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Lu S, Tseng J, Chuang L, Chang N, Chen S, Hsu C, Chien J, Lin C, Lee E. Electrophoresis of a weakly charged dielectric fluid droplet in a cylindrical pore. Electrophoresis 2024. [PMID: 38613523 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Electrophoresis of a weakly charged dielectric droplet with constant surface charge density in a chargeless cylindrical pore is investigated theoretically in this study, focusing on the boundary confinement effect of the double layer, which in turn determines the ultimate motion of the droplet. A patched pseudo-spectral method based on the Chebyshev polynomial is adopted to solve the resulting governing fundamental electrokinetic equations. Mobility reversal, among other interesting phenomena, is observed when the droplet is in a narrow cylindrical pore. No such observation was made in the corresponding motion of a rigid particle. The droplet with a thick double layer may even move against the prediction based on the Coulomb electrostatic law, for instance, a positively charged droplet may move against the electric field. The significant enhancement of the motion-deterring double layer polarization due to the severe steric boundary confinement within a narrow cylindrical pore is found to be responsible for this seemingly peculiar phenomenon. Moreover, smaller droplets may move in the opposite direction of the larger ones. The results are useful in capillary electrophoresis involving droplets in particular and migration of droplets through narrow channels in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jessica Tseng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lily Chuang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nemo Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sunny Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Celia Hsu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jean Chien
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Carol Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Eric Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Nakamura Y, Hashimoto M. Droplet size affects the degree of separation between fluorescence-positive and fluorescence-negative droplet populations in droplet digital PCR. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2024; 16:656-666. [PMID: 38113037 DOI: 10.1039/d3ay01689g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
In droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) tests, a single sample solution is divided into many water-in-oil droplets. At the endpoint of PCR amplification, individual droplets are classified as either fluorescence-positive (FL(+)) or fluorescence-negative (FL(-)) droplets based upon their fluorescence amplitudes. Populations of FL(+) and FL(-) droplets can be seen in the histogram of fluorescence amplitude. The absolute copy number of a target molecule can be calculated from the fraction of FL(+) droplets relative to the total droplet number analyzed using Poisson statistics. It is crucial that the population of FL(+) droplets can be distinctly separated from that of the FL(-) droplets for accurately estimating the FL(+) droplet fraction and the absolute copy number. However, the distinct separation of the two populations is often impaired in actual ddPCR tests. Although many factors have been suggested to affect population separation, no study has addressed whether the droplet size influences the degree of separation. In this study, we compared the degrees of separation for ddPCR runs with three different droplet sizes. The experimental results showed an increasing degree of separation with decreasing droplet size. This discovery will potentially guide researchers to use smaller droplets in ddPCR to achieve higher accuracy and precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Nakamura
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Hashimoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
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Takahara H, Tanaka H, Hashimoto M. Fast Thermocycling in Custom Microfluidic Cartridge for Rapid Single-Molecule Droplet PCR. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:9884. [PMID: 38139729 PMCID: PMC10747138 DOI: 10.3390/s23249884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The microfluidic droplet polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which enables simultaneous DNA amplification in numerous droplets, has led to the discovery of various applications that were previously deemed unattainable. Decades ago, it was demonstrated that the temperature holding periods at the denaturation and annealing stages in thermal cycles for PCR amplification could be essentially eliminated if a rapid change of temperature for an entire PCR mixture was achieved. Microfluidic devices facilitating the application of such fast thermocycling protocols have significantly reduced the time required for PCR. However, in microfluidic droplet PCR, ensuring successful amplification from single molecules within droplets has limited studies on accelerating assays through fast thermocycling. Our developed microfluidic cartridge, distinguished for its convenience in executing single-molecule droplet PCR with common laboratory equipment, features droplets positioned on a thin glass slide. We hypothesized that applying fast thermocycling to this cartridge would achieve single-molecule droplet PCR amplification. Indeed, the application of this fast protocol demonstrated successful amplification in just 22 min for 30 cycles (40 s/cycle). This breakthrough is noteworthy for its potential to expedite microfluidic droplet PCR assays, ensuring efficient single-molecule amplification within a remarkably short timeframe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Masahiko Hashimoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe 610-0321, Kyoto, Japan
