an input connected to one of the effective channels to allow fluid/gas into the effective channels and an output connected to one of the effective channels to remove at least one component of the liquid/gas. The method comprises obtaining an initial design of the reactor, further introducing into the initial design at least a structured area positioned adjacent to an effective channel of the one or more effective channels located at the edge of the initial design, the structured area not being fluidly connected to one of the effective channels, to obtain a further design and the production of the reactor according to the further design

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method for producing a chemical reactor implemented on a substrate, the chemical reactor comprising:

one or more effective channels for transporting a liquid and/or gas during use of the chemical reactor, the channels optionally comprising pillar structures;

an input connected to one of the one or more effective channels to allow liquid/gas into the effective channels;

an output connected to one of the one or more effective channels to remove at least one component of the liquid and/or gas from the effective channels;

the method comprising

obtaining an initial design of the chemical reactor with the one or more effective channels, the input and the output;

further introducing into the initial design at least a portion of a structured area positioned adjacent to an effective channel of the one or more effective channels located at the edge of the initial design, the structured area not being fluidly connected to one of the effective channels, to obtain a further design;

the production of the chemical reactor according to the further design, the production comprising the generation of an electrical current density in the substrate, and wherein the structured area at least partially compensates during production for a non-uniformity in electrical current density in effective channels positioned on the outside of the initial design.

25. The method according to claim 24, the structured area being positioned at less than 150 μ

m from the effective channel.

26. The method according to claim 24, the one or more effective channels comprising a plurality of substantially parallel effective channels, the plurality of effective channels being fluidly interconnected in a meandering structure.

27. The method according to claim 24, the structured area comprising a dummy channel and the dummy channel being a channel that is not used for transporting liquid and/or gas during use of the reactor.

28. The method according to claim 27, the dummy channel having a depth equal to the depth of the effective channels or the dummy channel having a depth smaller or greater than the depth of the effective channels.

29. The method according to claim 27, the dummy channel having the same design as the effective channel positioned on the other side of the effective channel next to which the dummy channel is implemented.

30. The method according to claim 27, the dummy channel comprising pillar structures.

31. The method according to claim 27, the dummy channel having the same design as the effective channel positioned on the other side of the effective channel next to which the dummy channel is implemented.

32. The method according to claim 24, in which the generation of an electrical current density in the substrate is done to form or process the channels and the pillar structures, the structured area being so selected that the current density in the effective channels positioned on the outside of the initial design are symmetrical, with an error margin of 10%.

33. The method according to claim 24, the production of the chemical reactor according to the further design comprising an anodising step.

34. The method according to claim 24, the structured area being an area in which structural elements are arranged to increase the effective surface.

35. A chemical reactor produced via a method according to claim 24.

36. The chemical reactor implemented on a substrate, the chemical reactor comprising:

one or more effective channels for transporting a liquid and/or gas during use of the chemical reactor, the channels optionally comprising pillar structures;

an input connected to one of the one or more effective channels to allow the liquid/gas into the effective channels; and

an output connected to one of the one or more effective channels to remove at least one component of the liquid and/or gas from the effective channels;

the substrate further comprising a structured area positioned adjacent to an effective channel of the one or more effective channels located at the edge of the chemical reactor, the structured area not being fluidly connected to one of the effective channels.

37. The chemical reactor according to claim 36, the structured area being positioned at less than 150 μ

m from the effective channel.

38. The chemical reactor according to claim 36, the one or more effective channels comprising a plurality of substantially parallel effective channels, the plurality of effective channels being fluidly interconnected in a meandering structure.

39. The chemical reactor according to claim 36, the structured area being or comprising a dummy channel.

40. The chemical reactor according to claim 39, the dummy channel having a depth equal to the depth of the effective channels or a depth smaller or greater than the depth of the effective channels.

41. The chemical reactor according to claim 39, the dummy channel having the same design as the effective channel positioned on the other side of the effective channel next to which the dummy channel is implemented.

42. The chemical reactor according to claim 39, the dummy channel comprising pillar structures.

43. The chemical reactor according to claim 39, the dummy channel having the same design as the effective channel positioned on the other side of the effective channel next to which the dummy channel is implemented.