Patent Application
20240207852
The present disclosure relates to the field of microfluidic technologies, and in particular, to a microfluidic substrate, a microfluidic chip and a microfluidic system.
A microfluidic technology (microfluidics) refers to a technology that uses micro-channels (tens to hundreds of micrometres in size) to process or manipulate small amounts of fluids (nanoliters (nL) to microliters (μL) in volume). A microfluidic chip is a main platform for achieving the microfluidic technology. The microfluidic chip has characteristics of parallel collection and processing of samples, high integration, high throughput, high analysis speed, low power consumption, less material consumption, less pollution and the like. The microfluidic technology may be applied to the fields of biological genetic engineering, disease diagnosis and drug research, cell analysis, environmental monitoring and protection, health quarantine, judicial expertise and the like. The microfluidic technology mainly involves mixing and transport of traces of reagent samples, and the sample transport is one of basic steps of biochemical detection.
In recent years, the microfluidic technology has been developed rapidly, and requirements for various performances of the microfluidic chip have also become higher and higher. Reliability and stability of the sample transport is one of key performances to for the microfluidic chip to achieve target biochemical processes, and optimization of this performance is of great significance for the developments of the fields such as biomedicine, pharmacodiagnosis, food hygiene, environmental monitoring and molecular biology.
In an aspect, a microfluidic substrate is provided. The microfluidic substrate has a first straight region extending in a first direction, a second straight region extending in a second direction and a first turning region. The first direction intersects the second direction. Both ends of the first turning region are respectively connected to the first straight region and the second straight region. The first turning region is substantially a ring sector; the first tuming region includes a first arc edge and a second arc edge that are opposite, and the first arc edge is closer to an inner side of the first turning region than the second arc edge.
The microfluidic substrate includes a plurality of first straight driving electrodes, a plurality of second straight driving electrodes and a plurality of tuming driving electrodes. The plurality of first straight driving electrodes are arranged in the first direction and are located in the first straight region. The plurality of second straight driving electrodes are arranged in the second direction and are located in the second straight region. The plurality of turning driving electrodes are located in the first turning region. A border of each turning driving electrode includes at least one first reference point coinciding with the first arc edge, and at least one second reference point coinciding with the second arc edge.
A radius of the first arc edge is greater than or equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1) times of a first dimension of a reference electrode, and a radius of the second arc edge is greater than or equal to 3/2 times of the first dimension of the reference electrode. The reference electrode is one of the plurality of first straight driving electrodes and the plurality of second straight driving electrodes, and the first dimension of the reference electrode is a dimension of an edge, perpendicular to a transport direction, of the reference electrode.
In some embodiments, the turning driving electrode is substantially of a ring sector, an isosceles trapezoid, a triangle or a quasi-triangle. The plurality of turning driving electrodes are arranged sequentially in the transport direction.
In some embodiments, the turning driving electrode is substantially of the ring sector. The turning driving electrode includes a third arc edge and a fourth arc edge that are opposite, and the third arc edge is closer to the inner side of the first turning region than the fourth arc edge. At least one point of the third arc edge is as the at least one first reference point that coincides with the first arc edge, and at least one point of the fourth arc edge is as the at least one second reference point that coincides with the second arc edge.
In some embodiments, the third arc edge coincides with the first arc edge, and/or the fourth arc edge coincides with the second arc edge.
In some embodiments, a length of a side edge, perpendicular to the transport direction, of the turning driving electrode is approximately equal to the first dimension of the reference electrode.
In some embodiments, the turning driving electrode is substantially of the isosceles trapezoid. A midpoint of a short base of the turning driving electrode is as a first reference point that coincides with the first arc edge, and a midpoint of a long base of the turning driving electrode is as a second reference point that coincides with the second arc edge.
In some embodiments, a length of a height of the turning driving electrode is approximately equal to the first dimension of the reference electrode.
In some embodiments, the plurality of turning driving electrodes are approximately same in shape, and approximately equal in area.
In some embodiments, at least one tuming driving electrode includes at least two tuming sub-electrodes, and sizes of all turning sub-electrodes are approximately equal.
In some embodiments, the first turning region is provided with three turning driving electrodes therein. The radius of the first arc edge of the first tuming region is greater than the first dimension of the reference electrode, and the radius of the second arc edge of the first turning region is greater than 2 times of the first dimension of the reference electrode.
In some embodiments, the first turning region is provided with five turning driving electrodes therein. The radius of the second arc edge of the first turning region is greater than or equal to 4 times of the first dimension of the reference electrode.
In some embodiments, the turning driving electrode is substantially of the quasi-triangle, and at least one edge of the quasi-triangle is an arc edge. At least one tuming driving electrode has an arc edge coinciding with the first arc edge, and another at least one tuming driving electrode has an arc edge coinciding with the second arc edge. An edge, proximate to the first straight driving electrode, of a turning driving electrode adjacent to the first straight driving electrode is a straight edge; and an edge, proximate to a second straight driving electrode, of a turning driving electrode adjacent to the second straight driving electrode is a straight edge. The plurality of turning driving electrodes are spliced into a ring sector in the transport direction.
In some embodiments, the plurality of turning driving electrodes include a first tuming electrode, a second turning electrode and a third turning electrode arranged sequentially in the transport direction. A shape of the first turning electrode is same as a shape of the third turning electrode. A vertex of the first turning electrode and a vertex of the third turning electrode are as first reference points that coincide with the first arc edge, and an arc edge of the first turning electrode and an arc edge of the third turning electrode both coincide with the second arc edge. A vertex of the second turning electrode is as a second reference point that coincides with the second arc edge, and an arc edge of the second turning electrode coincides with the first arc edge. Shapes of an edge of the first turning electrode and an edge of the second turning electrode that are proximate to each other match, and shapes of an edge of the third turning electrode and an edge of the second turning electrode that are proximate to each other match.
