阅读说明：本技术 检测芯片以及检测装置 (Detection chip and detection device ) 是由 金范埈 高间信行 于 2018-05-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明的检测芯片包括：基板,所述基板具有流入孔、与流入孔连接的微流路以及与微流路连接的反应室；多孔质的微针,所述多孔质的微针由生物降解性材料形成,设置于与流入孔重叠的位置；传感器,所述传感器配置于反应室；以及毛细管泵部,所述毛细管泵部具有小径流路,并且所述毛细管泵部设置于基板并与反应室连接。(The detection chip of the invention comprises: a substrate having an inflow hole, a microchannel connected to the inflow hole, and a reaction chamber connected to the microchannel; a porous microneedle made of a biodegradable material and provided at a position overlapping the inlet hole; a sensor disposed in the reaction chamber; and a capillary pump section having a small-diameter channel, the capillary pump section being provided on the substrate and connected to the reaction chamber.)

1. A detection chip, wherein,

the method comprises the following steps: a substrate having an inflow hole, a microchannel connected to the inflow hole, and a reaction chamber connected to the microchannel;

a porous microneedle made of a biodegradable material and provided at a position overlapping the inflow hole;

a sensor disposed in the reaction chamber; and

and a capillary pump section having a small-diameter channel and provided on the substrate and connected to the reaction chamber.

2. The detection chip according to claim 1,

the microneedle has:

a body formed of the biodegradable material having a plurality of voids; and

a coating covering at least the tip portion of the body and forming a tip portion capable of penetrating the skin.

3. The detection chip according to claim 2,

the coating is formed of a material that dissolves in the skin.

4. The detection chip according to claim 2,

in the body, the size of the pores is 30 to 60 μm, and the porosity is 60 to 80%.

5. The detection chip according to claim 1,

the biodegradable material includes at least one of polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) copolymer.

6. A detection device, wherein,

the detection chip according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a detection chip, and more particularly, to a detection chip having microneedles and a detection device having the detection chip.

This application is based on and claims priority from a provisional application with application number 62/643761 filed in 2018, 3, 16, and the contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

In order to manage blood glucose levels, diabetics need to self-test their blood glucose many times a day. A self-measuring blood glucose apparatus currently on the market punctures a capillary vessel such as a finger with a needle and measures blood glucose by bringing blood oozing from a wound into contact with a sensor. Since this self-test blood glucose meter causes pain during measurement, it is a heavy burden for a diabetic who performs measurement frequently.

As a minimally invasive blood collection method without accompanying pain, a blood collection microneedle is known. Generally, the blood sampling microneedle is a hollow microneedle having a length of about 1mm, an outer diameter of 100 to 300 μm and an inner diameter of about 60 to 100 μm, and metals such as nickel and photoresists are proposed as materials. Patent document 1 describes a blood monitoring system including a blood sampling microneedle.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The blood sampling microneedles are difficult to manufacture due to their structure and size. In addition, if the strength of the microneedle is insufficient, the microneedle may break off in vivo and remain in the skin.

In addition, it is important to continuously monitor blood glucose in order to more accurately grasp the condition of a diabetic patient, but the blood monitoring system described in patent document 1 does not have a structure that continuously sucks blood, and therefore cannot meet this requirement. When continuous blood glucose monitoring is performed by the blood monitoring system described in patent document 1, various mechanisms such as a pump and a power supply for driving the pump are required, which increases the size of the apparatus and increases the manufacturing cost.

Due to the above circumstances, there currently exists no minimally invasive device that enables a patient to perform continuous blood glucose monitoring on his or her own.

An object of the present invention is to provide a detection chip capable of continuously obtaining blood and performing detection in a minimally invasive manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a detection device capable of continuously monitoring a substance in blood in a minimally invasive manner.

Means for solving the problems

A first embodiment of the present invention is a detection chip including: a substrate having an inflow hole, a microchannel connected to the inflow hole, and a reaction chamber connected to the microchannel; a porous microneedle made of a biodegradable material and provided at a position overlapping the inlet hole; a sensor disposed in the reaction chamber; and a capillary pump section having a small-diameter channel, the capillary pump section being provided on the substrate and connected to the reaction chamber.

The second embodiment of the present invention is a detection device having the detection chip of the present invention.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, blood can be continuously obtained in a minimally invasive manner, and various kinds of detection and monitoring can be performed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a detection chip according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the substrate of the same detection chip.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line I-I of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing microneedles of the same detection chip.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a process of the method for manufacturing the same microneedle.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a process of the method for manufacturing the same microneedle.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a process of the method for manufacturing the same microneedle.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a process of the method for manufacturing the same microneedle.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a process of the method for manufacturing the same microneedle.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a detection apparatus to which the same detection chip is applied.

