阅读说明：本技术 一种微流控芯片非接触电导检测池及制备方法 (Non-contact conductivity detection cell of micro-fluidic chip and preparation method ) 是由 郭广生 胡思琦 张东堂 汪夏燕 于 2019-10-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种微流控芯片非接触电导检测池及制备方法,属于芯片微加工领域。该检测池的外壳为接地金属盒,检测池内包括微流控芯片、外接毛细管、导线、BNC接头和四根金属丝。一根金属丝作为激发电极,一根金属丝作为感应电极,两根处于相对位置的金属丝作为接地屏蔽电极以减少两电极耦合而产生的杂散电容。微流控芯片上的电极通道和检测通道可以采用一步化学湿法刻蚀技术制备,从而实现精确的检测池几何设计。微流控芯片经键合后,将金属丝的一端插入所需的电极通道中,利用环氧胶将其固定,另一端通过导线与BNC接头相连即完成检测池的制备。该方法实施简便、安全、检测池几何参数可控、重复性好,可用于构建微流控芯片非接触电导检测系统。(A non-contact conductivity detection cell of a microfluidic chip and a preparation method thereof belong to the field of chip micro-processing. The shell of the detection cell is a grounded metal box, and the detection cell comprises a microfluidic chip, an external capillary, a lead, a BNC connector and four metal wires. One metal wire is used as an exciting electrode, one metal wire is used as an induction electrode, and the two metal wires which are positioned at opposite positions are used as grounding shielding electrodes so as to reduce stray capacitance generated by coupling of the two electrodes. The electrode channel and the detection channel on the microfluidic chip can be prepared by adopting a one-step chemical wet etching technology, so that the precise geometric design of the detection cell is realized. And after bonding the microfluidic chip, inserting one end of the metal wire into a required electrode channel, fixing the metal wire by using epoxy glue, and connecting the other end of the metal wire with the BNC joint through a lead to finish the preparation of the detection cell. The method is simple and safe to implement, the geometric parameters of the detection cell are controllable, the repeatability is good, and the method can be used for constructing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip.)

1. The non-contact conductivity detection cell of the microfluidic chip is characterized in that the shell of the detection cell is a grounded metal box, and the detection cell comprises the microfluidic chip, an external capillary, a lead, a BNC connector and four metal wires; the micro-fluidic chip is provided with a through detection channel for liquid to be detected, two ends of the detection channel are respectively inserted into a capillary tube and extend out of the grounding metal box, the detection channel and the capillary tube are arranged on a straight line A, two sides of the straight line A are respectively provided with a linear grounding shielding electrode channel, the two grounding shielding electrode channels are arranged on a straight line B and are not communicated, the straight line B is perpendicular to the straight line A, the gap between one end of the grounding shielding electrode channel, close to the detection channel, and the distance between the end of the grounding shielding electrode channel and the detection channel is 15-105 micrometers (also called thickness), the gap forms an insulating structure, and a metal wire is respectively arranged in the grounding shielding electrode channel and is used as a grounding; an excitation electrode channel and/or an induction electrode channel which is parallel to the grounding shielding electrode channel are respectively arranged on two sides of the detection channel and one side of each grounding shielding electrode channel, namely one of the excitation electrode channels is the excitation electrode channel, and the other is the induction electrode channel, and the two electrode channels are total; the induction electrode channel and the excitation electrode channel are not on the same straight line, and one metal wire is respectively arranged in the induction electrode channel and the excitation electrode channel and used as a corresponding induction electrode and an excitation electrode; one ends of the induction electrode and the excitation electrode extending out of the corresponding channels are respectively connected with a BNC connector; one end of the BNC connector extends out of the grounding metal box; the grounding shielding electrode channel, the detection channel, the excitation electrode channel and the induction electrode channel are coplanar.