In some embodiments, the microfluidic substrate further has a third straight region, a fourth straight region, a second turning region, a third tuming region and a fourth turning region. The third straight region extends in the first direction, and the third straight region and the first straight region are arranged on both sides of a region surrounded by the first turning region, the second turning region, the third turning region and the fourth turning region in the first direction; the fourth straight region extends in the second direction, and the fourth straight region and the second straight region are arranged on both sides of the region surrounded by the first turning region, the second tuming region, the third turning region and the fourth turning region in the second direction. Both ends of the second turning region are respectively connected to the second straight region and the third straight region, both ends of the third turning region are respectively connected to the third straight region and the fourth straight region, and both ends of the fourth turning region are respectively connected to the fourth straight region and the first straight region.
A portion of the first turning region connected to the second straight region coincides with a portion of the second turning region connected to the second straight region; a portion of the second tuming region connected to the third straight region coincides with a portion of the third turning region connected to the third straight region; a portion of the third turning region connected to the fourth straight region coincides with a portion of the fourth turning region connected to the fourth straight region; and a portion of the fourth turning region connected to the first straight region coincides with a portion of the first turning region connected to the first straight region.
The microfluidic substrate further includes a plurality of third straight driving electrodes, a plurality of fourth straight driving electrodes, a fourth turning electrode, a fifth turning electrode, a sixth turning electrode, a seventh turning electrode and an eighth turning electrode. The plurality of third straight driving electrodes are arranged in the first direction and are located in the third straight region. The plurality of fourth straight driving electrodes are arranged in the second direction and are located in the fourth straight region. Shapes of the third straight driving electrodes and the fourth straight driving electrodes are both substantially rectangles. The first turning electrode and the fifth turning electrode have a same shape and are symmetrically arranged; the second turning electrode and the sixth turning electrode have a same shape and are symmetrically arranged; the third turning electrode and the seventh turning electrode have a same shape and are symmetrically arranged; and the fourth turning electrode and the eighth turning electrode have a same shape and are symmetrically arranged.
The third turning electrode, the fourth tuming electrode and the fifth turning electrode are located in the second turning region; the fifth tuming electrode, the sixth turning electrode and the seventh turning electrode are located in the third turning region; and the seventh turning electrode, the eighth turning electrode and the first tuming electrode are located in the fourth turning region.
In some embodiments, an included angle between the first direction and the second direction is a right angle.
In some embodiments, an included angle between the first direction and the second direction is an obtuse angle. The plurality of turning driving electrodes include a central electrode, a first sub-electrode, a second sub-electrode, a third sub-electrode and a fourth sub-electrode. The central electrode is in a shape of an isosceles triangle, two legs of the central electrode are respectively perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The first sub-electrode is in a shape of a right triangle, a long right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode is adjacent to a first straight driving electrode, and the long right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The second sub-electrode is in a shape of a right triangle, a long right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode is adjacent to a second straight driving electrode, and the long right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode is substantially perpendicular to the second direction. The third sub-electrode is in a shape of an isosceles triangle, the third sub-electrode is disposed between the first sub-electrode and the central electrode, and two legs of the third sub-electrode are substantially parallel to a hypotenuse of the first sub-electrode and a leg of the central electrode, respectively. The fourth sub-electrode is in a shape of an isosceles triangle, the fourth sub-electrode is disposed between the second sub-electrode and the central electrode, and two legs of the fourth sub-electrode are substantially parallel to a hypotenuse of the second sub-electrode and another leg of the central electrode, respectively.
In some embodiments, the included angle between the first direction and the second direction is approximately 120°, and the central electrode is in a shape of an equilateral triangle.
In some embodiments, lengths of legs of the central electrode are each less than or equal to √{square root over (2)} times of the first dimension of the reference electrode. A length of the long right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode and a length of the long right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode are both approximately equal to the first dimension of the reference electrode, and a length of the hypotenuse of the first sub-electrode and a length of the hypotenuse of the second sub-electrode are both approximately equal to the lengths of the legs of the central electrode. A length of a leg of the third sub-electrode and a length of a leg of the fourth sub-electrode are both approximately equal to the lengths of the legs of the central electrode, and a length of a base of the third sub-electrode and a length of a base of the fourth sub-electrode are both approximately equal to a length of a short right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode and a length of a short right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode, respectively.
In some embodiments, lengths of legs of the central electrode is
times of the first dimension of the reference electrode, and a length of a short right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode and a length of a short right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode are each ½ times of a second dimension of the reference electrode. The second dimension of the reference electrode is a dimension of an edge, in the transport direction, of the reference electrode.
In some embodiments, a vertex of the first sub-electrode opposite to a short right-angle edge thereof, a midpoint of a base of the third sub-electrode, a vertex of the central electrode opposite to a base thereof, a midpoint of a base of the fourth sub-electrode and a vertex of the second sub-electrode opposite to a short right-angle edge thereof are each as a respective first reference point that coincides with the first arc edge of the first turning region. A midpoint of the short right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode, a vertex of the third sub-electrode opposite to the base thereof, a midpoint of the base of the central electrode, a vertex of the fourth sub-electrode opposite to the base thereof and a midpoint of the short right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode are each as a respective second reference point that coincides with the second arc edge of the first turning region.
In some embodiments, the microfluidic substrate further has a turning extension region and a fifth straight region extending in a third direction; both ends of the turning extension region are respectively connected to the first turning region and the fifth straight region. The microfluidic substrate further includes a plurality of fifth straight driving electrodes, a fifth sub-electrode and a sixth sub-electrode. The plurality of fifth straight driving electrodes are arranged in the third direction and are located in the fifth straight region. The first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersect one another, and the third direction is perpendicular to a base of the central electrode. The fifth sub-electrode is in a shape of a right-angle triangle and located in the turning extension region; a long right-angle edge of the fifth sub-electrode is adjacent to a fifth straight driving electrode, and the long right-angle edge of the fifth sub-electrode is substantially perpendicular to the third direction. The sixth sub-electrode is in a shape of an isosceles triangle and is located in the tuming extension region; the sixth sub-electrode is disposed between the fifth sub-electrode and the central electrode, and two legs of the sixth sub-electrode are respectively parallel to a hypotenuse of the fifth sub-electrode and the base of the central electrode.
