1
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Zhang R, Zhang C, Fan X, Au Yeung CCK, Li H, Lin H, Shum HC. A droplet robotic system enabled by electret-induced polarization on droplet. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6220. [PMID: 39043732 PMCID: PMC11266649 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50520-9] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Robotics for scientific research are evolving from grasping macro-scale solid materials to directly actuating micro-scale liquid samples. However, current liquid actuation mechanisms often restrict operable liquid types or compromise the activity of biochemical samples by introducing interfering mediums. Here, we propose a robotic liquid handling system enabled by a novel droplet actuation mechanism, termed electret-induced polarization on droplet (EPD). EPD enables all-liquid actuation in principle and experimentally exhibits generality for actuating various inorganic/organic liquids with relative permittivity ranging from 2.25 to 84.2 and volume from 500 nL to 1 mL. Moreover, EPD is capable of actuating various biochemical samples without compromising their activities, including various body fluids, living cells, and proteins. A robotic system is also coupled with the EPD mechanism to enable full automation. EPD's high adaptability with liquid types and biochemical samples thus promotes the automation of liquid-based scientific experiments across multiple disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruotong Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoxue Fan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Christina C K Au Yeung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Huiyanchen Li
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Haisong Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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2
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Liu K, He Y, Lu Z, Xu Q, Wang L, Liu Z, Khou J, Ye J, Liu C, Zhang T. Laser-induced graphene-based digital microfluidics (gDMF): a versatile platform with sub-one-dollar cost. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:3125-3134. [PMID: 38770672 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00258j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF), is an emerging liquid-handling technology, that shows promising potential in various biological and biomedical applications. However, the fabrication of conventional DMF chips is usually complicated, time-consuming, and costly, which seriously limits their widespread applications, especially in the field of point-of-care testing (POCT). Although the paper- or film-based DMF devices can offer an inexpensive and convenient alternative, they still suffer from the planar addressing structure, and thus, limited electrode quantity. To address the above issues, we herein describe the development of a laser-induced graphene (LIG) based digital microfluidics chip (gDMF). It can be easily made (within 10 min, under ambient conditions, without the need of costly materials or cleanroom-based techniques) by a computer-controlled laser scribing process. Moreover, both the planar addressing DMF (pgDMF) and vertical addressing DMF (vgDMF) can be readily achieved, with the latter offering the potential of a higher electrode density. Also, both of them have an impressively low cost of below $1 ($0.85 for pgDMF, $0.59 for vgDMF). Experiments also show that both pgDMF and vgDMF have a comparable performance to conventional DMF devices, with a colorimetric assay performed on vgDMF as proof-of-concept to demonstrate their applicability. Given the simple fabrication, low cost, full function, and the ease of modifying the electrode pattern for various applications, it is reasonably expect that the proposed gDMF may offer an alternative choice as a versatile platform for POCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Liu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
| | - Yu He
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation and Intelligent Systems, Huzhou Institute of Zhejiang University, Huzhou 313002, China
| | - Zefan Lu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
| | - Qiudi Xu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
| | - Lan Wang
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
| | - Zhongxuan Liu
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
| | - Jeremy Khou
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
| | - Jiaming Ye
- Tinkerbio Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Chong Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosurgery of Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310023, China.