2. The method for preparing the microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection cell of claim 1, comprising the following steps:

(1) designing a mask:

the electrode channel and the detection channel are designed on the same mask, so that the precise geometric design of the detection cell is realized;

(2) preparing a micro channel:

etching corresponding electrode semicircular channels and detection semicircular channels on the two microfluidic chip substrates respectively, and preparing by adopting a one-step chemical wet etching technology; one of the two microfluidic chip substrates is called a substrate, and the other microfluidic chip substrate is called a cover plate;

(3) preparing an insulating structure:

the gap material between the electrode channel and the detection channel on the substrate and the cover plate is used as an insulation structure, and the thickness of the insulation structure is accurately controlled by controlling the wet etching time;

(4) sealing the microfluidic chip:

after the substrate and the cover plate obtained in the step (3) are cleaned and activated in a plasma cleaner, the substrate and the cover plate are accurately aligned and bonded at high temperature of 550 ℃, and a circular corresponding electrode channel and a circular corresponding detection channel are obtained;

(5) integration of the detection electrode:

inserting one end of a metal wire electrode into the electrode channel obtained in the step (4), fixing the metal wire electrode by using epoxy glue, and connecting the metal wire electrode and the BNC connector; and finally, placing the micro-fluidic chip integrated with the electrode into an electromagnetic shielding box with good grounding.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the material of the microfluidic chip in step (2) comprises various types of glass or quartz, preferably soda-lime glass.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the insulating layer in step (3) is 15 to 105 μm.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrode channels and the detection channels of step (4) have an inner diameter of 60 to 140 μm, an electrode channel length of 0.5 to 1mm, and an excitation electrode channel to sensing electrode channel distance of 0.2 to 1 mm.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the wire of step (5) has a diameter of 50 to 127 μm and a length of 0.5 to 1mm, and the wire includes, but is not limited to, platinum wire, gold wire, copper wire, aluminum wire, etc., preferably platinum wire.

7. The method for constructing the microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection system by using the detection cell of claim 1, wherein a signal generator is used as a signal source to be connected with a BNC connector end for detection, an output signal is picked up by an operational amplifier through the microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection cell to be subjected to current-voltage conversion, alternating current-direct current conversion is performed through a chip with a true effective value, signal amplification is performed through an instrumentation amplifier, and finally the detection cell is connected with a data acquisition card, and Labview program control analysis is performed; the operational amplifier is connected with the other BNC connector end;

and (3) testing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip:

the non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip is adopted to detect potassium chloride solutions with serial concentrations.

8. The method for constructing the microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection system by using the detection cell of claim 1, wherein the output signal includes but is not limited to sine wave signal, square wave signal, triangular wave signal, and the like, preferably sine wave signal;

the non-contact conductivity detection cell of the microfluidic chip prepared by the method is used for constructing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip and conducting conductivity detection on a sample to be detected.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a non-contact conductivity detection cell of a microfluidic chip and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the field of chip micro-processing.

Background

Miniaturization and integration are one of the important directions in the development of modern analytical instruments. Since the advent of microfluidic chips, integrated micro-detectors became one of the research hotspots in the field of analytical chemistry. The detection method for the micro-fluidic chip mainly comprises the following steps: optical detection, mass spectrometric detection and electrochemical detection. Both the optical detector and the mass spectrometer have the problems of complex system, large volume, high manufacturing cost and the like, and can not really realize miniaturization and integration. In contrast, the electrochemical detector has low cost, simple system structure, and easy integration and miniaturization, and has become the focus of research of scholars at home and abroad at present.

Electrochemical detectors used in microfluidic chip analysis systems are mainly amperometric detectors, potentiometric detectors and conductivity detectors. Amperometric detectors have high sensitivity but can only detect electrochemically active species; although the potential detector has strong selectivity, the potential detector is limited by few selective electrodes at present; conductivity detection is a general type of detection, and can be detected only by substances that change the conductivity of the solution.