In some embodiments, a length of the long right-angle edge of the fifth sub-electrode is approximately equal to a length of an edge, adjacent to the long right-angle edge of the fifth sub-electrode, of the fifth straight driving electrode, and a length of the hypotenuse of the fifth sub-electrode is approximately equal to a length of the base of the central electrode. Lengths of the legs of the sixth sub-electrode are approximately equal to the length of the base of the central electrode, and a length of a base of the sixth sub-electrode is approximately equal to a length of a short right-angle edge of the fifth sub-electrode.
In some embodiments, the first straight driving electrodes and the second straight driving electrodes are approximately same in shape, and approximately equal in area.
In some embodiments, shapes of the first straight driving electrodes and the second straight driving electrodes are both substantially rectangles.
In some embodiments, a ratio of a first dimension of a first straight driving electrode to a second dimension of the first straight driving electrode is 1 to 4; and/or a ratio of a first dimension of a second straight driving electrode to a second dimension of the second straight driving electrode is 1 to 4. The first dimension of the first straight driving electrode is a dimension of an edge, perpendicular to the transport direction, of the first straight driving electrode, and the second dimension of the first straight driving electrode is a dimension of an edge, in the transport direction, of the first straight driving electrode. The first dimension of the second straight driving electrode is a dimension of an edge, perpendicular to the transport direction, of the second straight driving electrode, and the second dimension of the second straight driving electrode is a dimension of an edge, in the transport direction, of the second straight driving electrode.
In some embodiments, in the transport direction, a maximum distance between two adjacent first straight driving electrodes is less than or equal to 10 μm, and/or a maximum distance between two adjacent second straight driving electrodes is less than or equal to 10 μm, and/or a maximum distance between two adjacent turning driving electrodes is less than or equal to 10 μm.
In some embodiments, two adjacent side edges, perpendicular to the transport direction, in at least one pair of electrodes are each in a shape of a zigzag and are engaged. The at least one pair of electrodes are from two adjacent first straight driving electrodes, two adjacent second straight driving electrodes, two adjacent tuming driving electrodes, a first straight driving electrode and a turning driving electrode that are adjacent to each other, and a second straight driving electrode and a turning driving electrode that are adjacent to each other.
In some embodiments, the reference electrode is a first straight driving electrode adjacent to a turning driving electrode or a second straight driving electrode adjacent to another turning driving electrode.
In some embodiments, in the tuming driving electrode and the first straight driving electrode that are adjacent, lengths of two side edges that are proximate to each other are equal; and in the another turning driving electrode and the second straight driving electrode that are adjacent, lengths of two side edges that are proximate to each other are equal.
In some embodiments, the microfluidic substrate further includes a first substrate, and a first conductive layer, an insulating layer, a second conductive layer and a first hydrophobic layer that are disposed on the first substrate sequentially. The first straight driving electrodes, the second straight driving electrodes and the turning driving electrodes are disposed in one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer; another of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer includes a plurality of signal lines, and the plurality of signal lines are electrically connected to the first straight driving electrodes, the second straight driving electrodes and the turning driving electrodes through via holes disposed in the insulating layer.
In another aspect, a microfluidic chip is provided. The microfluidic chip includes the microfluidic substrate as described in any of the above embodiments and a cover plate. The cover plate is opposite to and spaced apart from the microfluidic substrate. The cover plate includes a second substrate, and a common electrode layer and a second hydrophobic layer that are disposed on the second substrate sequentially.
In yet another aspect, a microfluidic system is provided. The microfluidic system includes the microfluidic chip as described in any of the above embodiments.
In order to describe technical solutions in the present disclosure more clearly, accompanying drawings to be used in some embodiments of the present disclosure will be introduced briefly below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings to be described below are merely accompanying drawings of some embodiments of the present disclosure, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may obtain other drawings according to these drawings. In addition, the accompanying drawings in the following description may be regarded as schematic diagrams, and are not limitations on actual sizes of products, actual processes of methods and actual timings of signals involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Technical solutions in some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some but not all embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the term “comprise” and other forms thereof such as the third-person singular form “comprises” and the present participle form “comprising” are construed as an open and inclusive meaning, i.e., “including, but not limited to”. In the description of the specification, the terms such as “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “exemplary embodiments”, “example”, “specific example” or “some examples” are intended to indicate that specific features, structures, materials or characteristics related to the embodiment(s) or example(s) are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. Schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s) or example(s). In addition, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable manner.
Hereinafter, the terms such as “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only, and are not to be construed as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with “first” or “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “a plurality of” or “the plurality of” means two or more unless otherwise specified.
The phrase “at least one of A, B and C” has the same meaning as the phrase “at least one of A, B or C”, and they both include the following combinations of A, B and C: only A, only B. only C, a combination of A and B, a combination of A and C. a combination of B and C, and a combination of A, B and C.
The phrase “A and/or B” includes the following three combinations: only A, only B, and a combination of A and B.
As used herein, the term such as “about”, “substantially” or “approximately” includes a stated value and an average value within an acceptable range of deviation of a particular value. The acceptable range of deviation is determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art in view of the measurement in question and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).
In the description of the present disclosure, it will be understood that, orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms such as “center”, “lengthwise”, “crosswise”, “length”, “width”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “inner”, “outer” are based on orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are merely to facilitate and simplify the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, or must be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Therefore, they cannot be construed as limitations of the present disclosure.
Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to sectional views and/or plan views as idealized exemplary drawings. In the accompanying drawings, thicknesses of layers and sizes of regions are enlarged for clarity. Thus, variations in shape relative to the accompanying drawings due to, for example, manufacturing technologies and/or tolerances may be envisaged. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be construed as being limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but including deviations in shape due to, for example, manufacturing. For example, an etched region shown in a rectangular shape generally has a feature of being curved. Therefore, the regions shown in the accompanying drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show actual shapes of regions in a device, and are not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a microfluidic system, as shown in
In some embodiments, basic operation units, such as preparation, reaction, separation and detection, of a sample to be tested are integrated into a centimeter-scale chip to manufacture a microfluidic chip. The microfluidic chip is provided with micro-channels therein, and the microfluidic system achieves accurate control and operation of the sample to be tested in the channels by applying driving force to the microfluidic chip.
It will be noted that the sample to be tested may be a liquid substance. For example, the sample to be tested is a blood sample, and molecules to be tested in the blood sample are hemoglobin, platelets, or pathogenic cells. In a microfluidic process, the sample to be tested of the liquid substance is placed in the microfluidic chip in a form of a droplet, and the following embodiments are described by considering an example where the sample to be tested is the droplet.
The cover plate 2 includes a second substrate 21, and a common electrode layer 22 and a second hydrophobic layer 23 that are disposed on the second substrate 21 sequentially. The second substrate 21 is farther from the microfluidic substrate 1 than the second hydrophobic layer 23.
In some embodiments, the common electrode layer 22 is a continuous transparent conductive layer of indium tin oxide (ITO), which serves as a common electrode of the microfluidic chip 100 and is connected to a grounding electrode 10′ (referring to
The microfluidic substrate 1 includes a first substrate 11, and a first conductive layer 12, an insulating layer 13, a second conductive layer 14 and a first hydrophobic layer 15 that are disposed on the first substrate 11 sequentially. The first substrate 11 is farther from the cover plate 2 than the first hydrophobic layer 15. Channel(s) of the droplet 3 are formed between the first hydrophobic layer 15 and the second hydrophobic layer 23, so that the droplet 3 may flow smoothly.
In some embodiments, the second conductive layer 14 is provided with a plurality of driving electrodes Q arranged in an array according to a preset electrode pattern, and the driving electrodes Q are electrically connected to a driving power supply to provide a driving voltage for the microfluidic chip 100.
When a single driving electrode Q is energized, wettability of the droplet 3 varies. As a result, a contact angle of the droplet 3 on a driving electrode Q to which a voltage is applied is different from a contact angle of the droplet 3 on a driving electrode Q to which no voltage is applied, so as to generate a pressure difference inside the droplet 3 and drive the droplet 3 to move in a direction toward the driving electrode Q to which the voltage is applied due to the action of the pressure difference. The droplet 3 may be driven to move in a preset path by applying driving voltages to different driving electrodes Q according to timing, so as to achieve the control over the droplet 3.
The driving electrode Q is generally made of metal or other conductive material. For example, the driving electrode Q may be made of a material such as molybdenum (Mo) or ITO.
In some embodiments, the first conductive layer 12 includes a plurality of signal lines 121 that are made of metal. Optionally, the signal lines 121 are made of Mo. The signal lines 121 are electrically connected to the driving electrodes Q to transmit the driving voltages to the driving electrodes Q.
In some embodiments, the plurality of signal lines 121 are electrically connected to the plurality of driving electrodes Q in one-to-one correspondence, so as to achieve independent control of the plurality of driving electrodes Q. In some embodiments, a single signal line 121 is electrically connected to at least two nonadjacent driving electrodes Q (as shown in
The insulating layer 13 is disposed between the first conductive layer 12 and the second conductive layer 14, and the insulating layer 13 is provided with via holes h therein. The signal line 121 in the first conductive layer 12 is electrically connected to the driving electrode(s) Q in the second conductive layer 14 through the via hole(s) h. Optionally, the first conductive layer 12 may be located between the second conductive layer 14 and the first substrate 11. Alternatively, the second conductive layer 14 may be located between the first conductive layer 12 and the first substrate 11.
In some embodiments, the microfluidic substrate 1 further includes a dielectric layer 16 disposed between the second conductive layer 14 and the first hydrophobic layer 15, and the dielectric layer 16 is used for promoting accumulation of charges and increasing an electric field intensity to ensure that the microfluidic chip 100 is easy to drive the droplet 3 without causing breakdown. Depending on different materials, the dielectric layer 16 may be formed by various methods such as the vapor deposition (which is applied to parylene, silicon nitride and amorphous fluoropolymers), the thermally grown (which is applied to silicon dioxide), the spin coating (which is applied to polydimethylsiloxane and photoresists). Optionally, the dielectric layer 16 may be a polyimide (PI) film with a dielectric constant of 3.2.
In some embodiments, the first hydrophobic layer 15 and the second hydrophobic layer 23 are both in direct contact with the droplet 3, and the first hydrophobic layer 15 and the second hydrophobic layer 23 are each generally a fluoropolymer (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene), which is used to reduce an surface energy of the droplet 3 when it is driven.
In some embodiments, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 each may be made of glass with strong chemical inertness, or may be a printed circuit board.
In a process of manufacturing the microfluidic chip 100, the process type and the process accuracy that may realize the microfluidic chip 100 are determined by the electrode pattern formed by the driving electrodes Q in the second conductive layer 14 of the microfluidic substrate 1 and the performance of the microfluidic substrate 1.
The grounding region 10 is provided therein with grounding electrode(s) 10′ serving to conduct with the common electrode layer 22 in the cover plate 2, so as to provide the stable low-level voltage for the common electrode. Optionally, a grounding electrode 10′ is composed of a square electrode of 1mm×1mm, and the size of the grounding electrode(s) 10′ and the number of the grounding electrode(s) 10′ may be adjusted according to needs.
