WO2000062919A1

WO2000062919A1 - Modular chemical microsystem

Info

Publication number: WO2000062919A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/003222
Authority: WO
Inventors: Norbert Schwesinger; Ulf Heim
Original assignee: Norbert Schwesinger; Ulf Heim
Priority date: 1999-04-16
Filing date: 2000-04-11
Publication date: 2000-10-26
Also published as: EP1175258A1; DE19917398A1; JP2002542014A; AU4399800A; DE19917398C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a modular chemical microsystem for carrying out preferably chemical processes. Said modular microsystem consists of at least one coupling bar (1) and a plurality of modules (2). The coupling bar is provided with a plurality of gates (3) that connect the microsystem to a control unit (10) and with a system bus that communicates with the plurality of gates (3) and that transmits control signals within the microsystem. The coupling bar further comprises a plurality of connections (4) for substances that connect the microsystem to a storage and/or collection reservoir and a channel system for said substances that communicates with the plurality of connections (4) and that carries substances within the microsystem. Also provided is a plurality of geometrically defined module interfaces (5) of the same kind that communicate with the system bus and the channel system for the substances. The substances are subject to controlled processes in said modules. The modules have a connecting area (6) that is complementary to the module interfaces (5) and they can be arranged on the at least one coupling bar (1) in random order.

Description

Modular chemical micro system

The present invention relates to a modular microsystem for carrying out preferably chemical processes.

As part of technological development, new requirements are also placed on the materials for new products. In order to develop new materials or to give new properties to known materials, it is often necessary to carry out extensive series of tests in chemistry, in which different starting substances carry out chemical reactions with one another in a wide variety of process steps. Such series of tests are usually carried out in industrial or research laboratories, with various test setups having to be created manually to test different process sequences. The resulting personnel costs in the development of new materials and substances are high. There is also the risk that the processes are error-prone and not exactly traceable, since there are many subjective sources of error.

The production of certain substances or mixtures of substances also presents difficulties where only small amounts of the desired substance are required or where hazardous basic substances are used. Chemical processes that are carried out in large industrial plants can be controlled relatively well. However, such systems cannot be used efficiently if only small quantities of basic substances are to be processed. The effort to set up a suitable industrial plant would be too high, as long as the continuous before production of larger quantities of the desired substrate is ensured. Large industrial plants can also pose risks for the operators of the plants or the environment when processing hazardous substances. The greater the quantities of dangerous substances, the higher these risks.

European patent EP 0 688 242 B1 describes an integrated device for chemical process steps which is intended to carry out one or more operations with sensors and control elements for a specific chemical reaction within a micro-reactor. For this purpose, a plurality of plates designed as reaction cells are hermetically connected to one another to form at least one three-dimensionally wound continuous channel. However, this reactor can only be used for the one predetermined chemical reaction, since modifications in the course of the reaction cannot be carried out. The reactor is also unusable if a single reaction cell in the reactor is defective.

A design known as MINIPLANT technology is known from CHEMIE INGENIEUR TECHNIK 69 (1997) pp. 623-631, in which a large number of apparatuses are provided for implementing a wide variety of process sequences. A disadvantage here is the considerable effort to set up the necessary infrastructure for such a system. In addition, technical elements for large material flows often prove unsuitable for use in microsystems due to the small quantities to be converted.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an arrangement in which chemical see physical or chemical / physical processes can take place, this arrangement can be easily adapted to the desired process and supported by a flexible control system. Another object is to provide a microsystem for the purpose of producing very small quantities of a wide variety of substances, the retrofitting of the microsystem, apart from the simple exchange of modules on a coupling rail, requiring no installation work (neither for material connections, nor for electrical signal connections).

These and other tasks are solved by a modular microsystem, which is defined in more detail in claim 1.

