Apparatus for driving microfluid and driving method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for driving microfluids is provided. The apparatus comprises a driving unit and a microfluidic chip. The driving unit comprises a substrate and a film, wherein the film is combined with the substrate. Moreover, the microfluidic chip is coupled with the driving unit.

1 . An apparatus for driving a microfluid, comprising: 
 a driving unit comprising a film and a substrate, wherein the film is combined with the substrate; and    a microfluidic chip coupled with the driving unit.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving unit further comprises an aperture passing through the substrate, a first portion of the film covering the aperture and a second portion of the film covering the substrate without the aperture, wherein the first portion is a film-movable area, and the second portion is a film-immovable area.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 2 , wherein the microfluidic chip comprises a base having a cavity structure with an opening corresponding with the film-movable area.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to the  claim 3 , wherein the cavity of the microfluidic chip is connected with plural channels.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 4 , wherein the plural channels comprises plural stop valves.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 5 , wherein the stop valve is one selected from a group consisting of a shape stop valve, a material stop valve and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 3 , wherein the driving unit being coupled with the microfluidic chip generates a temporary gastight joint therebetween.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 3  further comprising a film-driving device for the film-movable area.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 8 , wherein an air cell is formed via gastightly jointing the film and the microfluidic chip, the film-driving device causes a deformation of the film-movable area and a resulting barometric change of the air cell to drive the microfluid.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for driving a microfluid, comprising: 
 a microfluidic chip comprising plural opening configurations and plural channels, wherein the plural opening configurations are connected by the plural channels; and    a driving unit comprising a film and a substrate,    wherein the driving unit is coupled with the microfluidic chip.    
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the plural opening configurations are used as a fluid injection cavity, a pressure cavity and an opening.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the substrate is an apertured substrate.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 12 , wherein the film is covered on the apertured substrate.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 12 , wherein the driving unit further comprises a film-driving device corresponding to the pressure cavity for causing a driving deformation of the film.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the substrate has a cavity.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the material of the microfluidic chip is one selected from a group consisting of a PMMA, a PC, an SU-8, a TEFLON, a PDMS, a glass, a silicon chip, a metal and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the material of the substrate is made of one selected from a group consisting of a glass, a silicon chip, a PDMS, a metal and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the film is made of a PDMS.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for driving the microfluid according to  claim 10 , wherein the driving unit further comprises a feeding mechanism comprising a linearly movable platform to provide a moving toward function, a coupled position holding function and a returning function for coupling the driving unit and the microfluidic chip.  
     
     
         20 . A method for driving a microfluid, comprising steps of: 
 (a) providing a microfluidic chip comprising plural channels and plural opening configurations including a fluid injecting cavity, a pressure cavity and an opening, wherein the opening configurations are connected by the plural channels;    (b) providing a driving unit comprising a film, an apertured substrate, a film-driving device for the film and a feeding mechanism, wherein a first portion of the film covers the aperture and a second portion of the film covers the substrate without the aperture, wherein the first portion is a film-movable area, and the second portion is a film-immovable area;    (c) dropping a working fluid into the fluid injecting cavity;    (d) coupling the driving unit and the microfluidic chip by the feeding mechanism to generate a temporarily gastight joint, where a closed air cell is formed between the film-movable area and the pressure cavity, and the film-immovable area seals the opening configurations except the pressure cavity and the opening; and    (e) using the film-driving device to cause a deformation of the film-movable area, to change a pressure of the closed air cell, and to drive the working fluid to flow from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area.