- Research Center for Analytical Instrumentation and Intelligent Systems, Huzhou Institute of Zhejiang University, Huzhou 313002, China
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3
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Wang D, Jin K, Ji J, Hu C, Du M, Belgaid Y, Shi S, Li J, Hu S, Nathan A, Yu J, Ma H. Active-matrix digital microfluidics design for field programmable high-throughput digitalized liquid handling. iScience 2024; 27:109324. [PMID: 38706854 PMCID: PMC11067379 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Digital liquid sample handling is an enabling tool for cutting-edge life-sciences research. We present here an active-matrix thin-film transistor (TFT) based digital microfluidics system, referred to as Field Programmable Droplet Array (FPDA). The system contains 256 × 256 pixels in an active area of 10.65 cm2, which can manipulate thousands of addressable liquid droplets simultaneously. By leveraging a novel TFT device and circuits design solution, we manage to programmatically manipulate droplets at single-pixel level. The minimum achievable droplet volume is around 0.5 nL, which is two orders of magnitude smaller than the smallest droplet ever reported on active-matrix digital microfluidics. The movement of droplets can be either pre-programmed or controlled in real-time. The FPDA system shows great potential of the ubiquitous thin-film electronics technology in digital liquid handling. These efforts will make it possible to create a true programmable lab-on-a-chip device to enable great advances in life science research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Kai Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Jiajian Ji
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P.R. China
| | - Chenxuan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Maohua Du
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan 528000, P.R. China
| | | | - Subao Shi
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan 528000, P.R. China
| | - Jiahao Li
- ACX Instruments Ltd, Cambridge CB4 0WS, UK
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Arokia Nathan
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P.R. China
| | - Jun Yu
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P.R. China
| | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan 528000, P.R. China
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4
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Çeliker H, Dehaene W, Myny K. Multi-project wafers for flexible thin-film electronics by independent foundries. Nature 2024; 629:335-340. [PMID: 38658759 PMCID: PMC11078730 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07306-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Flexible and large-area electronics rely on thin-film transistors (TFTs) to make displays1-3, large-area image sensors4-6, microprocessors7-11, wearable healthcare patches12-15, digital microfluidics16,17 and more. Although silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips are manufactured using several dies on a single wafer and the multi-project wafer concept enables the aggregation of various CMOS chip designs within the same die, TFT fabrication is currently lacking a fully verified, universal design approach. This increases the cost and complexity of manufacturing TFT-based flexible electronics, slowing down their integration into more mature applications and limiting the design complexity achievable by foundries. Here we show a stable and high-yield TFT platform for the fabless manufacturing of two mainstream TFT technologies, wafer-based amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide and panel-based low-temperature polycrystalline silicon, two key TFT technologies applicable to flexible substrates. We have designed the iconic 6502 microprocessor in both technologies as a use case to demonstrate and expand the multi-project wafer approach. Enabling the foundry model for TFTs, as an analogy of silicon CMOS technologies, can accelerate the growth and development of applications and technologies based on these devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wim Dehaene
- ESAT, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kris Myny
- ESAT, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- imec, Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Zhang B, Fu J, Du M, Jin K, Huang Q, Li J, Wang D, Hu S, Li J, Ma H. Polar coordinate active-matrix digital microfluidics for high-resolution concentration gradient generation. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2193-2201. [PMID: 38465383 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00979c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Automated concentration gradient generation is one of the most important applications of lab-on-a-chip devices. Digital microfluidics is a unique platform that can effectively achieve digitalized gradient concentration preparation. However, the dynamic range and concentration resolution of the prepared samples heavily rely on the size and the number of effective electrodes. In this work, we report an active-matrix digital microfluidic device with polar coordinate electrode arrangement. The device contains 33 different electrode sizes, generating digital droplets of different volumes. To compare with the conventional rectangular coordinate arrangement with a similar electrode number, this work shows an approximately 19 times resolution enhancement for the achievable concentration gradient. We characterized the stability and uniformity of droplets generated by electrodes of different sizes, and the coefficient of variation of stable droplets was less than 3%. The fluorescent nanomaterial's concentration quantification and glucose concentration characterization experiments were also conducted, and the correlation coefficients for the linearities were all above 0.99.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Zhang
- Nanophotonics and Biophotonics Key Laboratory of Jilin Province, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
| | - Jinxin Fu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Maohua Du
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Guangdong Province, 528000, P. R. China
| | - Kai Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
| | - Qi Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
| | - Jiahao Li
- ACX Instruments Ltd, St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, UK
| | - Dongping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Guangdong Province, 528000, P. R. China
| | - Jinhua Li
- Nanophotonics and Biophotonics Key Laboratory of Jilin Province, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China.
| | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 88 Keling Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215163, P. R. China.