According to the invention, the coupling rail has a multiplicity of module interfaces which are constructed in the same way (geometrically defined). According to the invention, each of the large number of modules has a connection area which is complementary to the module interfaces, so that each module can be arranged in any order on the at least one coupling rail, the modules being connected to one another via the system bus and the material duct system and being from the control unit or receive or send control signals to other modules and receive or deliver substances from the storage or collecting containers or other modules. The switching elements contained in the modules influence the material flow within the module in response to control signals from the system bus. Such switching elements can be valves or switchable channel systems within the modules.

This modular microsystem is a device for realizing chemical and physical reactions or process se ready, the structure of which is flexible and thus enables easy adaptation to different process sequences. By defining a uniform interface between different modules and the coupling rail, it is possible to set up any combination of modules and to easily replace individual components when the desired process is modified. For this purpose, each module represents a self-contained, more or less complicated process unit, in which the substances supplied are subjected to a controlled process. Such processes can be chemical reactions or physical processes, such as oxidation or evaporation.

The specific internal structure of any module is not important for the invention. The only thing that matters is that all modules have standardized interfaces that allow an arrangement in the coupling rail and a central control. This also has the advantage that the individual modules can be exchanged or replaced at any time. The individual modules are equipped with microstructures that can be formed in silicon wafers using etching techniques, for example. The techniques for making such structures are well known in the semiconductor industry.

An advantageous embodiment of the modular microsystem is characterized in that each module in the connection area has material inputs, material outputs, control signal inputs and control signal outputs. As a result, the individual modules can both receive substances and deliver the results of the processes in the module in material form. In addition, the modules and the processes running there can be controlled via the control inputs, and the control outputs can be Chen the data transmission to other modules or to the central control unit. For example, the measurement results from sensors arranged in the modules can be transmitted to the control unit, where they are available for further data processing.

Electrical or optical signals are preferably used as control signals, since sophisticated transmission techniques are available in this regard. In modified embodiments, however, information can also be transmitted by hydraulic or pneumatic signals.

A particularly expedient embodiment of the modular microsystem has a material channel system which is designed for the conduction of fluidic substances. In a modified embodiment, gaseous substances can also be processed.

For the decentralized use of the micro-system according to the invention, it is advantageous if the control unit is a personal computer. Such microsystems can be used for example in laboratories or in pharmacies, drugstores and health food stores to produce small quantities of pharmaceutical products. Due to the use of ready-made modules and the arrangement of the modules on the coupling rail without complications, no special know-how is required to set up chemical process plants with which the desired products can be produced. The modular microsystems can therefore be used directly where the desired product is needed. In the case of perishable substances, this ensures that the production of the substance only has to take place at the point in time when it is actually required; it is even conceivable that such microsystems have certain characteristics User groups are used in the living area, for example to prepare the necessary medication fresh at any time. If, in these cases, the control takes place via an ordinary personal computer which is available at most conceivable application points of the microsystem according to the invention, the effort required for the overall system is further reduced.

In a modified embodiment, continuous chemical reactions can take place in the microsystem. The individual process steps required are carried out in the respective modules. The module assembly on the coupling rail is based on the modular principle, with the individual steps of a desired reaction taking place in succession in individual modules. It is thus possible with the microsystem according to the invention to run any chemical reactions on a microscale. The control of these reactions is in turn mediated by the control of the individual modules by a central control unit.

In modified embodiments of the modular microsystem, a plurality of coupling rails can also be used, preferably coupling rails of the same type being used. The module interfaces use special plug-in systems as are known per se from the prior art for the construction of duct systems.

The modules for the microsystem include, for example, micromixers, micropumps, microvalves, microreactors, micro-dwellers, micro-heaters, micro-coolers, micro-separators, micro-extractors, micro-splitters, micro-evaporators, micro-evaporators and / or microsensors. Through the application of microsystem technology within the individual With the modular microsystem, it is also possible for modules to treat the smallest quantities of chemicals and assemble them into new substances or mixtures of substances. The possibility of working with very small amounts of substance also has the advantage that chemical reactions which are usually difficult to control become easier to control and a possible risk potential is significantly reduced. Last but not least, the amount of waste and the resulting manufacturing costs are reduced.

