JP2009216571A - Pin support mechanism of biochip, and biochip - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein, concerning a micro-tool used in a biochip, the micro-tool is difficult to be driven stably with excellent reproducibility hitherto, because of an unstable support method of the micro-tool in a micro-space. <P>SOLUTION: In order to drive a micro-tool stably, a ring-shaped micro-tool is formed, and a pillar is provided in the biochip, and the micro-tool is assembled thereon, to thereby stabilize driving of the micro-tool. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  This research is a technology to stably drive a micro tool by supporting a pin in a micro tool driven in a biochip in a bio-based industry field such as a medical field or breed improvement.

  Conventionally, bio manipulations such as eggs, cells, and fungi in biochips were mostly performed based on image information obtained from a microscope. In order to prevent this, a non-contact operation method is required in the chip, and in recent years, a non-contact operation method has attracted attention in the microchannel. Among them, the technology to perform non-contact operation in a biochip using a micro tool as a medium is widely used because it can be controlled with multiple degrees of freedom. However, when the microtool is supported or fixed in the biochip, there is a drawback that assembly errors due to operation in the microspace are likely to occur, and the stable drive of the microtool is impaired. The present invention relates to a method for supporting a micro tool, and a micro tool that stably drives a magnetic micro tool in a non-contact manner, and microscopic objects such as eggs, cells, and fungi in a closed space within a biochip. It enables stable control one by one. Conventionally, the method for supporting and fixing the microtool is limited to ultraviolet curable resin, and there is no method for stably supporting the microtool itself by changing the shape of the biochip and the microtool. The present invention has an advantage that various functions are generated depending on the shape of the microtool, and has a wide range of applications.

  Conventionally, a microtool used in a biochip has been difficult to reproduce and stably drive the microtool in a reproducible manner due to the instability of a method for supporting a minute object in the microspace.

  Providing pillars (cylindrical protrusions) on the wall of the biochip, and also providing a ring shape on the microtool enables effective assembly and contributes to stable driving of the microtool.

  In a closed space inside the biochip, the micro-tool can be stably driven by holding the micro-tool stably by pin support.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a pin support mechanism of a microtool according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings based on the examples. In the description of each drawing, the same reference numerals denote the same parts. Note that, as an example of an object to be processed by the microtool, an egg (egg cell) will be described below as an example of the cell, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pin support mechanism of the present invention is an arbitrary cell such as a somatic cell. It can also be applied to micro-space manipulation of minute objects such as animal cells, plant cells, ES cells, microorganisms, fungi, DNA molecules, nanotubes, and nanomaterials. Examples of use of the present invention are specifically described below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a pin support mechanism for carrying out the present invention. The microtool 1 is made of a mixture of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is a kind of silicon rubber, and iron oxide (magnetite).

  The microtool 1 is provided with a ring-shaped portion 2 at one end, and an arrow shape or the like is provided at the tip 5 at the other end. In order to obtain a stable pin support mechanism, pillars 4 (cylindrical protrusions) are formed on the biochip wall surface 3. The diameter of the pillar 4 is designed so that the ring-shaped part 2 of the microtool 1 fits loosely. The microtool 1 can be easily and reliably attached to the pillar 4 formed on the biochip wall surface 3 through the hole of the ring by tweezers operation.

  The mounted microtool 1 can be rotated around the axis of the pillar 4 and the tip 5 can be moved by an external non-contact driving force (for example, a magnetic field) or the like. In the present invention, since the ring-shaped portion 2 of the microtool 1 is loosely fitted to the pillar 4, the tip portion of the microtool 1 can be stably driven with a small driving force.

  FIG. 2 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a part having a sorting function in a biochip. The microtool 1 having the arrow-shaped tip portion 5 and the ring-shaped portion 2 is held by a pillar 4 provided at the branch portion 7 of the microchannel 6. Since the microtool 1 is magnetized with a magnetic material, the tip portion 5 of the microtool 1 can be stably driven by an external non-contact driving unit (for example, a permanent magnet).

  Whether the microparticles 8 (egg or cell) moving through the microchannel 6 are guided to the left microchannel 9 or the right microchannel 10 by detecting the particle diameter with a microscope or the like in advance. Is determined. When the determined fine particles 8 reach the branching portion 7, the tip portion 5 of the microtool 1 is moved by an external non-contact driving force (not shown here) to block one flow path. When the flow path is blocked, the fine particles 8 are guided to the opened flow path and sorting is performed.

  In the present embodiment, since the pillar 4 and the ring-shaped portion 2 of the microtool 1 are loosely fitted, the tip portion of the microtool 1 can be stably driven with a relatively small driving force.

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a part having a valve function in a biochip. The microtool 12 having ring-shaped pin support mechanisms at both ends is held by the pillar portions 11 at both ends in the microvalve mechanism 13 installed in the microchannel 6.

  The microtool 12 can be driven to open and close the flow path by an external non-contact driving force. When the microparticles 8 are allowed to pass through the microchannel 6, the microtool 12 is moved in the opening direction, and when the microparticles 8 are blocked, the microtool 12 is moved in the closing direction. That is, by driving the microtool 12 in the opening / closing direction by an external non-contact driving force, a valve function can be provided in the microchannel.

  In this embodiment, by providing a pin support mechanism having a ring shape that fits loosely into the two pillars 4, the microtool 12 can be moved stably with a small driving force, and the microchannel can be opened and closed. .

A cylindrical pillar is created on the surface of a biochip, and a ring-shaped microtool is attached to it. In a biochip with a sorting function, the microtool is driven stably from side to side using a single pin support mechanism. In the biochip having a valve function, it is a diagram that uses two pin support mechanisms to stably drive up and down.

Explanation of symbols

1 Micro tool
2 Ring-shaped support for micro tools.
3 Biochip wall.
4 Cylindrical pillar part.
5 The tip of the microtool.
6 Micro flow path
7 Branch
8 Fine particles
9 Left microchannel
10 Right microchannel
11 Pillars at both ends
12 Micro tool with ring shape at both ends
13 Micro valve mechanism

Claims (3)

  In a mechanism for supporting and driving a microtool installed in a closed space in a biochip, a microtool having a ring shape is installed in the biochip, and the microtool is stably supported and mounted. A biochip pin support mechanism that is driven.   2. The biochip according to claim 1, wherein the microtool in the flow path is supported by the pin support mechanism of claim 1 in a biochip having a function of sorting minute objects.   The biochip according to claim 1, wherein the microtool in the flow path is supported by the pin support mechanism of claim 1 in the biochip having a valve function in the flow path.

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