BIOLOGICAL DETECTING CHIP

A biological detecting chip comprising an optical fiber, at least one gas filter, an upper cap and a substrate is disclosed. The optical fiber has at least one detecting area disposed on an outer surface. The upper cap has at least two guiding channels passed through the upper cap, at least one discharge channel with two ends connecting to an upper portion of distinct guiding channels, an inlet and an outlet, wherein the gas filter is attached to an upside of the discharge channel to separate the discharge channel and an outside of the upper cap. The substrate has a test area and a plurality of directing channels, wherein the directing channel connects to the inlet and the guiding channel, connects to the guiding channel and the test area, and connects to the test area and the outlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer toFIGS. 1-3;FIG. 1is an exploded-view diagram of the biological detecting chip of the present invention;FIGS. 2A-2Care schematic diagrams of the biological detecting chip after being assembled;FIG. 3is schematic diagrams for the working fluid flowing inside the biological detecting chip. As shown inFIG. 1, the biological detecting chip1according to the present invention comprises an upper cap11, a substrate12, an optical fiber13and two gas filters14. A detecting area131locates on the surface of the middle region of the optical fiber13. The detecting area131is coated with gold nanoparticles by means of chemical bonds. Therefore, Surface Plasma Resonance (SPR) effect can be carried out to detect interactions between proteins or biological organisms and to measure biological characteristics thereof. An upside of the upper cap11has discharge channels114and117, guiding channels113,115,116and118, an inlet111and an outlet112. The guiding channels113,115,116and118are vertically disposed and passed through the upper cap11. A left end and a right end of the discharge channel114are respectively connected to an upper portion of the guiding channel113and the guiding channel115. Similarly, a left end and a right end of the discharge channel117are respectively connected to an upper portion of the guiding channel116and the guiding channel118. In this manner, as shown inFIG. 3, the guiding channel113, the discharge channel114and the guiding channel115are connected in sequence and form a “┌┐” shape. Similarly, the guiding channel116, the discharge channel117and the guiding channel118are connected in sequence and form a “┌┐” shape. Besides, the gas filters14may be optionally attached to an upside of the discharge channels114and117. In this manner, the discharge channels114and117are separated and isolated from an outside of the upper cap11.

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 2A, an upside of the substrate12has a test area124, a trough128, a plurality of walls129, a plurality of fitting elements125and a plurality of directing channels121,122and123. The directing channels121,122and123are horizontally disposed. The walls129encircle and isolate the directing channels121,122and123. The trough128, preferably concaved and disposed next to the walls129, is disposed at an outside of the wall129. In practice, the trough128may contain glue or other sticking materials.

When the upper cap11and the substrate12are aligned and combined, the fitting elements125may be fixed to the upper cap11or passed through the upper cap11, so as to fasten the upper cap11and the substrate12. In this manner, the fitting elements125may have guiding, positioning and fixing functions (as shown inFIG. 2B). Moreover, the optical fiber13is disposed and fixed between the upper cap11and the substrate12after the upper cap11is superimposed on the substrate12, so as to arrange the detecting area131of the optical fiber13inside the test area124. Besides, the test area124and the detecting area131of the optical fiber13define an optical axis Al, which crosses the direction of the directing channel121,122or123by an angle θ. Preferably, the angle θ ranges from 1 to 90 degrees. In this manner, as shown inFIG. 2AandFIG. 3, the directing channel121is connected to the inlet111and the guiding channel113; the directing channel123on the right hand side is connected to the guiding channel118and the test area124; the directing channel123on the left hand side is connected to the test area124and the outlet112; the directing channel122is connected to the distinct guiding channels115and116(i.e. the left end of the directing channel122is connected to the guiding channel116, and the right end of the directing channel122is connected to the guiding channel115).

Two gas filters14are attached to an upside of the discharge channels114and117, so as to separate and isolate the working fluid inside the discharge channels114and117during the process of analyses of biological samples. Preferably, the gas filter14is a polymeric fabric with nano-size pores and a chemical inert characteristic, so that gas may be passed through the gas filter14and working fluid may be blocked and retained in of the discharge channels114and117. In this manner, the gas filter14may have the function of air ventilation and of preventing the working fluid from leakage or flowing out. After the working fluid for biosample analyses is injected into the inlet111of the upper cap11, the fluid may flow, in sequence, to the directing channel121, the guiding channel113, the discharge channel114, the guiding channel115, the directing channel122, the guiding channel116, the discharge channel117, the guiding channel118, and the directing channel123and then flow out of the outlet112and leave the biological detecting chip1. In this manner, the working fluid inside the biological detecting chip1flows along a wiggly and undulated channel before being discharged.

Furthermore, after the upper cap11and the substrate12are combined and the working fluid is injected, the working fluid flows from the guiding channels113and116to the discharge channels114and117; and then the gas (i.e. a plurality of bubbles) in the working fluid may be filtered and removed by means of the ventilation of the gas filter14. Therefore bubbles are reduced and even diminished. The degassed working fluid then flows to the guiding channel118and the directing channel123and enters the test area124. The degassed fluid will not be able to affect the sensitivity of the optical fiber13(or the detecting area131) and thus the effectiveness of the experiment is improved. Theoretically, the bubbles in the working fluid may be moved upward by means of buoyancy and pressurization in the channel; therefore the bubbles may be forced to move upward and are filtered through the gas filter14. After several experiments, in a preferred embodiment the directing channels121,122and123may be 0.8 mm in height D1, and the discharge channels114and117may be 0.25 mm in height D2, so as to achieve an optimal ratio of flowing velocity to removal rate of the bubbles. Besides, the optical axis A1and the directing channels121,122and123have crossed by an angle θ. When the working fluid flows to the test area124, the working fluid will not acutely burst or smash the test area124; therefore bubble generation in the test area124is reduced and even diminished. Thus the entire biological detecting chip1may have minimal number of bubbles.

In a preferred embodiment, an upside of the upper cap11further has at least one receiving room119concaved on the upper cap11. As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 3, the receiving room119is disposed next to the discharge channels114and117. The gas filter14is optionally disposed and attached in the receiving room119. In this manner, an upper surface of the biological detecting chip1is kept plane and smooth with the gas filter14assembled inside the biological detecting chip1.

As shown inFIG. 4andFIG. 1, the trough128disposed at an outside of the walls129is concaved and disposed next to the wall129; in addition, the wall129protrudes and has a higher altitude than an upper surface of the substrate12. When the upper cap11and the substrate12are combined, the seal portion11A of the upper cap11may block or seal the glue (or other sticking materials) inside the trough128. Therefore the glue may bond the upper cap11and the substrate12together. The wall129protruding from an interior of the biological detecting chip1may prevent the glue from entering the directing channels121and122; therefore the glue will not block or jam the directing channels121and122.

Therefore, the biological detecting chip1may reduce bubble generation in the working fluid, so as to improve the accuracy/sensitivity of biosample analyses, restrain optical variation for signal detection caused by the working fluid, and decrease noise of bio-chemical measurement.

Summarily, the biological detecting chip1of the present invention may effectively control the generation of bubbles inside the channels of the chip. Therefore, the plasma effect of the gold nanoparticles in the optical fiber is increased, and the biological detecting chip is improved in its sensing accuracy of experimental signal. Thus the commercialization of the present invention is predictable.

The above-mentioned descriptions merely represent the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure, without any intention or ability to limit the scope of the instant disclosure which is fully described only within the following claims. Various equivalent changes, alterations or modifications based on the claims of instant disclosure are all, consequently, viewed as being embraced by the scope of the instant disclosure.