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Guangdong Province, 528000, P. R. China
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6
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Strutt R, Xiong B, Abegg VF, Dittrich PS. Open microfluidics: droplet microarrays as next generation multiwell plates for high throughput screening. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1064-1075. [PMID: 38356285 PMCID: PMC10898417 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01024d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Multiwell plates are prominent in the biological and chemical sciences; however, they face limitations in terms of throughput and deployment in emerging bioengineering fields. Droplet microarrays, as an open microfluidic technology, organise tiny droplets typically in the order of thousands, on an accessible plate. In this perspective, we summarise current approaches for generating droplets, fluid handling on them, and analysis within droplet microarrays. By enabling unique plate engineering opportunities, demonstrating the necessary experimental procedures required for manipulating and interacting with biological cells, and integrating with label-free analytical techniques, droplet microarrays can be deployed across a more extensive experimental domain than what is currently covered by multiwell plates. Droplet microarrays thus offer a solution to the bottlenecks associated with multiwell plates, particularly in the areas of biological cultivation and high-throughput compound screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Strutt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Bijing Xiong
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Vanessa Fabienne Abegg
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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7
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Liao J, Majidi C, Sitti M. Liquid Metal Actuators: A Comparative Analysis of Surface Tension Controlled Actuation. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2300560. [PMID: 37358049 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Liquid metals, with their unique combination of electrical and mechanical properties, offer great opportunities for actuation based on surface tension modulation. Thanks to the scaling laws of surface tension, which can be electrochemically controlled at low voltages, liquid metal actuators stand out from other soft actuators for their remarkable characteristics such as high contractile strain rates and higher work densities at smaller length scales. This review summarizes the principles of liquid metal actuators and discusses their performance as well as theoretical pathways toward higher performances. The objective is to provide a comparative analysis of the ongoing development of liquid metal actuators. The design principles of the liquid metal actuators are analyzed, including low-level elemental principles (kinematics and electrochemistry), mid-level structural principles (reversibility, integrity, and scalability), and high-level functionalities. A wide range of practical use cases of liquid metal actuators from robotic locomotion and object manipulation to logic and computation is reviewed. From an energy perspective, strategies are compared for coupling the liquid metal actuators with an energy source toward fully untethered robots. The review concludes by offering a roadmap of future research directions of liquid metal actuators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Liao
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstr. 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Carmel Majidi
- Robotics Institute, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstr. 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zürich, Zürich, 8092, Switzerland
- School of Medicine, College of Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, 34450, Turkey
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8
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Yang C, Gan X, Zeng Y, Xu Z, Xu L, Hu C, Ma H, Chai B, Hu S, Chai Y. Advanced design and applications of digital microfluidics in biomedical fields: An update of recent progress. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 242:115723. [PMID: 37832347 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Significant breakthroughs have been made in digital microfluidic (DMF)-based technologies over the past decades. DMF technology has attracted great interest in bioassays depending on automatic microscale liquid manipulations and complicated multi-step processing. In this review, the recent advances of DMF platforms in the biomedical field were summarized, focusing on the integrated design and applications of the DMF system. Firstly, the electrowetting-on-dielectric principle, fabrication of DMF chips, and commercialization of the DMF system were elaborated. Then, the updated droplets and magnetic beads manipulation strategies with DMF were explored. DMF-based biomedical applications were comprehensively discussed, including automated sample preparation strategies, immunoassays, molecular diagnosis, blood processing/testing, and microbe analysis. Emerging applications such as enzyme activity assessment and DNA storage were also explored. The performance of each bioassay was compared and discussed, providing insight into the novel design and applications of the DMF technology. Finally, the advantages, challenges, and future trends of DMF systems were systematically summarized, demonstrating new perspectives on the extensive applications of DMF in basic research and commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengbin Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xiangyu Gan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yuping Zeng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhourui Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Longqian Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
| | - Chenxuan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
| | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan, China.