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Wu J, Fang H, Zhang J, Yan S. Modular microfluidics for life sciences. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:85. [PMID: 36906553 PMCID: PMC10008080 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01846-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The advancement of microfluidics has enabled numerous discoveries and technologies in life sciences. However, due to the lack of industry standards and configurability, the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices require highly skilled technicians. The diversity of microfluidic devices discourages biologists and chemists from applying this technique in their laboratories. Modular microfluidics, which integrates the standardized microfluidic modules into a whole, complex platform, brings the capability of configurability to conventional microfluidics. The exciting features, including portability, on-site deployability, and high customization motivate us to review the state-of-the-art modular microfluidics and discuss future perspectives. In this review, we first introduce the working mechanisms of the basic microfluidic modules and evaluate their feasibility as modular microfluidic components. Next, we explain the connection approaches among these microfluidic modules, and summarize the advantages of modular microfluidics over integrated microfluidics in biological applications. Finally, we discuss the challenge and future perspectives of modular microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Wu
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Nanophotonics Research Center, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hui Fang
- Nanophotonics Research Center, Institute of Microscale Optoelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Sheng Yan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
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5
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Closed-loop Control Systems for Pumps used in Portable Analytical Systems. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1695:463931. [PMID: 37011525 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.463931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
The demand for accurate control of the flowrate/pressure in chemical analytical systems has given rise to the adoption of mechatronic approaches in analytical instruments. A mechatronic device is a synergistic system which combines mechanical, electronic, computer and control components. In the development of portable analytical devices, considering the instrument as a mechatronic system can be useful to mitigate compromises made to decrease space, weight, or power consumption. Fluid handling is important for reliability, however, commonly utilized platforms such as syringe and peristaltic pumps are typically characterized by flow/pressure fluctuations and slow responses. Closed loop control systems have been used effectively to decrease the difference between desired and realized fluidic output. This review discusses the way control systems have been implemented for enhanced fluidic control, categorized by pump type. Advanced control strategies used to enhance the transient and the steady state responses are discussed, along with examples of their implementation in portable analytical systems. The review is concluded with the outlook that the challenge in adequately expressing the complexity and dynamics of the fluidic network as a mathematical model has yielded a trend towards the adoption of experimentally informed models and machine learning approaches.
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Hou Y, Chen S, Zheng Y, Zheng X, Lin JM. Droplet-based digital PCR (ddPCR) and its applications. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Amirifar L, Besanjideh M, Nasiri R, Shamloo A, Nasrollahi F, de Barros NR, Davoodi E, Erdem A, Mahmoodi M, Hosseini V, Montazerian H, Jahangiry J, Darabi MA, Haghniaz R, Dokmeci MR, Annabi N, Ahadian S, Khademhosseini A. Droplet-based microfluidics in biomedical applications. Biofabrication 2021; 14. [PMID: 34781274 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac39a9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidic systems have been employed to manipulate discrete fluid volumes with immiscible phases. Creating the fluid droplets at microscale has led to a paradigm shift in mixing, sorting, encapsulation, sensing, and designing high throughput devices for biomedical applications. Droplet microfluidics has opened many opportunities in microparticle synthesis, molecular detection, diagnostics, drug delivery, and cell biology. In the present review, we first introduce standard methods for droplet generation (i.e., passive and active methods) and discuss the latest examples of emulsification and particle synthesis approaches enabled by microfluidic platforms. Then, the applications of droplet-based microfluidics in different biomedical applications are detailed. Finally, a general overview of the latest trends along with the perspectives and future potentials in the field are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Amirifar
- Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, 11365-11155, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | - Mohsen Besanjideh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Tehran, 11365-11155, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | - Rohollah Nasiri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Tehran, 11365-11155, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | - Amir Shamloo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Tehran, 11365-11155, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
| | | | - Natan Roberto de Barros
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90024, UNITED STATES
| | - Elham Davoodi
- Bioengineering, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90095, UNITED STATES
| | - Ahmet Erdem
- Bioengineering, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90095, UNITED STATES
| | | | - Vahid Hosseini
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90024, UNITED STATES
| | - Hossein Montazerian
- Bioengineering, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90095, UNITED STATES
| | - Jamileh Jahangiry
- University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90095, UNITED STATES
| | | | - Reihaneh Haghniaz
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90024, UNITED STATES
| | - Mehmet R Dokmeci
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90024, UNITED STATES
