Microfluidic particle sorting apparatus and manufacturing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022258163-A1
Application number	US-202217736817-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 4, 2022
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A microfluidic particle sorting apparatus for capturing targets from fluid containing the targets is disclosed. The apparatus includes an inlet for receiving the fluid; a sorting chamber allowing the fluid to flow through; a first outlet for discharging the fluid after flowing through the sorting chamber; a capturing structure for capturing the cells, wherein the capturing structure is upstream of the first outlet, and includes obstacles in an array, each extending through the sorting chamber in a lateral direction with respect to a fluid flow of the fluid; and a second outlet upstream of the capturing structure comprising a plurality of openings; wherein a gap between two adjacent obstacles is equal to or greater than each opening of the second outlet.

First claim

1 . A microfluidic particle sorting apparatus for capturing targets from fluid containing the targets, comprising:
an inlet for receiving the fluid; a sorting chamber allowing the fluid to flow through; a first outlet for discharging the fluid after flowing through the sorting chamber; a capturing structure for capturing the cells, wherein the capturing structure is upstream of the first outlet, and comprises obstacles in an array, each extending through the sorting chamber in a lateral direction with respect to a fluid flow of the fluid; and a second outlet upstream of the capturing structure comprising a plurality of openings.

2 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a gap between two adjacent obstacles is equal to or greater than each opening of the second outlet.

3 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the gap between two adjacent obstacles is approximately equal to a size of the targets to be captured.

4 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of opening of the second outlet comprises an array of holes, and the gap between two adjacent obstacles is equal to or greater than a diameter of the holes.

5 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sorting chamber is between a cover layer and a sorting layer opposite to one another, the inlet and the first outlet are arranged in the cover layer, the second outlet is arranged in the sorting layer, and each of the obstacle extends from the sorting layer to the cover layer.

6 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a first fluid guiding structure upstream of the second outlet for smoothing the fluid flow, the first fluid guiding structure comprising a plurality of columns, each extending from the sorting layer to the cover layer.

7 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of columns arranged in lines parallel to each other, a most upstream line partially along a cross section of the sorting chamber lateral to a direction of the fluid flow.

8 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a column in a downstream line is located corresponding to a gap in an adjacent upstream line.

9 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each column of the most upstream line has side surfaces parallel to the fluid flow and a cross section of each column of the most upstream line has a part of decreasing width in the direction of fluid flow.

10 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a distance between opposing side surfaces of adjacent columns of the most upstream line is in a range of 40 μm to 50 μm.

11 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a cross section of each column of the remaining lines has a part of increasing width in the direction of fluid flow.

12 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a second fluid guiding structure downstream of the second outlet and upstream of the capturing structure for smoothing the fluid flow toward the capturing structure, the second fluid guiding structure comprising a second line of columns, each extending from the sorting layer to the cover layer.

13 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the array of obstacles comprises a plurality of lines of obstacles and the lines are arranged such that an obstacle of one line is at an equal distance from two adjacent obstacles of an adjacent line.

14 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each obstacle has a triangular cross section and a vertex of the triangle points away from the direction of the fluid flow.

15 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a back cover layer opposite to the sorting layer forming a second chamber with a back side of the sorting layer, wherein the sorting layer is sandwiched between the cover layer and the back cover layer, and at least one third outlet is on the back cover layer.

16 . A microfluidic particle sorting apparatus for capturing targets from fluid containing the targets, comprising:
an inlet for receiving the fluid; a sorting chamber allowing the fluid to flow through; a first outlet for discharging the fluid after flowing through the sorting chamber; a capturing structure for capturing the cells, wherein the capturing structure is upstream of the first outlet, and comprises obstacles in an array, each extending through the sorting chamber in a lateral direction with respect to a fluid flow of the fluid; and a fluid guiding structure upstream of the second outlet for smoothing the fluid flow, wherein the fluid guiding structure comprises at least two fluid guiding columns along a fluid flow direction.

17 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a second outlet upstream of the capturing structure comprising a plurality of openings.

18 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 16 , wherein each fluid guiding column comprises two flow guiding side surfaces that are parallel to each other, and the two flow guiding side surfaces that are parallel to each other are along the fluid flow direction.

19 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least two fluid guiding columns comprises a first fluid guiding column, and a second fluid guiding column;
a cross section of the first fluid guiding column comprises a part of decreasing width in the fluid flow direction; and a cross section of the second guiding column comprises a part of increasing width in the fluid flow direction.

20 . The microfluidic particle sorting apparatus of claim 17 , wherein a second guiding column of the at least two fluid guiding columns is disposed between the capturing structure and the second outlet.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Zhihong
• Mao defeng
• Zhao Zijian
• Yin Yudan

Classifications

• C12M23/16 Primary

  Microfluidic devices; Capillary tubes (integrated microfluidic structures B01L3/5027; microreactors B01J19/0093) · CPC title

• B01L2200/027

  for microfluidic devices · CPC title

• C12M47/04

  Cell isolation or sorting (purging biological preparations of unwanted cells C12N5/0081, determining the presence or kind of microorganism C12Q1/04) · CPC title

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• B32B37/18

  involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only · CPC title