| | - Bao Chai
- Department of Dermatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Department of Dermatology, The 6th Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
| | - Yujuan Chai
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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9
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Zhang N, Yue C, Zhan X, Cheng Z, Li C, Du Y, Tian F. Quantitative analysis of respiratory viruses based on lab-on-a-chip platform. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:6561-6571. [PMID: 37682312 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04935-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The quantitative analysis of respiratory viruses is of great importance for rapid diagnosis, precision medicine, and prognosis. Several current quantitative analysis systems have been proposed and commercialized. Although they have been proven in trials, quantitative analyzes based on real samples are still complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Therefore, they are not able to directly quantify real samples. In this work, we presented a lab-on-a-chip platform combined with an automated control system to achieve quantitative analysis from samples to results. We developed a multilayer integrated chip to rapidly extract and quantify RNA of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pseudovirus from large-volume nasal swab samples. The dependence of the magnetic bead size and the interfacial effect was studied for the first time, and the conditions of immiscible filtration assisted by surface tension (IFAST) method for nucleic acid extraction were optimized to increase the nucleic acid recovery rate up to 85%. Inside the chip, a pneumatic valve was developed for automatic opening and closing of the liquid channel. The integrated chip platform and automatic control system presented here are advantageous for use in resource-limited settings (RLS). In addition, our method can be extended to other respiratory viruses and other sample types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China
| | - Chao Yue
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China
| | - Xiaobo Zhan
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China
| | - Zhi Cheng
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China
| | - Chao Li
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China
| | - Yaohua Du
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China.
| | - Feng Tian
- Systems Engineering Institute, Academy of Military Sciences, People's Liberation Army, Beijing, 100166, China.
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10
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Zhang N, Li C, Dou X, Du Y, Tian F. Test Article for automation purposes. Crit Rev Anal Chem 2023; 53:1969-1989. [PMID: 37881955 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2022.2042999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Digital recombinase polymerase amplification (dRPA) aims to quantify the initial amount of nucleic acid by dividing nucleic acid and all reagents required for the RPA reaction evenly into numerous individual reaction units, such as chambers or droplets. dRPA turns out to be a prominent technique for quantifying the absolute quantity of target nucleic acid because of its advantages including low equipment requirements, short time consumption, as well as high sensitivity and specificity. dRPA combined with microfluidics are recognized as simple, various, and high-throughput nucleic acid quantization systems. This paper classifies the microfluidic dRPA systems over the last decade. We analyze and summarize the vital technologies of various microfluidic dRPA systems (e.g., chip preparation process, segmentation principle, microfluidic control, and statistical analysis methods), and major efforts to address limitations (e.g., prevention of evaporation and contamination, accurate initiation, and reduction of manual operation). In addition, this paper summarizes key factors and potential constraints to the success of the microfluidic dRPA to help more researchers, and possible strategies to overcome the mentioned challenges. Lastly, actual suggestions and strategies are proposed for the subsequent development of microfluidic dRPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Chao Li
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuechen Dou
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaohua Du
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Tian
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
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11
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Vasina M, Kovar D, Damborsky J, Ding Y, Yang T, deMello A, Mazurenko S, Stavrakis S, Prokop Z. In-depth analysis of biocatalysts by microfluidics: An emerging source of data for machine learning. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108171. [PMID: 37150331 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, the vastly increasing demand for novel biotechnological products is supported by the continuous development of biocatalytic applications which provide sustainable green alternatives to chemical processes. The success of a biocatalytic application is critically dependent on how quickly we can identify and characterize enzyme variants fitting the conditions of industrial processes. While miniaturization and parallelization have dramatically increased the throughput of next-generation sequencing systems, the subsequent characterization of the obtained candidates is still a limiting process in identifying the desired biocatalysts. Only a few commercial microfluidic systems for enzyme analysis are currently available, and the transformation of numerous published prototypes into commercial platforms is still to be streamlined. This review presents the state-of-the-art, recent trends, and perspectives in applying microfluidic tools in the functional and structural analysis of biocatalysts. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of available technologies, their reproducibility and robustness, and readiness for routine laboratory use. We also highlight the unexplored potential of microfluidics to leverage the power of machine learning for biocatalyst development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Vasina
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Kovar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Yun Ding
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tianjin Yang
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew deMello
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Stavros Stavrakis
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Centre, St. Anne's University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic.
