Micro-valve and sealing device for use in a microfluidic system, and method for the production thereof
AssigneeFraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e. V.
InventorsEva Schaeffer, Volkmar Stein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A micro-valve for controlling fluid flows and a sealing device for sealing off cavities in a microfluid system, in particular in a lab-on-a-chip system, and also a method for the production thereof. A valve body or a sealing element bears with a sealing surface against a sealing surface of a substrate, the valve body or the sealing element is pressed with the sealing surface thereof in a fluid-tight manner against the sealing surface of the substrate by means of a pressure-exerting ring, and the pressure-exerting ring is cohesively connected to the substrate. The pressure-exerting ring and/or the valve body or the sealing element are at least partially elastic.
Claims21
A sample processing chip, comprising:
- a microvalve for the control of fluid streams in a microfluidic system, a substrate, having a sealing surface, and a valve body arranged movably relative to the substrate, having an elastomer seal with a sealing surface, the elastomer seal provided with at least one channel for the optional joining and/or separating of fluid lines in the substrate depending on a position of the valve body, wherein the sealing surface of the valve body and the sealing surface of the substrate lie fluid-tight against each other,
- wherein the sample processing chip is a planar support plate with fluid lines extending therethrough and wherein the sample processing chip forms the substrate of the microvalve,
- wherein a pressing ring is directly joined by a material connection to the substrate,
- the pressing ring being formed as a single piece and
- the pressing ring being in direct contact with the valve body,
- wherein the sealing surface of the valve body is pressed by the pressing ring against the sealing surface of the substrate,
- wherein the pressing ring and the valve body are both at least partly elastic, and wherein the microvalve is free of a spring,
- wherein the sealing surface of the substrate and the sealing surface of the valve body are flat surfaces, wherein the pressing ring applies pressure to the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the substrate sealing surface and the valve body sealing surface, and
- wherein a first fluid line in the substrate enters from a first side of the substrate into the at least one channel of the valve body and a second fluid line exits from the same, first side of the substrate from the channel of the valve body.
A method for making a sample processing chip, comprising the steps of:
- placing a valve body having an elastomer seal with a sealing surface on a sealing surface of a substrate formed by the sample processing chip, the elastomer seal provided with at least one channel for the optional joining and/or separating of fluid lines in the substrate depending on a position of the valve body, pressing the sealing surface of the valve body or the sealing element by a pressing ring fluid-tight against the sealing surface of the substrate without making use of a spring, the pressing ring being formed as a single piece and the pressing ring being in direct contact with the valve body or sealing element, and joining the pressing ring directly to the substrate by a material connection,
- wherein the sealing surface of the substrate and the sealing surface of the valve body are flat surfaces, wherein the pressing ring applies pressure to the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the substrate sealing surface and the valve body sealing surface,
- wherein the substrate is a planar support plate, and
- wherein a first fluid line extending through the substrate enters from a first side of the substrate into the at least one channel of the valve body and a second fluid line extending through the substrate exits from the same, first side of the substrate from the channel of the valve body.
A sample processing chip, comprising:
- a microvalve for the control of fluid streams in a microfluidic system, a substrate, having a sealing surface, and a valve body arranged movably relative to the substrate, having an elastomer seal with a sealing surface, the elastomer seal provided with at least one channel for the optional joining and/or separating of fluid lines in the substrate depending on a position of the valve body, wherein the sealing surface of the valve body and the sealing surface of the substrate lie fluid-tight against each other,
- wherein the sample processing chip is a planar support plate with fluid lines extending there through and forms the substrate of the microvalve,
- wherein a pressing ring is directly joined by gluing or welding to the substrate,
- the pressing ring being formed as a single piece and
- the pressing ring being in direct contact with the valve body,
- wherein the sealing surface of the valve body is pressed by the pressing ring against the sealing surface of the substrate,
- wherein the pressing ring and the valve body are both at least partly elastic, and wherein the microvalve is free of a spring,
- wherein the sealing surface of the substrate and the sealing surface of the valve body are flat surfaces, wherein the pressing ring applies pressure to the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the substrate sealing surface and the valve body sealing surface, and
- wherein a first fluid line in the substrate enters from a first side of the substrate into the at least one channel of the valve body and a second fluid line exits from the same, first side of the substrate from the channel of the valve body.
