Capillary pump unit and flow cell

• US 8,398,936 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Inventors: Horiuchi, Tsutomu, Miura, Toru, Iwasaki, Yuzuru, Seyama, Michiko, Hayashi, Tsuyoshi, Takahashi, Jun-ichi, Haga, Tsuneyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, In Suk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kingan, Timothy G
• Application Number:
  US12/811,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 422/412, 422/504, 422/507
• US Class Current: 422/504
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/027 for microfluidic 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 3/50273 characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids micropumps F04B19/006, of the membrane type F04B43/043
• 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: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0346 Capillary cells; Microcells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/056 Laminated construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/058 Flat flow cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00237 Handling microquantities of analyte, e.g. microvalves, capillary networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/1037 Using surface tension, e.g. pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/553 and using surface plasmons fluorescence excitation G01N21/648; enhanced Raman G01N21/658
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2224 Structure of body of device

Abstract

In a capillary pump unit, a capillary pump including a plurality of through portions making a first point and a second point of an approximately flat-plate-shaped base communicable with each other are formed in the base, and a sample liquid is transferred from the first point to the second point by capillary force by the through portions.

Claims

1. A capillary pump unit comprising:

an approximately flat-plate-shaped base substrate;

an approximately flat-plate-shaped spacer portion formed on the approximately flat-plate-shaped base substrate, the approximately flat-plate-shaped spacer portion comprising a flow channel groove;

an approximately flat-plate-shaped base formed on the approximately flat-plate-shaped spacer portion;

a capillary pump comprising a plurality of through portions making a first point and a second point of the approximately flat-plate-shaped base communicable with each other, the capillary pump being formed in the approximately flat-plate-shaped base; and

an inlet formed in the approximately flat-plate-shaped base,

wherein the inlet distributes sample liquid to the plurality of through portions through the flow channel groove, and

the sample liquid is transferred from the first point to the second point by capillary force by the plurality of through portions,

wherein the base comprises a plurality of stacked sheet-shaped bases, and

the plurality of through portions are formed in the respective sheet-shaped bases so that the through portions are communicable with one another among the sheet-shaped bases, and

wherein the through portions are a plurality of through grooves provided in parallel with one another in the respective sheet-shaped bases, and

the sheet-shaped bases are stacked so that the through grooves of adjacent ones of the sheet-shaped bases overlap in parallel with one another.

3. The capillary pump unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet-shaped base is a seal to which both sides or a single side can be adhered, and

the plurality of the seals are adhered to one another and stacked.

4. The capillary pump unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet-shaped base is formed of synthetic resin or glass, and

a plurality of synthetic resin or glass are welded to one another and stacked.

5. The capillary pump unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the through portions are a plurality of through holes formed in the respective sheet-shaped bases, and

the sheet-shaped bases are stacked so that at least some of the through holes of the adjacent ones of the sheet-shaped bases overlap each other.

2. A capillary pump unit, comprising:

an approximately flat-plate-shaped base substrate;

an approximately flat-plate-shaped spacer portion formed on the approximately flat-plate-shaped base substrate, the approximately flat-plate-shaped spacer portion comprising a flow channel groove;

an approximately flat-plate-shaped base formed on the approximately flat-plate-shaped spacer portion;

a capillary pump comprising a plurality of through portions making a first point and a second point of the approximately flat-plate-shaped base communicable with each other, the capillary pump being formed in the approximately flat-plate-shaped base; and

an inlet formed in the approximately flat-plate-shaped base,

wherein the inlet distributes sample liquid to the plurality of through portions through the flow channel groove, and

the sample liquid is transferred from the first point to the second point by capillary force by the plurality of through portions,

wherein the base comprises a plurality of stacked sheet-shaped bases, and

the plurality of through portions are formed in the respective sheet-shaped bases so that the through portions are communicable with one another among the sheet-shaped bases, and

wherein the through portions are a plurality of through grooves provided in parallel with one another in the respective sheet-shaped bases, and

the sheet-shaped bases are stacked so that the through grooves of adjacent ones of the sheet-shaped bases intersect and overlap each other.