Kawamura Institute of Chemical Research

Atsushi Teramae

Takanori Anazawa

Tetsuo Takada

The object of the present invention is to provide a production process of a microfluidic device in which a porous resin layer, which is capable of optimally fixing a large amount of enzyme, antigen or other protein or catalyst on the inner surface of a minute channel of a microfluidic device without obstructing said channel, is formed at a uniform thickness on the surface of said channel. In the present invention, by preliminarily forming a porous resin layer having a large number of pores in its surface on a substrate, and forming an indentation having a porous resin layer on its bottom surface by using an activating energy beam-curable composition on said porous resin layer, followed by forming a channel by adhering a member serving as a cover to said indentation, a porous resin layer can easily be formed at a uniform thickness on the surface of said channel.

Microfluidic device

There is provided a micro chemical device with a valve function for which the pressure resistance is high and the channel cross-sectional area does not depend on the fluid pressure, and which furthermore enables the suppression of the adsorption of biological matter and yet is easy to produce, as well as a flow regulation method using such a device. This has a valve function, in which a member (B) is bonded to a member (A) with a groove in the surface thereof, via the surface of the member (A) in which the groove is formed, a capillary type channel of width from 1 to 1000 &#x3bc;m and height from 1 to 1000 &#x3bc;m is formed by the groove of the member (A) and the member (B) at the bonding surface between the member (A) and the member (B), a cavity section is formed partway along the channel and the width of this cavity section is from 0.5 to 100 fold the width of the capillary type channel and the ratio of maximum height/maximum width for the cavity section is no more than 1, and either one of the member (A) and the member (B) is formed from a soft material with a tensile modulus of elasticity within a range from 0.1 MPa to 700 MPa, at least within the portion which corresponds with the position of the cavity section, wherein by selectively compressing the cavity section from the external surface of the member (A) and/or the member (B), the volume of the cavity section can be reduced in a reversible manner.

Very small chemical device and flow rate adjusting method therefor

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a microdevice having a fine capillary cavity formed as a cut portion of a very thin layer which is likely to be broken, particularly a method of manufacturing a microdevice having complicated passages formed in three dimensions with high productivity. Also, the present invention provides a multi-functional microdevice which has a fine capillary passage formed by laminating plural resin layers, fine capillary cavities piercing through the respective layers to communicate and intersect three-dimensionally with each other, a space which should serve as a reaction chamber, a diaphragm valve, and a stopper structure. The method includes the steps of forming a semi-cured coating film having a cut portion made of an active energy ray curable composition on a coating substrate, laminating the semi-cured coating film with another member and removing the substrate, irradiating the semi-cured coating film again with an active energy ray before and/or after the removal of the substrate, thereby curing the coating film and bonding with said another member. The microdevice has a multi-layered structure wherein a member (J') {selected from a member having a cut portion piercing through the member, a member having a recessed cut portion on the surface, and a member having a cut portion piercing through the member and a recessed cut portion on the surface}, a member (K&#x2032;) and one or more active energy ray curable resin layers (X&#x2032;) having a cut portion at a portion of the layer, the cut portion having a minimum width within a range from 1 to 1000 &#x3bc;m, are laminated and two or more cut portions in the members are connected to form a cavity.

Growing community of inventors

Yachimata, Japan

Atsushi Teramae