Method for producing microchannel, and microchannel

Abstract

Provided is a method for producing a microchannel including an approximately circular cross section with neither a joined surface nor an inlet in a smaller number of steps than has been conventional. The method for producing a microchannel includes the steps of forming a layer of an uncured curable resin (2) on a substrate (1), inserting into the curable resin a needle body (3) that can inject a liquid (4), injecting a liquid in a tubular shape into the curable resin via the needle body while moving the needle body, extracting the needle body from the curable resin, and curing the curable resin to form a channel (4A) in a tubular region injected with the liquid.

Claims

1. A method for producing a microchannel, comprising the steps of: forming a layer of an uncured curable resin on a substrate; inserting into the curable resin a needle body that can inject a liquid; injecting a liquid in a tubular shape into the curable resin via the needle body while moving the needle body; extracting the needle body from the curable resin; and curing the curable resin to form a channel in a tubular region injected with the liquid.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the channel is a channel comprising an approximately circular cross section without any joined surfaces.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a part of the cured curable resin to extract the liquid confined within the curable resin.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is a liquid crystal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1(A) to (C) are schematic views for explaining a method for producing a microchannel;

(2) FIG. 2 is a flowchart representing the method for producing a microchannel;

(3) FIGS. 3(A) and (B) are photographs representing the experimental results of the production method of FIG. 2; and

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view for explaining the formation location and size of the formed channel illustrated in FIG. 3(B).

DESCRIPTION

(5) Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a method for producing a microchannel will be explained in detail. However, it should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to embodiments thereof and includes the invention described in claims and equivalents thereof.

(6) FIG. 1(A) to FIG. 1(C) are schematic views for explaining a method for producing a microchannel. FIG. 2 is a flowchart representing the method for producing a microchannel. Each step in the production method will be explained with reference to FIG. 1(A) to FIG. 2.

(7) First, as illustrated in FIG. 1(A), a substrate 1 is prepared, and an uncured layer of a curable resin 2 is formed on the substrate 1 (S1). Since the curable resin 2 in an uncured state has flowability, a frame (not illustrated) surrounding a perimeter is prepared, and the curable resin 2 is injected into the frame. As the curable resin 2, for example, an ultraviolet cured resin such as an acrylic resin or an epoxy resin is used. Alternatively, the curable resin 2 may be a thermosetting resin such as a urea resin, a melamine resin, or a phenolic resin. When a microchannel with a diameter of around several-hundred μm is formed, the thickness d of the curable resin 2 may be around 1000 μm.

(8) Subsequently, a needle (needle body) 3 that can inject a liquid is inserted into the curable resin 2 (S2). The needle 3 has a hollow shape tapering down toward a tip thereof, such as the shape of an injection needle, and includes an opening (not illustrated) in the tip. In this case, a depth to which the needle 3 is inserted is set at, for example, around half of the thickness d of the curable resin 2. Alternatively, a needle in which the opening is disposed on a side in the vicinity of a tip of the needle may be used.

(9) Then, a liquid 4 is injected in a tubular shape into the curable resin 2 via the needle 3 while moving the needle 3 (S3), as illustrated in FIG. 1(B). For example, in order to form a channel with a straight line shape, the needle 3 is moved in parallel along an X direction illustrated in FIG. 1(B). In addition, the liquid 4 is injected from the opening in the tip of the needle 3 into the layer of the curable resin 2 by pressurization from the upper portion of the needle 3 while moving the needle 3. In the layer of the curable resin 2, the liquid 4 has an approximately circular cross section perpendicular to the X direction due to surface tension.

(10) Examples of the liquid 4 include liquid crystal. As used herein, “liquid crystal” is a substance that has flowability such as the flowability of a liquid and includes regular molecular orientation such as the molecular orientation of crystals. In addition, as the liquid 4, a liquid may also be used depending on the application of the formed channel. However, the injected liquid 4 may rise to a surface of the resin layer depending on the viscosity of the curable resin 2 or on a difference between the densities of the curable resin 2 and the liquid 4. Therefore, it is necessary to select, as the liquid 4, a liquid that can be injected in a tubular shape into the curable resin 2 depending on the relationship between the viscosity and the density.

(11) After the injection of the liquid 4, the needle 3 is extracted from the curable resin 2 (S4). In this case, the curable resin 2 is not yet cured, and therefore, a hole opened in the curable resin 2 by the needle 3 is closed by extracting the needle 3. As a result, the liquid 4 is confined within the curable resin 2 and placed in the tubular shape.