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12
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Hu S, Ye J, Shi S, Yang C, Jin K, Hu C, Wang D, Ma H. Large-Area Electronics-Enabled High-Resolution Digital Microfluidics for Parallel Single-Cell Manipulation. Anal Chem 2023; 95:6905-6914. [PMID: 37071892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Large-area electronics as switching elements are an ideal option for electrode-array-based digital microfluidics. With support of highly scalable thin-film semiconductor technology, high-resolution digital droplets (diameter around 100 μm) containing single-cell samples can be manipulated freely on a two-dimensional plane with programmable addressing logic. In addition, single-cell generation and manipulation as foundations for single-cell research demand ease of operation, multifunctionality, and accurate tools. In this work, we reported an active-matrix digital microfluidic platform for single-cell generation and manipulation. The active device contained 26,368 electrodes that could be independently addressed to perform parallel and simultaneous droplet generation and achieved single-cell manipulation. We demonstrate a high-resolution digital droplet generation with a droplet volume limit of 500 pL and show the continuous and stable movement of droplet-contained cells for over 1 h. Furthermore, the success rate of single droplet formation was higher than 98%, generating tens of single cells within 10 s. In addition, a pristine single-cell generation rate of 29% was achieved without further selection procedures, and the droplets containing single cells could then be tested for on-chip cell culturing. After 20 h of culturing, about 12.5% of the single cells showed cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P. R. China
| | - Jingmin Ye
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan, Guangdong Province 528000, P. R. China
| | - Subao Shi
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan, Guangdong Province 528000, P. R. China
| | - Chao Yang
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan, Guangdong Province 528000, P. R. China
| | - Kai Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P. R. China
| | - Chenxuan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P. R. China
| | - Dongping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P. R. China
| | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P. R. China
- Guangdong ACXEL Micro & Nano Tech Co., Ltd, Foshan, Guangdong Province 528000, P. R. China
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13
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Kutscher A, Kalenczuk P, Shahadha M, Grünzner S, Obst F, Gruner D, Paschew G, Beck A, Howitz S, Richter A. Fabrication of Chemofluidic Integrated Circuits by Multi-Material Printing. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:699. [PMID: 36985107 PMCID: PMC10052728 DOI: 10.3390/mi14030699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Photolithographic patterning of components and integrated circuits based on active polymers for microfluidics is challenging and not always efficient on a laboratory scale using the traditional mask-based fabrication procedures. Here, we present an alternative manufacturing process based on multi-material 3D printing that can be used to print various active polymers in microfluidic structures that act as microvalves on large-area substrates efficiently in terms of processing time and consumption of active materials with a single machine. Based on the examples of two chemofluidic valve types, hydrogel-based closing valves and PEG-based opening valves, the respective printing procedures, essential influencing variables and special features are discussed, and the components are characterized with regard to their properties and tolerances. The functionality of the concept is demonstrated by a specific chemofluidic chip which automates an analysis procedure typical of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. Multi-material 3D printing allows active-material devices to be produced on chip substrates with tolerances comparable to photolithography but is faster and very flexible for small quantities of up to about 50 chips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kutscher
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Paula Kalenczuk
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Mohammed Shahadha
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Grünzner
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Obst
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Denise Gruner
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Georgi Paschew
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Anthony Beck
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Steffen Howitz
- GeSiM—Gesellschaft für Silizium-Mikrosysteme mbH, Bautzner Landstrasse 45, D-01454 Radeberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Richter
- Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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14
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Xu X, Cai L, Liang S, Zhang Q, Lin S, Li M, Yang Q, Li C, Han Z, Yang C. Digital microfluidics for biological analysis and applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1169-1191. [PMID: 36644972 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00756h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) is an emerging liquid-handling technology based on arrays of microelectrodes for the precise manipulation of discrete droplets. DMF offers the benefits of automation, addressability, integration and dynamic configuration ability, and provides enclosed picoliter-to-microliter reaction space, making it suitable for lab-on-a-chip biological analysis and applications that require high integration and intricate processes. A review of DMF bioassays with a special emphasis on those actuated by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) force is presented here. Firstly, a brief introduction is presented on both the theory of EWOD actuation and the types of droplet motion. Subsequently, a comprehensive overview of DMF-based biological analysis and applications, including nucleic acid, protein, immunoreaction and cell assays, is provided. Finally, a discussion on the strengths, challenges, and potential applications and perspectives in this field is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Xu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Linfeng Cai
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Shanshan Liang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Qiannan Zhang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Shiyan Lin