A sample processing chip comprising a microvalve for the control of fluid streams in a microfluidic system, a substrate, having a sealing surface, and a valve body arranged movably relative to the substrate, having an elastomer seal with a sealing surface, the elastomer seal provided with at least one channel for the optional joining and/or separating of fluid lines in the substrate depending on a position of the valve body, wherein the sealing surface of the valve body and the sealing surface of the substrate lie fluid-tight against each other,
- wherein the sample processing chip is a planar support plate with fluid lines extending there through and forms the substrate of the microvalve,
- wherein a valve seat is recessed in the substrate,
- wherein a pressing ring is directly joined by a material connection to the substrate,
- the pressing ring being formed as a single piece,
- the pressing ring being in direct contact with the valve body,
- wherein the valve body and pressing ring closes off the surface of the substrate flush,
- wherein the sealing surface of the valve body is pressed by the pressing ring against the sealing surface of the substrate,
- wherein the pressing ring and the valve body are both at least partly elastic, and
- wherein the microvalve is free of a spring,
- wherein the sealing surface of the substrate and the sealing surface of the valve body are flat surfaces, wherein the pressing ring applies pressure to the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the substrate sealing surface and the valve body sealing surface,
- wherein a first fluid line in the substrate enters from a first side of the substrate into the at least one channel of the valve body and a second fluid line exits from the same, first side of the substrate from the channel of the valve body.
A sample processing chip comprising a microvalve for the control of fluid streams in a microfluidic system, a substrate, having a sealing surface, and a valve body arranged movably relative to the substrate, having an elastomer seal with a sealing surface, the elastomer seal provided with at least one channel for the optional joining and/or separating of fluid lines in the substrate depending on a position of the valve body, wherein the sealing surface of the valve body and the sealing surface of the substrate lie fluid-tight against each other,
- wherein the sample processing chip is a planar support plate with fluid lines extending there through and forms the substrate of the microvalve,
- wherein a pressing ring is directly joined by a material connection to the substrate,
- the pressing ring being formed as a single piece and
- the pressing ring being in direct contact with the valve body and supporting the valve body relative to the substrate on its side facing away from the sealing surface,
- wherein the sealing surface of the valve body is pressed by the pressing ring against the sealing surface of the substrate,
- wherein the pressing ring and the valve body are both at least partly elastic, and wherein the microvalve is free of a spring,
- wherein the sealing surface of the substrate and the sealing surface of the valve body are flat surfaces, wherein the pressing ring applies pressure to the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the substrate sealing surface and the valve body sealing surface, and
- wherein a first fluid line in the substrate enters from a first side of the substrate into the at least one channel of the valve body and a second fluid line exits from the same, first side of the substrate from the channel of the valve body.
A sample processing chip comprising a microvalve for the control of fluid streams in a microfluidic system, a substrate, having a sealing surface, and a valve body arranged movably relative to the substrate, having an elastomer seal with a sealing surface, the elastomer seal provided with at least one channel for the optional joining and/or separating of fluid lines in the substrate depending on a position of the valve body, wherein the sealing surface of the valve body and the sealing surface of the substrate lie fluid-tight against each other,
- wherein the sample processing chip is a planar support plate with fluid lines extending there through and forms the substrate of the microvalve,
- wherein a pressing ring is directly joined by gluing or welding to the substrate,
- the pressing ring being formed as a single piece and
- the pressing ring being in direct contact with the valve body and supporting the valve body relative to the substrate on its side facing away from the sealing surface,
- wherein the sealing surface of the valve body is pressed by the pressing ring against the sealing surface of the substrate,
- wherein the pressing ring and the valve body are both at least partly elastic, and wherein the microvalve is free of a spring,
- wherein the sealing surface of the substrate and the sealing surface of the valve body are flat surfaces, wherein the pressing ring applies pressure to the valve body in a direction perpendicular to the substrate sealing surface and the valve body sealing surface, and
- wherein a first fluid line in the substrate enters from a first side of the substrate into the at least one channel of the valve body and a second fluid line exits from the same, first side of the substrate from the channel of the valve body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.