Microfluidic channel and preparation method and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11446661-B2
Application number	US-201916643464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A microfluidic channel and a preparation method and an operation method thereof. The microfluidic channel includes: a channel structure, including a channel for a liquid sample to flow through and a channel wall surrounding the channel. The channel wall includes an electrolyte layer made of an electrolyte material; and a control electrode layer, at a side of the electrolyte layer away from the channel. The control electrode layer overlaps with the electrolyte layer with respect to the channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic channel, comprising:
a channel structure, comprising a channel for a liquid sample to flow through and a channel wall surrounding the channel, wherein the channel wall comprises an electrolyte layer made of an electrolyte material; and
a control electrode layer, at a side of the electrolyte layer away from the channel and overlapping with the electrolyte layer with respect to the channel.

2. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte layer is exposed in the channel to be allowed to be in contact with the liquid sample in an operation.

3. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte layer surrounds a part of the channel.

4. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , wherein the channel wall further comprises a first wall layer,
the first wall layer is exposed in the channel to be allowed to be in contact with the liquid sample in an operation, and a material of the first wall layer is different from the electrolyte material of the electrolyte layer.

5. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , wherein the channel wall further comprises a second wall layer,
the electrolyte layer s at a side of the second wall layer away from the channel, and a material of the second wall layer is different from the electrolyte material of the electrolyte layer.

6. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , further comprising a base substrate, wherein the control electrode layer is on the base substrate, and the channel structure is at a side of the control electrode layer away from the base substrate.

7. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , wherein the control electrode layer comprises a first electrode part and a second electrode part at opposite sides of the channel.

8. The microfluidic channel according to claim 7 , wherein the electrolyte layer comprises a first part on the first electrode part and a second part on the second electrode part, and the first part is in contact with the second part to define the channel therebetween.

9. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover plate,
wherein the cover plate is at a side of the channel structure to partially define the channel.

10. The microfluidic channel according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte material comprises an inorganic electrolyte material or a polymer electrolyte material.

11. The microfluidic channel according to claim 5 , wherein the electrolyte material is liquid, and the channel structure comprises a hole structure configured to be allowed to accommodate the electrolyte material in an operation to form the electrolyte layer.

12. A method of preparing a microfluidic channel, comprising:
forming a control electrode layer; and
forming a channel structure on the control electrode layer, wherein the channel structure comprises a channel for a liquid sample to flow and a channel wall comprising an electrolyte layer made of an electrolyte material, and the control electrode layer is at a side of the electrolyte layer away from the channel and overlaps with the electrolyte layer with respect to the channel.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte layer is exposed in the channel to be allowed to be in contact with the liquid sample in an operation.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte layer surrounds the channel.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein
the forming the control electrode layer comprises:
forming a first electrode part and a second electrode part which are spaced apart, wherein the first and second electrode parts are at opposite sides of the channel;

the forming the channel structure on the control electrode layer comprises:
forming the electrolyte layer on the first and second electrode parts, and enabling a first part of the electrolyte layer on the first electrode part to be in contact with a second part of the electrolyte layer on the second electrode layer to define the channel.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the forming the channel structure on the control electrode layer comprises:
forming the electrolyte layer on the control electrode layer;
forming a second wall layer on the electrolyte layer, wherein a material of the second wall layer is different from the electrolyte material of the electrolyte layer; and
forming the channel in the second wall layer.

17. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
providing a base substrate,
wherein the control electrode layer is formed on the base substrate, and the channel structure is formed on the control electrode layer.

18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte material comprises a solid inorganic electrolyte material or a solid polymer electrolyte material.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the electrolyte material is liquid, and the method further comprises:
forming a hole structure in the channel wall, and accommodating the electrolyte material in the hole structure to obtain the electrolyte layer.

20. An operation method of a microfluidic channel, the microfluidic channel comprising:
a channel structure, comprising a channel for a liquid sample to flow through and a channel wall surrounding the channel, wherein the channel wall comprises an electrolyte layer made of an, electrolyte material; and
a control electrode layer, at a side of the electrolyte layer away from the channel and overlapping with the electrolyte layer with respect to the channel,
wherein the operation method comprises:
providing an electric signal to the control electrode layer to control the liquid sample flowing in the channel.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd
• Beijing Boe Technology Dev Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ma Xiaochen
• Yuan Guangcai
• Ning ce
• Li Zhengliang

Classifications

• B01L2300/0887

  Laminated structure · CPC title

• B01L2400/0415

  electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic · CPC title

• B01L2300/04

  Closures and closing means · CPC title

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• B01L2300/16

  Surface properties and coatings · CPC title