The Microfluidic Pulse Drive - Control Chip Spotting System Design And Experimental Studies

Biochip technology aims to achieve a quick, exact and high throughout detection of cell, protein, DNA and other bio-constituents through micro biochemical analysis system which is immobilized on solid substrate by microfabricaton technology. Combinatorial materials chip technology, by which combinatorial materials library can be prepared and the properties can be characterized in a short time, is a method to discover and optimize novel materials through the parallel synthesis methods and high throughput characterization techniques.Non-contact dispensing method for the preparation of biochip has the advantages: quantitative accuracy and good repeatability, but it also has typical problems:nozzle clogging, large spot diameter and low density. Inkjet delivery method for the preparation of combinatorial materials chip takes a long time to prepare reactant solutions which can be jetted and to evaporate solvent before solid-state reaction, for which it is with low efficiency.The technology of pulse driving and controlling of micro-fluids invented by Microsystems Laboratory, Nanjing University of Science and Technology can be applied in liquid and powder micro-jetting. It has some advantages:simple structure, low cost, high reliability, anti-clogging and spot with high resolution. Based on this technology, in this paper, the flow characteristics of liquids and powders in the microchannel were analyzed, and the experimental research on micro-jetting was completed. The research achievements are as follow:Based on the technology of pulse driving and controlling of micro-fluids, biochip spotting system, in which piezoelectric ceramic was chosen as actuator, was built. Chip spotting experiment was successfully completed, and microarray with spotting diameter about 96μm was prepared, which showed that the demand for biochip spotting was well met by the system. Compared with existing non-contact microarrayer, biochip spotting system has the advantages:no heat resource, no pneumatic actuator, no nozzle clogging and small spot diameter. Therefore the system can improve the density of biochip.Based on the technology of pulse driving and controlling of micro-fluids, combinatorial materials chip spotting system, in which electromagnet was chosen as actuator, was built. Y2O3:Eu3+ luminescence materials chip was successfully prepared by powder micro-jetting, which proved the feasibility of preparation of material chip. Compared with the drop-on-demand inkjet delivery method, powder micro-jetting method without preparation of solution or suspension to simplify the process, can improve the preparation efficiency of combinatorial materials chip.