The storage region 20 is provided therein with storage electrode(s) 20′, and the storage electrode 20′ has a relatively large area and is used to store the sample to be tested. The voltages of different storage electrodes 20′ pull the sample to be tested in the storage region 20 step-by-step to generate the droplet 3, and pull the droplet 3 to the driving electrode Q for operation. Optionally, the storage region 20 is provided therein with three rectangular storage electrodes 20′ of 3mm×1mm.
The transport region 30 is provided therein with the plurality of driving electrodes Q arranged in the array according to the needed electrode pattern. According to different needed functions of the microfluidic chip 100, the electrode pattem formed by the plurality of driving electrodes Q in the transport region 30 varies, and the number of the driving electrodes Q and the size of the driving electrodes Q also vary.
The plurality of driving electrodes Q are electrically connected to the plurality of signal lines 121. After wiring of the plurality of signal lines 121 is completed, the plurality of signal lines 121 are gathered in the bonding region 40 for bonding. Optionally, a portion of the microfluidic substrate 1 in the bonding region 40 is bonded to the driving power supply. Transmission of the voltage of the driving power supply is controlled, so as to achieve independent control of the driving voltages of the driving electrodes Q.
Passive digital microfluidic chips are the mainstream chip solution in the current commercialized microfluidic chip products due to their great cost advantage. For a high-throughput digital microfluidic chip, reliability and stability of transport of the sample to be tested is one of keys for the chip to realizing a target biochemical process. In particular, in a biological or chemical micro-total analysis system with high integration, high performance and complex operation, the droplet 3 needs to be controlled with relatively high accuracy, and thus requirements for the reliability and the stability of the transport of the droplet 3 are relatively high.
As shown in
The droplet 3 has a surface tension in the transport process, so that a certain pressure will be introduced. The pressure P introduced by the surface tension is equal to γ/R (i.e., P=γ/R). Where y is a surface tension coefficient of the droplet 3, and R is a radius of curvature of an arc formed on an inner side of the droplet 3 when the droplet 3 turns. The pressure P increases in a case where the R decreases, and correspondingly, external force needed to maintain a shape of the droplet 3 (e.g., driving force generated in the microfluidic chip due to the electrowetting on dielectric effect) increases. However, after the microfluidic chip system is fixed, the driving force generated due to the electrowetting on dielectric effect is fixed, and thus the radius of curvature of the droplet 3 cannot be reduced indefinitely. That is, the droplet 3 cannot make strict right-angle tumings. Therefore, there must be a case where a portion of the droplet 3 cannot match the driving electrodes Q of the right-angle mode.
As shown in
In order to solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a new microfluidic substrate 1, which may greatly improve the reliability for the digital microfluidic chip of the transport of the large-volume sample, thereby improving the stability of the digital microfluidic chip, which has great significance for the development of the digital microfluidic chip in the fields such as biomedicine, pharmacodiagnosis, environmental monitoring and biology.
As shown in
The microfluidic substrate 1 includes a plurality of first straight driving electrodes Q1, a plurality of second straight driving electrodes Q2 and a plurality of turning driving electrodes Q4. The plurality of first straight driving electrodes Q1, the plurality of second straight driving electrodes Q2 and the plurality of tuming driving electrodes Q4 are all the driving electrodes Q mentioned above.
The plurality of first straight driving electrodes Q1 are arranged in the first direction X and located in the first straight region X′. The plurality of second straight driving electrodes Q2 are arranged in the second direction Y and located in the second straight region Y′. The plurality of tuming driving electrodes Q4 are located in the turning region S. A border of each turning driving electrode Q4 includes at least one first reference point M coinciding with the first arc edge S1 and at least one second reference point N coinciding with the second arc edge S2. It will be seen that a radius of curvature of the turning driving electrode Q4 at the first reference point M is a radius R1 of the first arc edge S1, and a radius of curvature of the turning driving electrode Q4 at the second reference point N is a radius R2 of the second arc edge S2.
The radius of the first arc edge S1 is greater than or equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1) times of a first dimension L1 of a reference electrode Q′, and the radius of the second arc edge S2 is greater than or equal to 3/2 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. That is, the radius of curvature of the turning driving electrode Q4 at the first reference point M is greater than or equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1) times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and the radius of curvature of the turning driving electrode Q4 at the second reference point N is greater than or equal to 3/2 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′.
The reference electrode Q′ mentioned above is one of the plurality of first straight driving electrodes Q1 and the plurality of second straight driving electrodes Q2, the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ is a dimension of an edge, perpendicular to a transport direction TR of a droplet 3, of the reference electrode Q′, and a second dimension L2 of the reference electrode Q′ is a dimension of an edge, parallel to the transport direction of the droplet 3, of the reference electrode Q′.
In some embodiments, the transport direction of the droplet 3 in the first straight region X′ is the first direction X, the transport direction of the droplet 3 in the second straight region Y′ is the second direction Y, and the transport direction of the droplet 3 in the turning region S is an extension direction of an arc edge (the first arc edge S1 or the second arc edge S2) of the turning region S. Optionally, the droplet 3 is transported from the first straight region X′ to the turning region S, and finally to the second straight region Y′ (e.g., as shown in
In some embodiments, shapes of the first straight driving electrode Q1 and the second straight driving electrode Q2 are both substantially rectangles.
In some embodiments, the reference electrode Q′ is a first straight driving electrode Q1 or a second straight driving electrode Q2, which is proximate to the turning region S.
In some embodiments, the first arc edge S1 and the second arc edge S2 are respectively tangent to two edges, parallel to the transport direction of the droplet 3, of the reference electrode Q′ proximate to the turning region S.