The modular microsystem according to the invention opens up the possibility of optimizing process parameters in defined reactions with little effort, since the individual parameters can be changed or adapted automatically by the central control unit within a predetermined test series. Theoretically predicted reactions can be verified with the microsystem in continuous operation. Before the construction of large industrial plants, all reactions can be tested in a miniaturized plant with the modular microsystem, so that, for example, scaling rules for mass products can also be developed. Since the control of the modular microsystem is carried out by a central control unit and the data transmission between the control unit and the individual modules can be carried out by electrical signals, the control unit can also be positioned spatially separated from the actual microsystem. The control data can also be exchanged between different control units.

In contrast to the prior art, the modules of the present microsystem are closed, that is to say fully functional, process units in which the substances supplied are subject to a centrally controlled process. According to the invention, each individual module has a connection area for the mass and signal transmission that is complementary to the module interfaces, the design of this connection area being identical for all modules. When taking up any space on the coupling rail, the connection of each module with the material anal system, the system bus and the other modules is ensured. This achieves considerable flexibility of the system and overcomes the disadvantage of the limited area of application that the known automated systems have.

A major advantage of the present modular microsystem is thus that the modules can be arranged quickly and without complications in any order, so that process sequences can be implemented without special know-how. This can even enable non-specialists to practically understand special processes if you are provided with instructions on how to arrange existing modules and adapted control software. Furthermore, a flexible system for processing very small quantities of material is provided, as required for the testing and verification of theoretically predicted reactions, the optimization of process parameters and for substance screening. Demand-based industrial production of small quantities of material is also possible.

Further advantages, details and developments of the present invention result from the following description of preferred embodiments, with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a modular microsystem with a personal computer as a control unit. 2 shows a schematic diagram of networked laboratories, each with a modular microsystem;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a worldwide network consisting of several modular microsystems.

1 shows a basic illustration of a modular micro system, which comprises a coupling rail 1 and a multiplicity of modules 2 (modules 2a-2f shown here). The coupling rail 1 has a multiplicity of electrical connections 3 and a multiplicity of fabric connections 4. In addition, the coupling rail 1 provides a mechanical frame in which a multiplicity of similar, geometrically and electrically defined module interfaces 5 are provided.

In the example shown, the modules 2 each have a connection area 6 on their underside which is complementary to the module interfaces 5. Special plug-in systems are used, but are known as such and are therefore not explained in detail. In other embodiments, the connection area can also be arranged at any other point on the module if this is expedient for the special application. The control connections 3 can be designed as electrical connections or also as connections for the transmission of optical signals. The control connections 3 are connected to a system bus which transmits the applied control signals to the module interfaces 5 and from there into the inserted modules 2 in their connection area 6. The connection area 6 of the modules also provides a transition area for preferably fluid see substances ready so that the basic substances supplied to the substance connections 4 can flow into the individual modules 2 via a substance channel system within the coupling rail 1, mediated via the module interfaces 5. In a simple case, the corresponding material channel system can be formed by hoses or pipes. The materials to be used depend on the substances to be transported. Since a large number of material connections 4 are available, the basic substances can be transported on individual sections of the material channel system, while on other sections of the channel system the intermediate products are transported from one module to a subsequent module and the desired end products in turn on a third section of the channel system the fabric connections 4 are performed. All chemical and physical reactions and process steps are carried out within one or more modules adapted to the specific process step.

Microsystems are used as modules, as exemplified in the introduction to the description. For a better understanding of such a micromodule, reference is also made to the German patent application DE 198 55 256.4, in which a microseparator is described which could be assembled in the form of such a module without further difficulties in terms of its external structure.

1 also shows a personal computer 10, which works as a central control unit for the microsystem. The personal computer 10 is connected to the control connections 3 via a suitable connecting line 11. All control information is transmitted to the individual modules 2 via the control connections, so that the process process can be influenced solely by changing the corresponding tax information. Larger changes in the desired reaction sequence can be achieved by rearranging or exchanging the individual modules.