Capacitive coupling non-contact conductivity detection has been widely used in microfluidic chips due to its inherent advantages of electrode insulation from solution and label-free detection. There are two ways to integrate non-contact conductivity detection electrodes on a microfluidic chip, one is to embed the electrodes in the chip, and the other is to attach the electrodes on the outer surface of the chip. The attachment electrode requires the thickness of the attached chip to be as thin as possible (micrometer thickness), so the method is suitable for thinner PMMA or PDMS chips. Glass or quartz chips are generally selected to integrate embedded electrodes, however, traditional methods of integrating embedded metal electrodes involve photolithography and sputtering techniques, which often require complicated fabrication processes and specialized equipment and are not widely available in laboratories. Thus, the development of alternative technologies is receiving increasing attention. Lenehan group injects molten metal gallium into an electrode channel, adds seed crystals, and the molten gallium is solidified to be used as a detection electrode, but the melting point of gallium is slightly higher than room temperature, so that the use of gallium in a larger temperature range is limited. The Guijt group injects molten wood alloy into the electrode channel, and cools the molten alloy to solidify it as a detection electrode, but the wood alloy contains lead and cadmium, which are harmful to the human body and the environment. The steps of injecting the molten electrode and solidifying are also relatively time consuming and complicated. The Coltro group injects a conductive solution such as potassium chloride into an electrode channel as a detection electrode, but the solution evaporates after long-term use, which affects the reproducibility of the detector.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a non-contact conductivity detection cell of a microfluidic chip and a preparation method thereof. The method has the advantages of simple and safe implementation, controllable geometric parameters of the detection cell and good repeatability, and can be used for constructing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip and carrying out conductivity detection on a sample to be detected.

The non-contact conductivity detection cell of the microfluidic chip is characterized in that the shell of the detection cell is a grounded metal box, and the detection cell comprises the microfluidic chip, an external capillary, a lead, a BNC connector and four metal wires; the micro-fluidic chip is provided with a through detection channel for liquid to be detected, two ends of the detection channel are respectively inserted into a capillary tube and extend out of the grounding metal box, the detection channel and the capillary tube are arranged on a straight line A, two sides of the straight line A are respectively provided with a linear grounding shielding electrode channel, the two grounding shielding electrode channels are arranged on a straight line B and are not communicated, the straight line B is perpendicular to the straight line A, the gap between one end of the grounding shielding electrode channel, close to the detection channel, and the distance between the end of the grounding shielding electrode channel and the detection channel is 15-105 micrometers (also called thickness), the gap forms an insulating structure, and a metal wire is respectively arranged in the grounding shielding electrode channel and is used as a grounding; an excitation electrode channel and/or an induction electrode channel which is parallel to the grounding shielding electrode channel are respectively arranged on two sides of the detection channel and one side of each grounding shielding electrode channel, namely one of the excitation electrode channels is the excitation electrode channel, and the other is the induction electrode channel, and the two electrode channels are total; the induction electrode channel and the excitation electrode channel are not on the same straight line, and one metal wire is respectively arranged in the induction electrode channel and the excitation electrode channel and used as a corresponding induction electrode and an excitation electrode; one ends of the induction electrode and the excitation electrode extending out of the corresponding channels are respectively connected with a BNC connector; one end of the BNC connector extends out of the grounding metal box; the grounding shielding electrode channel, the detection channel, the excitation electrode channel and the induction electrode channel are coplanar.

One metal wire is used as an exciting electrode, one metal wire is used as an induction electrode, and the other two metal wires which are in opposite positions are used as grounding shielding electrodes so as to reduce stray capacitance generated by coupling of the two electrodes. The electrode channel and the detection channel on the microfluidic chip can be prepared by adopting a one-step chemical wet etching technology, so that the precise geometric design of the detection cell is realized. And after bonding the microfluidic chip, inserting one end of the metal wire into a required electrode channel, fixing the metal wire by using epoxy glue, and connecting the other end of the metal wire with the BNC joint through a lead to finish the preparation of the detection cell.

