Chinese Invention Patent: Microfluidic Chip and Preparation Method Thereof, and Microfluidic Driving Method

Inventors: Yanlei Yu; Lixin Jiang; Yumeng Jiang; Jia Wei

Applicant: Fudan University

Patent No.: ZL 2025 1 0745551.9

Abstract:

The invention discloses a microfluidic chip, comprising: a substrate, made of a photodeformable crosslinked liquid crystal polymer material, including a first surface, in which a groove is on the first surface, and a slot opening is provided at the top of the groove; and a film, made of a photodeformable linear liquid crystal polymer material, attached to the first surface and covering the slot opening, wherein the groove and the film covering the slot opening enclose a microchannel, and the microchannel is used for transporting microfluids. When a portion of the microchannel is irradiated with light, the microchannel forms an illuminated zone channel and a non-illuminated zone channel; the groove and the film in the illuminated zone channel undergo deformation, such that the cross-sectional area of the illuminated zone channel is larger than that of the non-illuminated zone channel, thereby driving the microfluid in the illuminated zone channel to flow toward the non-illuminated zone channel. By utilizing the co-deformation of the groove and the film, the deformation magnitude of the microchannel is increased, significantly enhancing the driving force on the microfluid. The present invention also discloses a method for preparing the microfluidic chip and driving microfluids.