Fig. 11 is a view showing the back surface of the same detection device.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of the same detection device.

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 12.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a detection chip 1 according to the present embodiment. The detection chip 1 includes: a substrate 10 having a microchannel; and a plurality of microneedles 20 and sensors 19 formed on the substrate 10.

Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of the substrate 10 before forming the microneedles 20. In the region of one end side of the substrate 10, a plurality of inflow holes 11 are opened. In a region on the other end side of the substrate 10, a capillary pump section 16 is formed. An intermediate channel 17 is formed between the inlet hole 11 and the capillary pump portion 16.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line I-I of fig. 2. A plurality of microchannels 12 are formed in the middle of the substrate 10 in the thickness direction. The microchannel 12 communicates with each inflow hole 11. The microchannel 12 gradually merges as it approaches the capillary pump section 16, and finally becomes a single channel and is connected to the intermediate channel 17.

The capillary pump section 16 is constituted by a large number of small-diameter channels gradually branching from the intermediate channel 17. As the shape gradually branching, for example, a shape like a course (course) table can be cited. The width and depth of the small-diameter flow path may be set appropriately within a range in which the capillary phenomenon occurs, and may be set to about 2 to 5 μm, for example.

The capillary pump section 16 may be open at its upper portion or may be covered with a cover or the like, but at least its terminal portion is open to the atmosphere so that the fluid can flow in.

The microchannel 12 and the capillary pump section 16 of the substrate 10 can be combined with photolithography (Photo lithogry), reactive ion etching, and xenon difluoride (XeF)₂) Dry etching, etc. From application to applicationFrom the viewpoint of these techniques, a silicon wafer is suitable as a material of the substrate 10.

The intermediate channel 17 has a wide width at the intermediate portion to form a reaction chamber 18. A sensor 19 is provided in the reaction chamber 18. The sensor 19 is located at a position where it can be brought into contact with the fluid flowing through the intermediate flow path 17.

The specific contents of the sensor 19 are determined appropriately according to the measured items. For example, in the case of measuring a blood glucose level, an electrode portion of an electrochemical or optical glucose sensor using glucose oxidase or glucose dehydrogenase can be used.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the microneedle 20. The microneedle 20 includes a porous body 21 and a coating (coating)22 covering a tip end portion of the body 21.

The main body 21 is formed of a biodegradable material, and the surface and the inside of the main body 21 have a large number of pores 21 a. Examples of the biodegradable material include polylactic acid (PLA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), and poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA).

The microneedle 20 has a substantially conical or substantially pyramidal shape, and the diameter or the maximum dimension of the base portion is, for example, about 50 μm to 200 μm. The height of the microneedles 20 dictates the depth into the skin. In the present embodiment, the height is set to 300 μm or more and 1mm or less in consideration of reaching the dermis without stimulating pain sensation.

The plurality of holes 21a formed in the body 21 partially communicate with each other inside the body 21. As a result, a communication passage communicating from the side surface to the bottom surface of the main body 21 is formed in the main body 21.

The shape of the hollow 21a is not particularly limited. The size of the hollow 21a can be appropriately set in consideration of the composition of the fluid to be collected and the like. For example, when the fluid contains a solid substance and the solid substance interferes with the measurement performed by the sensor 19, the size of the void 21a can be made smaller than the solid substance, and the solid substance can be prevented from entering the substrate 10.

When the detection chip 1 is used for blood glucose measurement, the size of the pores 21a can be set to about 30 μm to 60 μm, for example, in consideration of the size of blood cell components.

The coating layer 22 covers the tip portion of the body 21, thereby constituting the sharp tip of the microneedle 20. As a material of the coating layer 22, a material having high affinity for an organism and having constant hardness in a dry state, for example, hyaluronic acid, can be cited.

The manufacturing sequence of the microneedles 20 will be explained.

First, the water-soluble particles are mixed with the material of the main body 21 without dissolving the water-soluble particles, thereby adjusting the viscosity of the material. The size of the water-soluble particles is the same as the size of the pores 21a formed in the body 21. The amount of the water-soluble particles is determined based on the porosity set in the body 21. The water-soluble particles are not particularly limited, but sodium chloride is preferable because it is relatively easy to control the size of the sodium chloride particles.

