Microfluidic chip and microfluidic device
A microfluidic chip includes a flow passage plate, a flat plate, and an annular seal. In the flow passage plate, a recess forming a flow passage for liquid and a communication hole communicating with the recess are formed. The flat plate is stacked on or under the flow passage plate to close the recess for defining the flow passage. In the flat plate, a communication through-hole communicating with the recess is formed. The annular seal is located on, or formed on, an outer surface of at least one of the flow passage plate and the flat plate, the annular seal surrounding at least one of the communication hole and the communication through-hole. The annular seal is made of an elastomer.
1. A microfluidic chip, comprising:
a flow passage plate having a first surface on which a recess forms a flow passage for liquid, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a communication hole communicating with the recess;
a flat plate stacked on or under the flow passage plate, the flat plate having a third surface that is adhered to the first surface of the flow passage plate to close the recess for defining the flow passage, a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, and a communication through-hole communicating with the recess; and
an annular seal made of an elastomer formed on and protruding from at least one of the second surface of the flow passage plate and the fourth surface of the flat plate, the annular seal surrounding at least one of the communication hole of the flow passage plate and the communication through-hole of the flat plate,
wherein at least one of the flow passage plate and the flat plate is made of the elastomer and formed integrally with the annular seal.
2. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1 , wherein the flow passage plate has multiple first fixing through-holes formed therein, and wherein the flat plate has multiple second fixing through-holes formed therein, the first fixing through-holes being aligned with the second fixing through-holes, respectively; and
pins inserted through the multiple first fixing through-holes and the multiple second fixing through-holes so as to fasten the flat plate and the flow passage plate together.
3. A microfluidic device comprising:
multiple microfluidic chips according to claim 1 , the microfluidic chips having the flow passages of different types, respectively,
the multiple microfluidic chips stacked one on top of another, such that the communication hole or the communication through-hole of one of the microfluidic chips is aligned with the communication hole or the communication through-hole of a neighboring microfluidic chip,
wherein the annular seal of one of the microfluidic chips are compressed between the microfluidic chips and surrounds the communication hole and the communication through-hole of the microfluidic chips.
4. The microfluidic device according to claim 3 , wherein the flow passage plate in each of the microfluidic chips has first fixing through-holes formed therein, wherein the flat plate of each of the microfluidic chips has second fixing through-holes formed therein, and wherein the first fixing through-holes are aligned with the second fixing through-holes in all the microfluidic chips; and
pins inserted through the first fixing through-holes and the second fixing through-holes so as to fasten the flat plate and the flow passage plate together.
5. A microfluidic chip, comprising:
a flow passage plate having a first surface on which a recess forms a flow passage for liquid, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a communication hole communicating with the recess;
a flat plate stacked on or under the flow passage plate, the flat plate having a third surface that is adhered to the first surface of the flow passage plate to close the recess for defining the flow passage, a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, and a communication through-hole communicating with the recess; and
an annular seal made of an elastomer formed on at least one of the second surface of the flow passage plate and the fourth surface of the flat plate, the annular seal surrounding at least one of the communication hole of the flow passage plate and the communication through-hole of the flat plate,
wherein at least one of the flow passage plate and the flat plate is made of the elastomer and formed integrally with the annular seal;
the microfluidic chip includes multiple microfluidic chips:
the microfluidic chips having the flow passages of different types, respectively,
the multiple microfluidic chips stacked one on top of another, such that the communication hole or the communication through-hole of one of the microfluidic chips is aligned with the communication hole or the communication through-hole of a neighboring microfluidic chip,
wherein the annular seal of one of the microfluidic chips are compressed between the microfluidic chips and surrounds the communication hole and the communication through-hole of the microfluidic chips, and
wherein the flow passage plate in each of the microfluidic chips are made of a transparent material, wherein the flat plate of each of the microfluidic chips are made of a transparent material, and wherein the flow passages of the multiple microfluidic chips are located at different positions from each other when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the flow passage plate.