Method for producing a microfluidic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9266280-B2
Application number	US-201113635540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2011
Priority date	Mar 18, 2010
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A method for producing a microfluidic device includes the following method steps: a) arranging a thermoplastic elastomeric film between a base substrate and a cover substrate, at least one of the substrates has at least one depression configured to form a microfluidic chamber with a depression opening on the side of the substrate facing the elastomeric film, b) applying pressing power to the arrangement to compress the elastomeric film between the base substrate and the cover substrate, in which process the thickness of the elastomeric film is reduced, c) forming, by laser beam welding, at least one weld joining the thermoplastic elastomeric film, the base substrate and the cover substrate, and d) removing the pressing power to prevent capillaries from forming between the base substrate and the cover substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a microfluidic device, comprising:
arranging a thermoplastic elastomer film between a base substrate and a cover substrate, at least one of the base substrate and the cover substrate having at least one depression configured to form a microfluidic chamber, the at least one depression having a depression opening formed on a side of the at least one substrate that is facing the thermoplastic elastomer film;
subjecting the arrangement to a pressing pressure to compress the thermoplastic elastomer film between the base substrate and the cover substrate so as to reduce a thickness of the thermoplastic elastomer film,
forming by laser welding at least one weld connecting the thermoplastic elastomer film, the base substrate and the cover substrate, wherein the at least one weld is formed at a distance from the depression opening, and the distance between the at least one weld and the depression opening is in a ratio to the thickness of the thermoplastic elastomer film in an uncompressed state in a range from 2:1 to 30:1; and
removing the pressing pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein subjecting the arrangement to the pressing pressure compresses the thermoplastic elastomer film by at least 20 percent with respect to the thickness of the thermoplastic elastomer film in an uncompressed state.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pressing pressure has a value in a range from greater than or equal to 5 N/mm 2 to less than or equal to 500 N/mm 2 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer film has at least one aperture in a region of the depression opening.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the depression opening of the base substrate is formed opposite the depression opening of the cover substrate; and
a form and position of the depression opening of the base substrate corresponds to at least one of a form and position of the depression opening of the cover substrate and a form and position of the at least one aperture of the thermoplastic elastomer film.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the base substrate has at least one depression configured to form a microfluidic chamber;
the at least one depression has a depression opening formed on a side of the base substrate that is facing the thermoplastic elastomer film; and
the cover substrate does not have a depression opposite the depression opening of the base substrate.

Assignees

• Rapp Manuela
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Rapp Manuela

Classifications

• B01L2200/12

  Specific details about manufacturing devices · CPC title

• B01L2300/123

  Flexible; Elastomeric · CPC title

• B81B2203/0338

  Channels · CPC title

• Y10T137/85938

  Non-valved flow dividers · CPC title

• B81C3/001

  Bonding of two components · CPC title