(12) As illustrated in FIG. 1(C), the curable resin 2 is cured to confine the liquid 4 within the curable resin 2 to thereby form a portion, in which the liquid 4 is present, as a channel 4A for a liquid (S5). When an ultraviolet cured resin is used as the curable resin 2, the curable resin 2 is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. When a thermosetting resin is used as the curable resin 2, the curable resin 2 is cured by heating. As a result, the channel 4A with an approximately circular cross section is formed in a tubular region injected with the liquid 4.

(13) Depending on the kind of the liquid 4, the liquid 4 may penetrate through the resin layer and the channel 4A may become hollow when the curable resin 2 is cured. A part of the cured curable resin may be removed to extract the liquid 4 confined within the curable resin 2, if a hollow channel is needed when the liquid 4 remains in the channel 4A even after curing the curable resin 2. An as a result, the hollow channel is obtained.

(14) According to the present production method explained above, a channel with an approximately circular cross section is formed without affixing channels with semicircular cross sections to each other. Therefore, in the present production method, a circular channel that does not have any joined surface but has a smooth inner wall can be formed in fewer steps than those of a conventional production method that does not include the present configuration. In addition, the closed channel without any inlet can be formed since any opening is not present when the channel is formed.

(15) As described above, the liquid 4 injected into the layer of the curable resin 2 has an approximately circular cross section perpendicular to the direction of extension of the liquid 4 due to surface tension. As a result, the cross section of the finally obtained channel has an approximately circular shape with neither depression nor sharp portion. The term “approximately circular shape” mentioned above refers to a shape without any sharp protruding portion, as included in a rectangular shape, in which the rate of a difference between maximum and minimum diameters to the maximum diameter is, for example, 10% or less.

(16) In a bio-related system such as a biosensor or μTAS (Total Analysis System), a circular channel having a structure similar to an actual biological structure is preferred for more accurately reproducing a behavior in an in vivo structure such as, for example, a blood vessel. The channel obtained in the present production method can also be utilized in such a bio-related system.

(17) When a channel filled with a liquid is needed, it is necessary to inject the liquid into a hollow channel after the channel is formed, in a production method that does not include the present configuration. In contrast, formation of a channel and filling of a liquid are performed in one step since the channel including the liquid therein is formed in the present production method. Therefore, in the present production method, a channel filled with a liquid can be formed in fewer steps than those of a production method that does not include the present configuration.

(18) Additionally, by allowing the liquid confined within the channel to flow out, a hollow channel can be formed, and another liquid can also be injected after allowing the liquid to flow out. Therefore, an optional liquid can be filled into the formed channel regardless of the viscosity of the curable resin 2 and of a difference between the densities of the curable resin 2 and the liquid 4.

EXAMPLES

(19) An experiment for forming a channel was conducted by the production method of FIG. 2 using acrylic resins as curable resins and using, as liquids to be injected, MLC-7018 and MDA-003461 which were P-type liquid crystals manufactured by Merck. FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(B) are photographs representing the experimental results of the production method of FIG. 2. FIG. 3(A) is a photograph for viewing, from above, the acrylic resins 12 injected (dispensed) with the two P-type liquid crystals 14 described above, respectively. FIG. 3(B) is a photograph of a cross section of a channel 4A, taken after curing the acrylic resins 12 by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. In this experiment, each P-type liquid crystal 14 was dispensed in the form of two straight lines parallel to each other into each acrylic resin 12.

(20) FIG. 4 is a schematic view for explaining the formation location and size of the formed channel 4A illustrated in FIG. 3(B). In the experiment described above, each acrylic resin 12 was formed in a layer shape with a thickness of 1000 μm, and a needle 3 was inserted to a depth of 500 μm in each acrylic resin 12. In addition, a dispensing pressure of 10 kPa was applied while moving the needle 3 at a speed of 20 mm/sec in straight line form along the surface direction of each acrylic resin 12, and each P-type liquid crystal 14 was dispensed so as to have a circular cross section with a diameter of 200 μm.

(21) The channel 4A having the cross section as illustrated in FIG. 3(B) was obtained by extracting the needle 3 and then curing each acrylic resin 12 with ultraviolet rays. FIG. 3(B) also illustrates the outline of the cross section of the channel 4A together. The difference between the maximum and minimum diameters of the cross section is around 20 μm, and the rate of the difference between the maximum and minimum diameters to the maximum diameter of the cross section is within around several percent. As described above, it has been confirmed that a channel 4A with an approximately circular cross section is formed by the present production method.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(22) 1 substrate 2 curable resin 3 needle 4 liquid 4A channel