In order to meet the aim, the preparation method of the non-contact conductivity detection cell of the microfluidic chip comprises the following steps:

(1) designing a mask:

the electrode channel and the detection channel are designed on the same mask, so that the precise geometric design of the detection cell is realized;

(2) preparing a micro channel:

etching corresponding electrode semicircular channels and detection semicircular channels on the two microfluidic chip substrates respectively, and preparing by adopting a one-step chemical wet etching technology; one of the two microfluidic chip substrates is called a substrate, and the other microfluidic chip substrate is called a cover plate;

(3) preparing an insulating structure:

the gap material between the electrode channel and the detection channel on the substrate and the cover plate is used as an insulation structure, and the thickness of the insulation structure is accurately controlled by controlling the wet etching time;

(4) sealing the microfluidic chip:

after the substrate and the cover plate obtained in the step (3) are cleaned and activated in a plasma cleaner, the substrate and the cover plate are accurately aligned and bonded at high temperature (the high temperature is 550 ℃), and a circular corresponding electrode channel and a circular corresponding detection channel are obtained;

(5) integration of the detection electrode:

inserting one end of a metal wire electrode into the electrode channel obtained in the step (4), fixing the metal wire electrode by using epoxy glue, and connecting the metal wire electrode and the BNC connector; and finally, placing the micro-fluidic chip integrated with the electrode into an electromagnetic shielding box with good grounding.

Constructing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip: the signal generator is used as a signal source and connected with one BNC connector end for detection, an output signal is picked up by the operational amplifier through the microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection pool to be subjected to current-voltage conversion, alternating current-direct current conversion is performed through the effective value solving chip, then signal amplification is performed through the instrumentation amplifier, and finally the signal generator is connected with the data acquisition card, and Labview program control analysis is performed; the operational amplifier is connected with the other BNC connector end;

and (3) testing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip:

the non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip is adopted to detect potassium chloride solutions with serial concentrations.

The material of the microfluidic chip in the step (2) comprises various types of glass or quartz, preferably soda-lime glass.

The thickness of the insulating layer in the step (3) is 15-105 μm.

The inner diameters of the electrode channel and the detection channel in the step (4) are 60-140 μm, the length of the electrode channel is 0.5-1mm, and the distance between the excitation electrode channel and the induction electrode channel is 0.2-1 mm.

The diameter of the metal wire in the step (5) is 50-127 μm, the length is 0.5-1mm, the metal wire includes but is not limited to platinum wire, gold wire, copper wire and aluminum wire, etc., preferably platinum wire.

The output signal includes but is not limited to sine wave signal, square wave signal, triangular wave signal, etc., preferably sine wave signal.

The non-contact conductivity detection cell of the microfluidic chip prepared by the method is used for constructing a non-contact conductivity detection system of the microfluidic chip and conducting conductivity detection on a sample to be detected.

Due to the adoption of the technical scheme, the invention has the following advantages:

(1) the preparation method is simple and convenient: the preparation steps are simplified, more instruments are not used, and the operation personnel can easily master the method.

(2) Safety: the raw materials are not toxic substances and are environmentally friendly.

(3) The geometric parameters of the detection pool are controllable: the electrode channel and the detection channel are designed on the same mask, so that the geometric design of the detection cell is realized, and the inner diameters of the electrode channel and the detection channel and the thickness of the insulating layer are accurately controlled by controlling the wet etching time.

(4) The repeatability is good: the microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection cell manufactured by the method can be used for constructing a microfluidic chip non-contact conductivity detection system and conducting conductivity detection on a sample to be detected. The same sample was taken three consecutive days, with a relative standard deviation of peak heights of less than 1%.

(5) The detection performance is good: by taking ultrapure water as a test background, the detection limit of potassium ions can reach 3.9 mu mol/L, the linear range is 10-1000 mu mol/L, and the linear correlation coefficient reaches 0.9978.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a microscopic view of a microchannel on a soda lime glass substrate in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a scanning electron micrograph of an insulating layer on a soda-lime glass substrate according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a scanning electron microscope image of the cross section of the micro channel in the soda-lime glass chip of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the structure of a non-contact conductivity cell prepared in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the structure of the non-contact conductivity detection system prepared in the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph of the response signals of the non-contact conductivity detection system prepared in the present invention to different concentrations of potassium chloride solution.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.