Microchip and channel structure for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409172-B2
Application number	US-201414250003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2014
Priority date	May 13, 2008
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A microchip includes a channel permitting a sheath liquid to flow therethrough; and a microtube for introducing a sample liquid into a laminar flow of the sheath liquid flowing through the channel; wherein liquid feeding is performed in the condition where a laminar flow of the sample liquid introduced through the microtube is surrounded by the laminar flow of the sheath liquid.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A microchip comprising: a substrate having a main surface extending in a y-axis direction and an x-axis direction; a channel formed in the substrate permitting a sheath liquid and a sample liquid to flow therethrough, the channel having first walls opposed to one another in a z-axis direction that is perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate, and having second walls opposed to one another in the y-axis direction; and
wherein liquid feeding is performed in a condition where a laminar flow of the sample liquid introduced into the channel is surrounded by a laminar flow of the sheath liquid,
wherein the channel includes a narrow-down section extending in the x-axis direction, extending in the x-axis direction, is formed as an inclined surface extending in the x-axis direction, so that the area of the channel in a section orthogonal to extending in the x-axis direction, decreases gradually extending in the x-axis direction, and where the second walls of the channel are formed to exhibit gradual constriction in the y-axis direction as said channel extends in the x-axis direction, and wherein the inclined surface becomes higher in the z-axis direction along the downstream direction,
wherein the sheath liquid laminar flow and the sample liquid laminar flow are configured to be fed by being isotropically reduced and narrowed down in the y-axis direction as said channel extends in the x-axis direction while being reduced and narrowed down in the z-axis direction,
wherein an inclination angle of at least one of the first walls of the channel at the narrow-down section and a constriction angle of the second walls of the channel at the narrow-down section are equal to each other.

2. The microchip according to claim 1 , further comprising:
branch channels branching on a downstream side of the narrow-down section of the channel,
wherein the liquid feed direction, at a branching section of the branch channels, of the sample liquid with an electric charge imparted thereto can be controlled by electrodes disposed at the branching section.

3. The microchip according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a fluid introduction section which joins the channel on an upstream side of the branching section from at least one lateral side and through which either fluid of a gas and an insulating liquid is introduced into the channel,
wherein the sheath liquid laminar flow and the sample liquid laminar flow passing through the channel are split into droplets by the fluid introduced via the fluid introduction section, and are fed in the dropletized state.

4. The microchip according to claim 3 ,
wherein the liquid feed direction at the branching section of the sample liquid which contains particulates and which has been dropletized and given the electric charge is controlled, whereby fractionation of the particulates can be performed.

5. A channel structure formed inside a microchip, comprising: a channel formed in a substrate permitting a sheath liquid and a sample liquid to flow therethrough, the channel having first walls opposed to one another in a z-axis direction that is perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate, the substrate having a main surface extending in a y-axis direction and an x-axis direction, and having second walls opposed to one another in the y-axis direction,
wherein liquid feeding is performed in a condition where a laminar flow of the sample liquid introduced into the channel is surrounded by a laminar flow of the sheath liquid,
the channel includes a narrow-down section extending in the x-axis direction where a at least one of the first walls is formed as an inclined surface relative to the main surface so that the area of the channel in a section orthogonal to the x-axis direction decreases gradually along the x-axis direction, and where the second walls of the channel are formed to exhibit gradual constriction in the y-axis direction as said channel extends in the x-axis direction, and wherein the inclined surface becomes higher in the z-axis direction along the downstream direction,
wherein the sheath liquid laminar flow and the sample liquid laminar flow are configured to be fed by being isotropically reduced and narrowed down in the y-axis direction while being reduced and narrowed down in the z-axis direction,
wherein an inclination angle of at least one of the first walls of the channel at the narrow-down section and a constriction angle of the second walls of the channel at the narrow-down section are equal to each other.

6. A fluid analyzing apparatus comprising a microchip having a substrate having a main surface extending in a y-axis direction and an x-axis direction,
a channel formed in a substrate permitting a sheath liquid and a sample liquid to flow therethrough, the channel having first walls opposed to one another in a z-axis direction that is perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate, the substrate having a main surface extending in a y-axis direction and an x-axis direction, and having second walls opposed to one another in the y-axis direction,
liquid feeding being performed in a condition where a laminar flow of the sample liquid introduced into the channel is surrounded by a laminar flow of the sheath liquid,
the channel including a narrow-down section extending in the x-axis direction where at least one of the first walls is formed as an inclined surface relative to the main surface so that the area of the channel in a section orthogonal to the x-axis direction decreases gradually along the x-axis direction, and where the second walls of the channel are formed to exhibit gradual constriction in the y-axis direction as said channel extends in the x-axis direction, and wherein the inclined surface becomes higher in the z-axis direction along the downstream direction,
the sheath liquid laminar flow and the sample liquid laminar flow configured to be fed by being isotropically reduced and narrowed down in the y-axis direction while being reduced and narrowed down in the z-axis direction, wherein an inclination angle of at least one of the first walls of the channel at the narrow-down section and a constriction angle of the second walls of the channel at the narrow-down section are equal to each other.

7. A particulate fractionating apparatus comprising a microchip having: a substrate having a main surface extending in a y-axis direction and an x-axis direction; a channel formed in a substrate permitting a sheath liquid and a sample liquid to flow therethrough,
the channel having first walls opposed to one another in a z-axis direction that is perpendicular to a main surface of the substrate, the substrate having a main surface extending in a y-axis direction and an x-axis direction, and having second walls opposed to one another in the y-axis direction,
liquid feeding being performed in a condition where a laminar flow of the sample liquid introduced into the channel is surrounded by a laminar flow of the sheath liquid,
the channel including a narrow-down section extending in the x-axis direction where at least one of the first walls is formed as an inclined surface relative to the main surface of the substrate so that the area of the channel in a section orthogonal to the x-axis direction decreases gradually in the x-axis direction, and where the second walls of the channel are formed to exhibit gradual constriction in the y-axis direction as said channel extends in the x-axis direction, and wherein the inclined surface becomes higher in the z-axis direction along the downstream direction,
the sheath liquid laminar flow and the sample liquid laminar flow configured to be fed by being isotropically reduced and narrowed down in the y-axis direction while being reduced and narrowed down in the z-axi

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Shinoda Masataka
• Takashimizu Toru

Classifications

• G01N2015/149

  Physics · mapped topic

• B01L2300/0861

  Configuration of multiple channels and/or chambers in a single devices · CPC title

• Y10T137/0324

  With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid · CPC title

• G01N35/10

  Devices for transferring samples {or any liquids} to, in, or from, the analysis apparatus, e.g. suction devices, injection devices {(G01N35/0099 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01L2300/0645

  Electrodes · CPC title