Next, as shown in fig. 5, the dispenser (dispenser) or the like is filled with the adjusted viscous material, the tip of the dispenser D is brought close to the substrate 10, and the viscous material is gently discharged. Thereby, droplets of the viscous material 24 including the water-soluble particles 23 are arranged on the substrate 10. At this time, the droplet is arranged to overlap the inflow hole 11 on the substrate 10.

Next, when the dispenser D is slowly lifted up and separated from the substrate 10, a part of the droplet is lifted up following the dispenser D. As a result, the droplet is deformed into a needle-like shape with a sharp upper side. As shown in fig. 7, after the dispenser D is further lifted and separated from the droplets, the viscous material 24 is dried and solidified, and a prototype 21p of the body 21 including the water-soluble particles 23 is formed.

Next, the prototype 21p is immersed in water to dissolve the water-soluble particles 23. As shown in fig. 8, when the water-soluble particles 23 are removed, the portions where the water-soluble particles 23 exist become voids 21a, and the manufacture of the body 21 is completed. At this time, in the body 21, the water-soluble particles 23 located at the tip portion of the prototype 21p are dissolved and removed, and therefore, the tip portion may be missing. Such a body 21 cannot penetrate the skin directly and thus cannot function as a needle.

Finally, when the distal end portion of the main body 21 is immersed in the solution of the coating material and lifted upward, the coating material adheres so as to cover the distal end portion of the main body 21, and the distal end portion has a sharp-pointed shape. Even when the tip portion of the main body 21 is missing, the missing portion is complemented by the coating material, and the tip portion has substantially the same tip shape as the case where the tip portion is not missing.

As shown in fig. 9, when the attached coating material is dried, a coating layer 22 covering the tip portion of the body 21 is formed, and the microneedle 20 is completed.

The operation when the detection chip 1 is used will be described.

When the tip of the microneedle 20 is pressed against the skin of the user, the microneedle penetrates the skin from the tip and entirely enters the skin. Due to the presence of the cured coating 22 at the tips of the microneedles 20, the microneedles are sufficiently stiff to penetrate the skin. Due to the length of the body 21, the body of the micro needle 20 reaches the dermis and does not stimulate pain sensation. As a result, a state in which blood can be collected by the microneedles 20 is established without causing pain to the user.

Since the coating layer 22 can be dissolved in the skin rapidly, the hollow 21a of the body 21 is exposed in the skin and blood can enter.

The blood entered from the empty hole 21a flows through the communication hole in the main body 21 due to the capillary phenomenon and enters the inflow hole 11 from the bottom surface opening of the main body 21. Further, the blood flows through the intermediate channel 17 through the microchannel 12, enters the reaction chamber 18, and comes into contact with the sensor 19. Therefore, the reaction for measurement is performed on the entered blood with the sensor 19, and the electric signal obtained as a result can be acquired.

The blood that has reached the reaction chamber 18 further flows into the capillary pump section 16 from the intermediate channel 17, and gradually fills the small-diameter channel of the capillary pump section 16. Since the inflow of blood continues until the capillary pump portion 16 is completely filled, the sensor 19 can continuously measure until the capillary pump portion 16 is filled with blood.

As described above, according to the detection chip 1 of the present embodiment, continuous blood detection, which has been difficult to be performed by the patient himself/herself in the past, can be performed easily without the patient feeling pain at all.

Further, since the microneedles 20 are formed of a biodegradable material, even if the microneedles are broken in the skin by a user's operation or the like, the microneedles are directly decomposed and absorbed without causing adverse effects such as inflammation. Therefore, the load on the living body is small and it is very safe.

In the detection chip 1, since blood is continuously collected by utilizing the capillary phenomenon generated in the capillary pump section 16, blood can be continuously collected without using a mechanical pump, a drive source thereof, or the like. As a result, the detection chip 1 can be made compact in structure, easy to handle, and low-cost to manufacture.

The time that the sensor 19 can continuously measure can be automatically adjusted by changing the volume of the capillary pump portion 16, that is, the area of the capillary pump portion 16 in the plan view of the substrate 10. Therefore, various modes of continuous measurement can be dealt with according to the target detection item.

In addition, according to the method for manufacturing a microneedle in the present embodiment, after the prototype 21p of the body 21 is formed using the biodegradable adhesive material 24 containing the water-soluble particles 23, the water-soluble particles 23 are dissolved and removed to form the cavity 21 a. Therefore, by appropriately setting the size of the water-soluble particles to be used, the size and porosity of the pores of the formed body 21 can be controlled with high accuracy.

In the studies of the inventors using pig blood, it was found that a sufficient amount of blood for continuous blood glucose measurement can be obtained by using 15 microneedles 20 having a pore size of 30 to 60 μm and a porosity of 60 to 80%. According to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment, microneedles satisfying such conditions can be reliably and easily manufactured.