Mass transport lines 12 are also provided, which connect the mass connections 4 to corresponding storage or collection containers 13. The fluidic starting substances flow to the modules 2 via the mass transport lines 12 and the end substances are fed into the collecting containers 13 by the modules via the mass transport lines 12.

2 shows a connection between two modular microsystems to form a laboratory network. In a first laboratory, a microsystem consisting of the coupling rail 1 and a large number of modules 2 is in turn set up. This microsystem is controlled by the personal computer 10. In a second laboratory there is a second coupling rail 101 with second modules 102. The second microsystem constructed in this way is controlled by a second personal computer 110. The two personal computers 10 and 110, which represent the control units for the two microsystems, are connected via an internal data network 20. In this way, parallel test series can be carried out in different laboratories, for example, which enable immediate verification of test results. It is also possible, after completion of a corresponding reaction in the first laboratory, to transfer the data for controlling the microsystem to the second laboratory, in order to repeat the process there in a modified manner with other starting substances which are not available in the first laboratory . FIG. 3 shows a basic illustration of a global network in which several modular microsystems are integrated. Each unit comprises a modular microsystem, again consisting of the coupling rail 1 and the modules 2, which are controlled by the control unit 10. The data exchange in turn takes place between the individual control units, the type of data transmission not being important. In this way, chemical reactions that have been successfully carried out can be reproduced at remote locations within a very short time. For this it is sufficient if the same starting substances are available, the same modules are used and the same control program is processed by the respective control unit.

The various possible uses of the modular microsystem according to the invention are ultimately only limited by the available individual modules with their special designs. Such individual modules can also be provided by various specialized manufacturers as long as they meet the standardized requirements for the module interfaces and the complementary connection areas. The control of these modules can also be largely simplified if a specific routine is available for each individual module, with which all functions of the module can be controlled and which can be easily integrated into a complex control program. Again, it is sufficient if the interfaces between these control routines are standardized.

Claims

New claims:

1. Modular microsystem for carrying out preferably chemical processes, comprising ♦ at least one coupling rail (1) with;

^■ a plurality of control connections (3), which are used to connect the microsystem to a control unit (10);

^■ a system bus that communicates with the large number of control connections (3) and the transmission of

Control signals within the microsystem;

^■ a plurality of material connections (4), which serve to connect the microsystem to storage and / or collecting containers (13); ■ a material channel system which communicates with the large number of material connections (4) and serves for mass transfer within the microsystem; and

■ A large number of similar module interfaces, defined with regard to their geometry and the type of transferable control signals and substances

(5) that with the system bus and the material duct system in

To be connected; and

♦ a large number of modules (2) in which the substances are mainly subject to continuously controlled processes, the modules having a connection area (6) complementary to the module interfaces (5) and in any order and in accordance with the desired process sequence on the at least a coupling rail (1) can be arranged so that they are connected to one another via the system bus and the material channel system, wherein they receive or send control signals from the control unit (10) or other modules (2) and from the storage or collecting containers (12) or other modules (2) receive substances or deliver to these, and wherein at least in some of the modules (2) there are switching elements which, in response to control signals from the system bus, influence the material flow within this module.

2. Modular microsystem according to claim 1, characterized in that each module (2) in the connection area (6) has material inputs, material outputs, control signal inputs and control signal outputs.

3. Modular microsystem according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the material channel system is designed for the conduction of fluidic substances.

4. Modular microsystem according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit (10) is a personal computer.

5. Modular microsystem according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that continuous chemical reactions can take place in the microsystem.

6. Modular microsystem according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control signals are electrical signals.

7. Modular microsystem according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control signals are optical signals.

8. Modular microsystem according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of coupling rails (1). Modular microsystem according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises one or more of the following modules (2):

Micromixer,

Micropumps,

Micro valves,

Microreactors,

Micro dwell,

Micro heater,

Micro cooler,

Micro separators,

Micro extractors,

Micro-splitters,

Micro evaporator,

Micro-damper and

Microsensors.