In some embodiments, the first arc edge S1 and the second arc edge S2 are respectively tangent to two edges, parallel to the transport direction of the droplet 3, of the reference electrode Q′ proximate to the turning region S, and the center of the circle of the first arc edge S1 substantially coincides with the center of the circle of the second arc edge S2. In this case, if a width (perpendicular to the transport direction of the droplet 3) of a channel in the turning region S for the droplet 3 to pass through is approximately equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, a difference between the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 and the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 is equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 is approximately equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1) times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 is approximately equal to √{square root over (3)} times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. Alternatively, the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 is approximately equal to 1.5 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and in this embodiment, the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 is approximately equal to 2.5 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′.
In the transport process, the droplet 3 turning in the turning region S also has the surface tension, and the pressure P induced by the surface tension is equal to γ/R (i.e., P=yγ/R). It will be seen that the greater the R, the less the pressure induced by the surface tension, so that the fixed driving force provided by the microfluidic chip 100 is easier to control the droplet 3, and the risk that the droplet 3 is separated from the driving electrodes Q is lower. Therefore, the radii of the first arc edge S1 and the second arc edge S2 of the turning region S may be set relatively large on a premise that the droplet 3 turns smoothly. For example, the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 may be approximately equal to 2.5 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 may be approximately equal to 3 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′.
In optional embodiments, a ratio of the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ may be approximately equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1), 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2, or 2.5, etc.
For example, in a case where the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect at 90°, the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 is greater than the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the ratio of the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ may be approximately equal to 1.25, 1.5, 2, or 2.5, etc.
For example, in a case where the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect at 120°, the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 is greater than or equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1) times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the ratio of the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ may be approximately equal to (√{square root over (3)}−1). 1. 1.25, 2(√{square root over (3)}−1). 2, or 2.5, etc.
In optional embodiments, a ratio of the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ may be approximately equal to 1.5, √{square root over (3)}, 2, 2.25, 2.5, 3, 4, or 4.5, etc. For example, in the case where the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect at 90°, the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 is greater than 2 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the ratio of the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ may be approximately equal to 2.25, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 3.75, or 4, etc.
For example, in the case where the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect at 120°, the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 is greater than or equal to √{square root over (3)} times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the ratio of the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ may be approximately equal to √{square root over (3)}, 2, 2.25, 2√{square root over (3)}, 4, or 4.5, etc.
By controlling a multiple relationship between the radius of curvature of the turning driving electrode Q4 at at least one reference point (including the first reference point M and the second reference point N) and the dimension of the reference electrode Q′, the shape of the driving electrode Q at the corner is changed, so as to match a shape of the large-size droplet 3 formed due to an action of the surface tension when it turns and achieve a high-curvature turning of the droplet 3, thereby ensuring smooth transport of the large-size droplet 3 at the corner and improving the stability of the microfluidic chip 100.
In some embodiments, the turning driving electrode Q4 is substantially of a ring sector, an isosceles trapezoid, a triangle or a quasi-triangle. The plurality of turning driving electrodes Q4 are arranged sequentially in the transport direction of the droplet 3. By providing different shapes for the turning driving electrode Q4, the smooth transport and transition of the droplet 3 in the turning region S may be achieved.
It will be noted that at least one edge of the quasi-triangle is of an arc-shape. The quasi-triangle has three edges, a shape formed by connecting the three edges end to end is substantially a triangle, but the three edges are not all straight edges like those of a triangle. At least one edge of the three edges of the quasi-triangle is not a straight edge. For example, at least one edge is of the arc-shape, or at least two edges are of the arc-shape.
In some embodiments, the shape of the turning driving electrode Q4 is substantially the ring sector. The turning driving electrode Q4 includes a third arc edge S3 and a fourth arc edge S4 that are opposite, and the third arc edge S3 is closer to the inner side of the turning region S than the fourth arc edge S4. At least one point of the third arc edge S3 is as the at least one first reference point M that coincides with the first arc edge S1, and at least one point of the fourth arc edge S4 is as the at least one second reference point N that coincides with the second arc edge S2. The shape of the turning driving electrode Q4 is the ring sector, which makes it easy to control a radius of curvature of the border of the tuming driving electrode Q4 to match the shape of the droplet 3 when it tums, thereby avoiding the droplet 3 being out of the borders of the driving electrodes Q when the droplet 3 turns, and improving the stability of the microfluidic chip 100.
As shown in
The radius of the third arc edge S3 (or the first arc edge S1) is greater than the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and the radius of the fourth arc edge S4 (or the second arc edge S2) is greater than 2 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the radius of the third arc edge S3 is a sum of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ and a width L3 of a gap between the reference electrode Q′ and a straight electrode adjacent thereto, and the radius of the fourth arc edge S4 is a sum of 2 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ and the width L3 of the gap between the reference electrode Q′ and a straight electrode adjacent thereto. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first arc edge S1 and the second arc edge S2 of the turning region S are respectively tangent to edges of the reference electrode Q′ proximate to the turning region S, the shape of the turning driving electrode Q4 matches the shape of the droplet 3 formed due to the electrowetting on dielectric effect when the droplet 3 turns, and in particular, the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 is approximately equal to the radius of curvature R of the inner side of the droplet 3 when the droplet 3 turns. Therefore, the smooth tuming and transport of the droplet 3 in the turning region S may be ensured, and the droplet 3 may be prevented from being out of the driving electrodes Q, so that the stability of the microfluidic chip 100 may be improved. In addition, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, a width (a dimension perpendicular to the transport direction of the droplet 3) of the droplet 3 in the tuming process is always approximately equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and the shape thereof is hardly changed, so that the stability of the transport of the droplet 3 at the corner may be further improved.