| | - Nasim Annabi
- Chemical Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90095, UNITED STATES
| | - Samad Ahadian
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90024, UNITED STATES
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, 90024, UNITED STATES
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Takahara H, Matsushita H, Inui E, Ochiai M, Hashimoto M. Convenient microfluidic cartridge for single-molecule droplet PCR using common laboratory equipment. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2021; 13:974-985. [PMID: 33533381 DOI: 10.1039/d0ay01779e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We have previously established a cost-efficient in-house system for single-molecule droplet polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic cartridge and common laboratory equipment. However, the microfluidic cartridge was only capable of generating monodisperse water-in-oil droplets. Therefore, careful and time-consuming manual droplet handling using a micropipette was required to transfer droplets between the three discrete steps involved in the workflow of droplet PCR-i.e., (1) droplet generation; (2) PCR amplification; and (3) determination of the fluorescence intensity of the thermocycled droplets. In the current study, we developed a new microfluidic cartridge consisting of four layers, with a thin glass slide as the bottom layer. In this cartridge, droplets generated in the uppermost polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic layer are delivered to the glass slide in an online fashion. After the accumulation of many droplets on the glass slide, the cartridge is placed on the flatbed heat block of a thermocycler for PCR amplification. Direct fluorescence imaging of the thermocycled droplets on the glass slide is then carried out using a conventional fluorescence microscope. Efficient heat transfer from the heat block to the settled droplets through the thin glass slide was confirmed by successful PCR amplification inside the droplets, even from single template molecules. The new cartridge eliminates the need for manual droplet transfer between the major steps of droplet PCR analysis, allowing more convenient single-molecule droplet PCR than in our previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Takahara
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
| | - Hiroo Matsushita
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
| | - Erika Inui
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
| | - Masashi Ochiai
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Hashimoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tataramiyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto 610-0321, Japan.
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9
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Zhu K, Chi J, Zhang D, Ma B, Dong X, Yang J, Zhao C, Liu H. Bio-inspired photonic crystals for naked eye quantification of nucleic acids. Analyst 2019; 144:5413-5419. [DOI: 10.1039/c9an01042d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The quantitative detection of nucleic acids by the naked eye was achieved based on structural color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
| | - Junjie Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
| | - Dagan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
| | - Biao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
| | - Xing Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
| | - Jun Yang
- Nanjing Institute for Food and Drug Control
- Nanjing
- PR China
| | - Chao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- Nanjing 210096
- China
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FAN YQ, WANG HL, GAO KX, LIU JJ, CHAI DP, ZHANG YJ. Applications of Modular Microfluidics Technology. CHINESE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/s1872-2040(18)61126-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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11
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Oda Y, Oshima H, Nakatani M, Hashimoto M. Vacuum-driven fluid manipulation by a piezoelectric diaphragm micropump for microfluidic droplet generation with a rapid system response time. Electrophoresis 2018; 40:414-418. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Oda
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University; Kyotanabe Kyoto Japan
| | - Hirofumi Oshima
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University; Kyotanabe Kyoto Japan
| | - Masaya Nakatani
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University; Kyotanabe Kyoto Japan
| | - Masahiko Hashimoto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science; Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University; Kyotanabe Kyoto Japan
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Thurgood P, Zhu JY, Nguyen N, Nahavandi S, Jex AR, Pirogova E, Baratchi S, Khoshmanesh K. A self-sufficient pressure pump using latex balloons for microfluidic applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2730-2740. [PMID: 30063234 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00471d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Here, we demonstrate a self-sufficient, inexpensive and disposable pressure pump using commercially available latex balloons. The versatility of the pump is demonstrated against various microfluidic structures, liquid viscosities, and ambient temperatures. The flow rate of the pump can be controlled by varying the size and thickness of the balloon. Importantly, the soft structure of the balloon allows for almost instantaneous change of the flow rate upon manual squeezing of the balloon. This feature has been used for dynamically changing the flow ratio of parallel streams in a T-shaped channel or varying the size of droplets in a droplet generation system. The self-sufficiency, simplicity of fabrication and operation, along with the low-cost of the balloon pump facilitate the widespread application of microfluidic technologies for various research, education, and in situ monitoring purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Thurgood
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
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