Microfluidic control device and method for controlling microfluid
View Patent ↗Provided is a microfluidic control device and method for controlling the microfluid, and a fine amount of fluid is controlled even with natural fluid flow and solution injection, wherein a pressure barrier of a capillary is removed by a surface tension change resulted from the solution injection to thereby obtain transport, interflow, mixing, and time delay of the microfluid, and to detail this, solution is injected to meet the boundary surface of the stopped fluid when the fluid is stopped by the stop valve, so that a function of the stop valve is removed to obtain the transport, interflow, and mixing of the fluid, and the method for controlling the microfluid may be applied to the microfluidic control device for biochemical reaction, and it uses only the capillary force change resulted from solution injection to thereby have its structure simplified.
1. A microfluidic control device comprising:
a storage chamber for storing fluid flowing from outside;
a branching flow channel connected to the storage chamber;
a plurality of reaction chambers connected to the branching flow channel;
a connecting channel leading from each of the plurality of reaction chambers;
a capillary stop valve configured to stop the fluid flowing from all of the connecting channels, the stop valve comprising a confluence chamber and an injection hole; and
a collection chamber connected to the confluence chamber,
wherein a motive force necessary for moving the fluid is derived from natural capillary phenomenon;
wherein a boundary surface of the fluid from each of the connecting channels stopped at the stop valve is disturbed after a droplet is injected at the injection hole, causing the stop valve to lose its function of stopping the flow of fluid from the connecting channels, thereby allowing the fluid to flow through the confluence chamber to the collection chamber;
wherein the stop valve is formed of a cross sectional rapid expansion structure so as to increase stop pressure of the stop valve; and
wherein the cross sectional rapid expansion structure is shaped to have rapidly expanding channel heights of upper and lower substrates so as to increase an expansion angle in a transporting direction of the fluid.
2. The microfluidic control device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage chamber connected to the confluence chamber via the injection hole for injecting the droplet.
3. The microfluidic control device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the collection chamber has an air hole formed for maintaining the capillary force exerted on the fluid.
4. The microfluidic control device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber includes an electrode for at least one of reaction, sensing, and control.
5. The microfluidic control device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a delay valve connected to at least one connecting channel so as to delay the fluid flow.
6. The microfluidic control device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the delay valve has a straight line shape to have a low channel height and surface tension, and a high viscosity coefficient or contact angle.
7. The microfluidic control device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the delay valve is formed to be a waveform structure having a predetermined expansion angle.