In optional embodiments, the center of the circle of the third arc edge S3 of the turning driving electrode Q4 does not coincide with the center of the circle of the fourth arc edge S4 of the turning driving electrode Q4. For example, the radius of the third arc edge S3 (or the first arc edge S1) is greater than the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. For example, the radius of the third arc edge S3 is equal to the sum of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′ and the width L3 of the gap between the reference electrode Q′ and the straight electrode adjacent thereto, so as to ensure that the third arc edge S3 is tangent to the edge of the reference electrode Q′, thereby ensuring that the arc formed on the inner side of the droplet 3 in the turning process is smooth. The radius of the fourth arc edge S4 (or the second arc edge S2) may be greater than 1.5 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. That is, the fourth arc edge S4 may be not tangent to the edge of the reference electrode Q′. In this case, a shape formed on the outer side of the droplet 3 in the turning process of the droplet 3 may be changed according to needs. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, it may be ensured that the radius of curvature R of the arc formed on the inner side of the droplet 3 when the droplet 3 turns matches the edge of the driving electrode Q, and thus the smooth transport of the droplet 3 may be ensured. Moreover, a dimension of an edge of the outer side of the turning driving electrode Q4 may be designed according to needs on a premise of ensuring the smooth transport of the droplet 3, so as to improve flexibility of space utilization.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the shape of the channel formed by the turning driving electrodes Q4 in the turning region S and the shape of the droplet 3 formed due to the electrowetting on dielectric effect when the droplet 3 turns are approximately the same. Therefore, the smooth turning and transport of the droplet 3 in the turning region S may be ensured, and the droplet 3 may be prevented from being out of the driving electrodes Q, so that the stability of the microfluidic chip 100 may be improved. In addition, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the width (the dimension perpendicular to the transport direction of the droplet 3) of the droplet 3 in the turning process is always approximately equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and the shape thereof is hardly changed, so that the stability of the transport of the droplet 3 at the corner may be further improved.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the number of turning driving electrodes Q4 in the turning region S may be equal to the number of driving electrodes Q occupied by the droplet 3. For example, in the embodiments shown in
In some other embodiments, the number of turning driving electrodes Q4 in the tuming region S may be greater than the number of driving electrodes Q occupied by the droplet 3. As shown in
In optional embodiments, based on the embodiment shown in
As shown in
In optional embodiments, based on the embodiment shown in
In exemplary embodiments, a maximum dimension of a line segment, that is tangent to the transport direction of the droplet 3 in the turning region S, of each turning driving electrode Q4 is less than the second dimension L2 of the reference electrode Q′. The second dimension L2 of the reference electrode Q′ is the dimension of the edge, in the transport direction of the droplet 3, of the reference electrode Q′. For example, in the embodiment shown in
As shown in
An edge, proximate to a first straight driving electrode Q1, of a turning driving electrode Q4 adjacent to the first straight driving electrode Q1 is a straight edge; and an edge, proximate to a second straight driving electrode Q2, of another tuming driving electrode Q4 adjacent to the second straight driving electrode Q2 is a straight edge. The plurality of tuming driving electrodes Q4 are spliced into a ring sector in the transport direction of the droplet 3. Thus, when the droplet 3 passes through the turning region S, the droplet 3 has a radius of curvature of turning with a high curvature, so that the droplet 3 may be transported smoothly, and in turn, the stability of the microfluidic chip 100 may be improved.
As shown in
The plurality of tuming driving electrodes Q4 include a first turning electrode Q14, a second turning electrode Q15 and a third turning electrode Q16 arranged sequentially in the transport direction of the droplet 3. As shown in
Optionally, an edge 143 of the first turning electrode Q14 and an edge 153 of the second turning electrode Q15 that are proximate to each other are both straight edges, and the two straight edges are parallel to each other. Alternatively, an edge 163 of the third turning electrode Q16 and an edge 154 of the second turning electrode Q15 that are proximate to each other are both straight edges, and the two straight edges are parallel to each other. Alternatively, the edge 143 of the first turning electrode Q14 and the edge 153 of the second turning electrode Q15 that are proximate to each other are both arc edges, and shapes of the two arc edges match. Alternatively, the edge 163 of the third turning electrode Q16 and the edge 154 of the second turning electrode Q15 that are proximate to each other are both arc edges, and shapes of the two arc edges match.
Optionally, the first turning electrode Q14 is in a shape of an isosceles quasi-triangle, and/or the third turning electrode Q16 is in the shape of the isosceles quasi-triangle. That is, two edges of the three edges of the first turning electrode Q14 are straight edges with equal lengths, and/or two edges of the three edges of the third turning electrode Q16 are straight edges with equal lengths. A base (an edge connecting with two legs) of the first turning electrode Q14 is of an arc-shape and coincides with the second arc edge S2, and/or a base (an edge connecting with two legs) of the third tuming electrode Q16 is of an arc-shape and coincides with the second arc edge S2.
As shown in
Optionally, as shown in
Optionally, as shown in
Optionally, as shown in
In optional embodiments, the microfluidic chip 100 includes a plurality of channels. For example, the microfluidic chip 100 includes five channels, each channel includes a turning region that is formed by turning driving electrodes Q4, and the turning driving electrodes Q4 may be spliced into a ring sector in the transport direction of the droplet 3. For example, all turning driving electrodes Q4 for the turning of the droplet 3 in the five channels may be spliced into a regular pentagon.
As shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
In exemplary embodiments, lengths of legs of the central electrode Q5 is less than or equal to √{square root over (2)} times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. A length of the long right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode Q6 and a length of the long right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode Q7 are both approximately equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and a length of the hypotenuse of the first sub-electrode Q6 and a length of the hypotenuse of the second sub-electrode Q7 are approximately equal to the lengths of the legs of the central electrode Q5. A length of a leg of the third sub-electrode Q8 and a length of a leg of the fourth sub-electrode Q9 are approximately equal to the lengths of the legs of the central electrode Q5, and a length of the base of the third sub-electrode Q8 and a length of the base of the fourth sub-electrode Q9 are approximately equal to a length of the short right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode Q6 and a length of the short right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode Q7, respectively. Through mutual limitation of dimensions between each turning driving electrode Q4 in the shape of the triangle and the reference electrode Q′, the channel in the turning region S is substantially in the shape of the ring sector, thereby avoiding the sharp corner in the channel, reducing a possibility of the droplet 3 being out of the driving electrodes Q, and improving the stability of the microfluidic chip 100.
