Loop-type microfluidic system

Abstract

The present invention provides a loop-type microfluidic system, and the microfluid therein could be driven to move around the loop-channel repeatedly by the air comes from the air holes and through the driving conduits. In order to process the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the microfluid should bear the temperature changes for three times. Hence, plural temperature controllers are utilized to adjust the temperatures of the sections constituting the loop-channel. Moreover, the times of cycles may be determined based on the desired times of reactions. The present invention could also increase or decrease the number of the air holes, the driving conduits and the temperature controllers to adjust the times of temperature changes according to the demands of various biochemical reactions.

1 . A loop-type microfluidic system, comprises: 
 a substrate having: 
 a loop-channel for allowing the microfluid moving therein,  
 air holes for allowing the entrance or the drain of air or the microfluid, and  
 driving conduits for allowing the air or the microfluid passing therethrough, wherein one end of each said driving conduits connected to said loop-channel and the other end connected to one of said air holes;  
   an air supply coupled to said air holes for enabling the entrance or drain of the air through said air holes and said driving conduits to drive the microfluid within said loop-channel; and    one or more temperature controllers coupled to said loop-channel for controlling the temperature of the microfluid within said loop-channel.    
   
   
       2 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of said driving conduits and said loop-channel is about 100 micron.  
   
   
       3 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein an included angle between said loop-channel and each said driving conduit controls the moving direction of the microfluid within said loop-channel.  
   
   
       4 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the moving direction includes clockwise orientation and anticlockwise orientation.  
   
   
       5 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the included angle falls among 0 to 45 degrees.  
   
   
       6 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shape of said loop-channel includes a circle, an ellipse or a polygon.  
   
   
       7 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the number of said air holes is identical to that of said driving conduits, and said driving conduits connect to said air holes one by one.  
   
   
       8 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said air supply enables the entrance or the drain of the air through said air holes to drive the microfluid within said loop-channel move toward a direction.  
   
   
       9 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said air supply enables the entrance of the air in one of said air holes while enabling the drain of the air in another one of said air holes.  
   
   
       10 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 1 , which further comprises: 
 an Optical Detecting Instrument coupled to said loop-channel for detecting the microfluid within said loop-channel.    
   
   
       11 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said temperature controller controls every segment of said loop-channel respectively.  
   
   
       12 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the temperature of at least one segment of said loop-channel is different from those of other segments.  
   
   
       13 . A loop-type microfluidic device, comprises: 
 a substrate a substrate having: 
 a loop-channel allowing the microfluid moving therein,  
 air holes allowing the entrance or the drain of air or the microfluid, and  
 driving conduits allowing the air or the microfluid pass therethrough;  
   wherein one end of each said driving conduits connected to said loop-channel and the other end connected to one of said air holes.    
   
   
       14 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the diameter of said driving conduits and said loop-channel is about 100 micron.  
   
   
       15 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein an included angle between said loop-channel and each said driving conduit controls the moving direction of the microfluid within said loop-channel.  
   
   
       16 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the moving direction includes clockwise orientation and anticlockwise orientation.  
   
   
       17 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the included angle falls among 0 to 45 degrees.  
   
   
       18 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the shape of said loop-channel includes a circle, an ellipse or a polygon.  
   
   
       19 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said air supply enables the entrance or the drain of the air through said air holes to drive the microfluid within said loop-channel move toward a direction.  
   
   
       20 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein said air supply enables the entrance of the air in one of said air holes while enabling the drain of the air in another one of said air holes.  
   
   
       21 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said temperature controller controls every segment of said loop-channel respectively.  
   
   
       22 . The loop-type microfluidic system as set forth in  claim 21 , wherein the temperature of at least one segment of said loop-channel is different from those of other segments.