Flow cell and method for manufacturing the same

• US 8,647,589 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Brian R
• Application Number:
  US13/554,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20120288421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 422/417, 422420-421, 422422-424, 422/426, 422502-503, 422/507, 422/535, 422/513, 422/527, 422/534, 422427-429, 435/287.7, 435/287.8
• US Class Current: 422/420
• 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,

wherein the first region constitutes a channel in which an aqueous sample is configured to laterally flow, 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. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein the first and second regions directly contact the hydrophobic substrate.

10. The flow cell according to claim 1, wherein the second region bounds side and top portions of the cavity.

11. 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 hydrophilic substrate and the second region, the first region being positioned in the cavity,

wherein the first region constitutes a channel in which a non-aqueous sample is configured to laterally flow, and

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

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

13. The flow cell according to claim 11, wherein the porous member further contains particles.

14. The flow cell according to claim 11, wherein openings are present in at least a part of the second region.