Surface treatment of microfluidic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159974-B2
Application number	US-201314384764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2013
Priority date	Mar 13, 2012
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a surface treatment method for treating the inner walls of a microchannel made from a polymeric material that is at least partially photocured or thermoset. Said treatment is carried out via irradiation in the air at a wavelength of less than or equal to 300 nm. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a microfluidic device including such a surface treatment step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for treating a surface of the internal walls of a microchannel, in a microfluidic device, intended to modify at least locally a surface energy of said walls, the microchannel being bounded by a profiled element made of an at least partially photo-set polymer or partially thermo-set polymer and by a cover, said process comprising,
a step of irradiating under air said at least partially photo-set polymer or partially thermo-set polymer through the cover, the cover and the profiled element having been assembled beforehand, the cover being made of a material that is transparent to irradiations;
the step of irradiating under air being carried out at a wavelength shorter than or equal to 300 nm, and to a determined depth of irradiation,
wherein the depth of irradiation is determined so that bulk properties of the at least partially photo-set polymer or partially thermo-set polymer are preserved.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein, the step of irradiating under air is carried out at a wavelength ranging from 150 to 260 nm.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of irradiating under air lasts less than 20 minutes.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein said at least partially photo-set polymer or partially thermo-set polymer is irradiated only locally.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising prior to the irradiating under air the following steps:
a step of preparing the profiled element made of the at least partially photo-set polymer or partially thermo-set polymer; and
a step of closing the profiled element with the cover so as to bound at least one microchannel.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the depth of irradiation is 100 nm or less, or is smaller than 1% of the total thickness of the microfluidic device.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is an at least partially photo-set polymer.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the polymer is obtained from a photo-setting resin by irradiation at a wavelength longer than 300 nm.

Assignees

• Total Petrochemicals France
• Ecole Superieure De Physique Et Chimie Ind De La Ville De Paris
• Centre National De La Rech Scientifique—Cnrs
• Total Petrochemicals
• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Azioune Ammar
• Bartolo Denis
• Levache Bertrand
• Studer Vincent

Classifications

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• Y10T29/49

  Method of mechanical manufacture · CPC title

• B81B2201/05

  Microfluidics · CPC title

• B81C1/00206 Primary

  Processes for functionalising a surface, e.g. provide the surface with specific mechanical, chemical or biological properties · CPC title

• B01L3/502707 Primary

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title