Further, since the microneedle 20 has the coating layer 22 at the tip end portion, it is not necessary to consider the size of the hollow hole in order to secure a sharp state of the tip end portion of the main body. Therefore, the optimum pore size and porosity can be set according to the use conditions without restriction, and the function as a needle can be ensured by sharpening the tip end portion with the coating layer 22. That is, excellent void conditions, good skin penetration properties, and the like can be achieved at the same time and at a high level.

The detection chip 1 of the present embodiment can be more suitably used by incorporating the detection chip 1 of the present embodiment into a predetermined detection device.

Fig. 10 shows an example of a detection device 100 to which the detection chip 1 is applied. The detection apparatus 100 has a wristband (wristband)101 and a display screen 102 provided on the wristband 101.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the back surface of the detection apparatus 100. A cavity 103 for embedding the detection chip 1 is formed on the back surface of the wristband 101. When the user inserts the detection chip 1 into the cavity 103 and then wears the wristband 101 to the wrist, the microneedles 20 press the skin with a constant pressure and pierce the skin. After the skin is pierced and blood collection is started, since the wristband 101 holds the microneedles 20 and prevents the microneedles from falling off the skin, blood can be stably and continuously collected.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of the detection apparatus 100. The detection device 100 includes a communication unit 105 capable of wireless communication and a power supply 106 that supplies power to the display screen 102 and the communication unit 105. When the detection chip 1 is configured to be applicable to the detection device 1, terminals to be connected to the sensor 19 are formed in advance on the periphery of the detection chip 1. Thus, by inserting the detection chip 1 into the cavity 103 and electrically connecting the sensor 19 and the communication unit 105, the electric signal acquired by the sensor 19 can be transmitted to an external terminal such as a computer or a mobile phone.

As another embodiment, the following structure is also possible: a detachable storage medium is provided in place of the communication unit 105, and the electric signal acquired by the sensor 19 is stored in the storage medium. The following structure is also possible: the communication device includes both a storage medium and a communication unit, and stores an electric signal in the storage medium when a communicable external terminal is not in the vicinity. In this case, the storage medium may not be removable.

After the end of the measurement, the user takes out the detection chip 1 from the detection device 100 and discards it. By inserting a new detection chip 1 into the cavity 103, repeated detection can be performed easily.

In the above, a wristwatch-type detection device worn on the wrist is exemplified, but the form of the detection device is not limited thereto, and the shape and the wearing part of the detection device may not be particularly limited as long as the microneedle 20 can be held on the skin with a constant pressure. For example, a clip-shaped structure used by being clipped to an earlobe, a patch-shaped structure used by having an adhesive portion and being attached to the skin of the abdomen or chest, and the like are also possible.

While the embodiment of the present invention and the examples of the embodiment have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, additions, deletions, and combinations of the components may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the microneedles in the present invention may be formed by methods other than the above-described methods. For example, the microneedle can be formed at the inlet hole by filling a biodegradable material mixed with water-soluble particles into a mold to which the shape of the body is transferred, bonding the mold to the substrate 10 at room temperature without pressure, and then removing the mold.

In the microneedle of the present invention, the manner of coating can be changed in various ways. In the case where the coating layer is formed of a material that dissolves rapidly in the skin, the coating layer may cover the entire side surface of the main body. In the case where the coating layer covers only the distal end portion of the main body, if the coating layer is formed of a biodegradable material, the coating layer may not necessarily be quickly dissolved in the skin. Further, due to the relationship between the size of the hollow hole and the size of the main body, etc., the coating layer may not be provided as long as the tip portion of the formed main body is ensured to be in a sharp state. That is, in the microneedles of the present invention, a coating is not necessary.

Further, a plurality of sets of intermediate flow paths and reaction chambers may be provided, and different sensors may be arranged. This enables detection of a plurality of items to be continuously performed using one detection chip.

The detection chip of the present invention can be used for obtaining various body fluids that can be obtained subcutaneously, without being limited to blood. For example, since tissue fluid, lymph fluid, or the like can be obtained, the detection chip of the present invention can cope with a very wide range of detection by selecting an appropriate sensor and disposing it in the reaction chamber.

Industrial applicability

The present invention can be applied to a detection chip and a detection device.

Description of the reference numerals

1, detecting a chip;

10 a substrate;

11 an inflow hole;

12 micro flow path;

a 16 capillary pump section;

18 a reaction chamber;

19 a sensor;

20 microneedles;

21a main body;

21a void;

22 coating;

100, detecting the device.