In exemplary embodiments, the lengths of the legs of the central electrode Q5 is
short right-angle edge of the first sub-electrode Q6 and the length of the short right-angle edge of the second sub-electrode Q7 are both ½ times of the second dimension L2 of the reference electrode Q′. The second dimension L2 of the reference electrode Q′ is the dimension of the edge, in the transport direction of the droplet 3, of the reference electrode Q′.
In exemplary embodiments, the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 of the tuming region S is √{square root over (3)} times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′
In exemplary embodiments, the included angle between the first direction X and the second direction Y is approximately 120°, and the central electrode Q5 is in a shape of an equilateral triangle.
Optionally, the included angle between the first direction X and the second direction Y is approximately 120°. The central electrode Q5 is in the shape of the equilateral triangle, a length of each leg of the central electrode Q5 is times of the
first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, and in this case, a height of the central electrode Q5 is equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. In a case where a vertex of the central electrode Q5 and a midpoint of an edge thereof opposite to the vertex are respectively as the first reference point M and second reference point N, it is indicated that a difference between the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 and the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 is equal to the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′. In this case, if the radius R2 of the second arc edge S2 of the turning region S is √{square root over (3)} times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′, it is indicated that the radius R1 of the first arc edge S1 of the turning region S is v3-1 times of the first dimension L1 of the reference electrode Q′.
Optionally, the included angle between the first direction X and the second direction Y may be an obtuse angle of 100°, 115°, 140°, or 175°, etc.
As shown in
In exemplary embodiments, a length of the long right-angle edge 101 of the fifth sub-electrode Q10 is approximately equal to a first dimension of the fifth straight driving electrode Q3 (i.e., a length of an edge 301, adjacent to the long right-angle edge 101 of the fifth sub-electrode Q10, of the fifth straight driving electrode Q3), and a length of the hypotenuse 103 of the fifth sub-electrode Q10 is approximately equal to a length of the base 503 of the central electrode Q5. The first dimension of the fifth straight driving electrode Q3 is a dimension of an edge 301, perpendicular to the transport direction of the droplet 3, of the fifth straight driving electrode Q3. The lengths of the legs 111 and 112 of the sixth sub-electrode Q11 are approximately equal to the length of the base 503 of the central electrode Q5, and a length of a base 113 of the sixth sub-electrode Q11 is approximately equal to a length of a short right-angle edge 102 of the fifth sub-electrode Q10.
As shown in
In optional embodiments, based on the embodiment shown in
In exemplary embodiments, the shapes of the first straight driving electrodes Q1 and the second straight driving electrodes Q2 are approximately the same, and the areas of the first straight driving electrodes Q1 and the second straight driving electrodes Q2 are approximately equal.
In exemplary embodiments, a ratio of a first dimension L11 of the first straight driving electrode Q1 to a second dimension L12 of the first straight driving electrode Q1 is 1 to 4; and/or a ratio of a first dimension L21 of the second straight driving electrode Q2 to a second dimension L22 of the second straight driving electrode Q2 is 1 to 4. For example, as shown in
As shown in
For example, the number of sawteeth of at least one side edge with the zigzag design is three, and a depth of a sawtooth is greater than or equal to 0.25 times of the second dimension L2 of the reference electrode Q′.
In some embodiments, the reference electrode Q′ is a first straight driving electrode Q1 adjacent to a turning driving electrode Q4 or a second straight driving electrode Q2 adjacent to another turning driving electrode Q4.
In some embodiments, in the turning driving electrode Q4 and the first straight driving electrode Q1 that are adjacent, lengths of two side edges that are proximate to each other are equal; and in the turning driving electrode Q4 and the second straight driving electrode Q2 that are adjacent, lengths of two side edges that are proximate to each other are equal.
In exemplary embodiments, in the transport direction of the droplet 3, a maximum distance between two adjacent first straight driving electrodes Q1 is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between two adjacent second straight driving electrodes Q2 is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the two adjacent fifth straight driving electrodes Q3 is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the two adjacent turning driving electrodes Q4 is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the fifth sub-electrode Q10 and the sixth sub-electrode Q11 that are adjacent is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the first straight driving electrode Q1 and the turning driving electrode Q4 that are adjacent is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the second straight driving electrode Q2 and the turning driving electrode Q4 that are adjacent is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the fifth straight driving electrode Q3 and the fifth sub-electrode Q10 that are adjacent is less than or equal to 10 μm; and/or a maximum distance between the central electrode Q5 and the sixth sub-electrode Q11 that are adjacent is less than or equal to 10 μm.
In exemplary embodiments, a maximum distance between two adjacent driving electrodes Q in the turning region S is less than or equal to a maximum distance between two adjacent driving electrodes Q in a straight region (e.g., the first straight region X′ or the second straight region Y′).
It will be noted that the term “coincide” described in any of the foregoing embodiments is “substantially coinciding”. The description of the feature is merely for the purpose of adaptive explanation, and is not intended to cause limitations of positions involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, in combination with the accompanying drawings, a technical feature that two components do not completely coincide but substantially coincide is also included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.
The foregoing descriptions are merely specific implementations of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Changes or replacements that any person skilled in the art could conceive of within the technical scope of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
This application is a national phase entry under 35 USC 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2021/116325, filed on Sep. 2, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2021/116325 | 9/2/2021 | WO |
