Micro-structured mold-core of microfluidic chip and its manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11305277-B2
Application number	US-201816634100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	Dec 10, 2018
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A micro-structured mold-core of a microfluidic chip and its manufacturing method, which includes the steps of: installing a mold-core on a worktable of a five-axis machining center, and installing a micro-milling cutter and a fine milling-grinding tool on a tool holder of the five-axis machining center; rough-milling a surface of the mold-core using the micro-milling cutter according to a preset first machining track, to form a micro-projection array structure with a specific shape; finishing a surface of the micro-projection array structure formed by rough-milling using the fine milling-grinding tool according to a preset second machining track, to form a desired micro-projection array structure; and installing the mold-core on an injection molding machine, and adding particle material of polymer for micro injection molding to form a microfluidic chip, or installing the mold-core on a hot-embossing machine, and adding block material of polymer for hot embossing to form a microfluidic chip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip, comprising the following steps:
installing a mold-core on a worktable of a five-axis machining center, and installing a micro-milling cutter and a fine milling-grinding tool on a tool holder of the five-axis machining center;
rough-milling a surface of the mold-core using the micro-milling cutter according to a preset first machining track, to form a micro convex array structure with a specific shape;
finishing a surface of the micro convex array structure formed by rough-milling using the fine milling-grinding tool according to a preset second machining track, to form a desired micro convex array structure, and wherein the size of the micro convex array structure formed by rough-milling is larger than the size of which formed by finishing; and
installing the mold-core on an injection molding machine, and adding particle material of polymer for micro injection molding to form a microfluidic chip, and a surface of the microfluidic chip has a micro-grooved array structure.

2. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 1 , wherein a spindle speed of the five-axis machining center is in a range from 5000 to 20,000 rpm, and a feed depth of the micro-milling cutter is in a range from 0.1 to 50 micrometers, and a feed speed of the micro-milling cutter is in a range from 10 to 1000 mm/min.

3. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 1 , wherein the micro-grooved array structure comprises a plurality of micro-channels connected in sequence, and a groove depth of each micro-channel is in a range from 10 to 800 microns.

4. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 3 , wherein each of the micro-channels comprises a first channel, a second channel and a transition channel connected between the first channel and the second channel, and a trench interval between the first channel and the second channel ranges from 10 to 500 microns.

5. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the mold-core comprises ceramic, diamond, die steel or hard alloy.

6. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the microfluidic chip comprises one of polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polydimethylsiloxane, polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene or polycarbonate, or a mixture of two or more.

7. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 4 , wherein the first channel, the second channel and the transition channel each comprises:
a first side surface;
a second side surface disposed opposite to the first side surface; and
a bottom surface, both ends of which are respectively connected to the first side surface and the second side surface;
the first side surface, the bottom surface and the second side surface together form a V-shape, a U-shape or a rectangle.

8. A manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip, comprising the following steps:
installing a mold-core on a worktable of a five-axis machining center, and installing a micro-milling cutter and a fine milling-grinding tool on a tool holder of the five-axis machining center;
rough-milling a surface of the mold-core using the micro-milling cutter according to a preset first machining track to form a micro convex array structure with a specific shape;
finishing a surface of the micro convex array structure formed by rough-milling using the fine milling-grinding tool according to a preset second machining track to form a desired micro convex array structure, and wherein the size of the micro convex array structure formed by rough-milling is larger than the size of which formed by finishing; and
installing the mold-core on a hot-embossing machine, and adding block material of polymer for hot embossing to form a microfluidic chip, and a surface of the microfluidic chip has a micro-grooved array structure.

9. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 8 , wherein a spindle speed of the five-axis machining center is in a range from 5000 to 20,000 rpm, and a feed depth of the micro-milling cutter is in a range from 0.1 to 50 micrometers, and a feed speed of the micro-milling cutter is in a range from 10 to 1000 mm/min.

10. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 8 , wherein the micro-grooved array structure comprises a plurality of micro-channels connected in sequence, and a groove depth of each micro-channel is in a range from 10 to 800 microns.

11. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 10 , wherein each of the micro-channels comprises a first channel, a second channel and a transition channel connected between the first channel and the second channel, and a trench interval between the first channel and the second channel ranges from 10 to 500 microns.

12. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 8 , wherein the material of the mold-core comprises ceramic, diamond, die steel or hard alloy.

13. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 8 , wherein the material of the microfluidic chip comprises one of polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polydimethylsiloxane, polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene or polycarbonate, or a mixture of two or more.

14. The manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip according to claim 11 , wherein the first channel, the second channel and the transition channel each comprises:
a first side surface;
a second side surface disposed opposite to the first side surface; and
a bottom surface, both ends of which are respectively connected to the first side surface and the second side surface;
the first side surface, the bottom surface and the second side surface together form a V-shape, a U-shape or a rectangle.

15. A micro-structured mold-core of a microfluidic chip with a mold-core body, wherein,
a micro convex array structure being disposed on a surface of the mold-core body, wherein the micro convex array structure is formed by rough-milling the surface of the mold-core body with a micro-milling cutter to form a micro convex array structure with a specific shape, and finishing the surface of the micro convex array structure formed by rough-milling using a fine milling-grinding tool, wherein the micro convex array structure comprises a plurality of micro convexities connected in sequence, and each of the micro convexities comprises a first connection section, a second connection section and a transition section connected between the first connection section and the second connection section.

16. The micro-structured mold-core of a microfluidic chip according to claim 15 , wherein the first connection section is a straight section, the second connection section is a straight section, and the transition section is an arc-shaped or a straight section.

17. The micro-structured mold-core of a microfluidic chip according to claim 15 , wherein the heights of the first connection section, the second connection section and the transition section each of which is in a range from 10 to 800 microns, and the widths of the first connection section, the second connection section and the transition section each of which is in a range from 10 to 500 microns, and an interval distance between the first connection section and the second connection section is in a range from 10 to 500 microns.

18. The micro-structured mold-core of a microfluidic chip according to claim 15 , wherein the first connection section, the second connection sectio

Assignees

• Univ Shenzhen

Inventors

• Lu Yanjun
• Chen Fumin
• Wu Xiaoyu
• Zhou Chaolan
• Peng Qiyang
• Zhang Jiatao

Classifications

• B29L2031/756

  Microarticles, nanoarticles · CPC title

• B29C45/37

  Mould cavity walls {, i.e. the inner surface forming the mould cavity, e.g. linings} · CPC title

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• B29C33/3842

  Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining · CPC title

• B01L2300/0809

  rectangular shaped · CPC title