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Mingying Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Qizheng Yang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Chong Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Ziyan Han
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Chaoyong Yang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Department of Chemical Biology, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
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15
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Tong Z, Shen C, Li Q, Yin H, Mao H. Combining sensors and actuators with electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD): advanced digital microfluidic systems for biomedical applications. Analyst 2023; 148:1399-1421. [PMID: 36752059 DOI: 10.1039/d2an01707e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The concept of digital microfluidics (DMF) enables highly flexible and precise droplet manipulation at a picoliter scale, making DMF a promising approach to realize integrated, miniaturized "lab-on-a-chip" (LOC) systems for research and clinical purposes. Owing to its simplicity and effectiveness, electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) is one of the most commonly studied and applied effects to implement DMF. However, complex biomedical assays usually require more sophisticated sample handling and detection capabilities than basic EWOD manipulation. Alternatively, combined systems integrating EWOD actuators and other fluidic handling techniques are essential for bringing DMF into practical use. In this paper, we briefly review the main approaches for the integration/combination of EWOD with other microfluidic manipulation methods or additional external fields for specified biomedical applications. The form of integration ranges from independently operating sub-systems to fully coupled hybrid actuators. The corresponding biomedical applications of these works are also summarized to illustrate the significance of these innovative combination attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoduo Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China. .,Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chuanjie Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China. .,Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiushi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
| | - Hao Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China. .,Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hongju Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.
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16
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Fabrication of planar monolayer microreactor array for visual statistical analysis and droplet-based digital quantitative analysis in situ. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:627-637. [PMID: 36504285 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04451-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Planar monolayer microreactor arrays (PMMRAs) make droplet-based numerical measurements and statistical analysis cheap and easy. However, PMMRAs are typically produced in complex microfluidic devices and, moreover, still requires stringent control to reduce droplet loss during heating. In this paper, a simple, reliable, and flexible method for fabricating PMMRAs in a 96-well plate is described in detail by using simple materials and low-cost equipment. The partitioned droplets spontaneously assemble into PMMRAs in the plates, and this distribution is maintained even after incubation. This is advantageous for in situ analysis based on an individual droplet in droplet digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (ddLAMP) and does not require the transfer of positive droplets. Precise and reproducible quantification of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) extracts was executed in these PMMRAs to verify its availability. Our results demonstrate that the proposed approach not only provides a flexible and controllable execution scheme for droplet-based nucleic acid quantification in resource-limited laboratories but also opens new perspectives for numerous analytical and biochemical applications using droplets as versatile plastic microreactors.
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17
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Ahmadi F, Simchi M, Perry JM, Frenette S, Benali H, Soucy JP, Massarweh G, Shih SCC. Integrating machine learning and digital microfluidics for screening experimental conditions. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 23:81-91. [PMID: 36416045 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00764a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics (DMF) has the signatures of an ideal liquid handling platform - as shown through almost two decades of automated biological and chemical assays. However, in the current state of DMF, we are still limited by the number of parallel biological or chemical assays that can be performed on DMF. Here, we report a new approach that leverages design-of-experiment and numerical methodologies to accelerate experimental optimization on DMF. The integration of the one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) experimental technique with machine learning algorithms provides a set of recommended optimal conditions without the need to perform a large set of experiments. We applied our approach towards optimizing the radiochemistry synthesis yield given the large number of variables that affect the yield. We believe that this work is the first to combine such techniques which can be readily applied to any other assays that contain many parameters and levels on DMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Ahmadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada.
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Mohammad Simchi
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Rd, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - James M Perry
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Stephane Frenette
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Habib Benali
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada.
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul Soucy
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Gassan Massarweh
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montréal, Québec, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Steve C C Shih
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8, Canada.
- PERFORM Centre, Concordia University, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
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18
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Shen R, Lv A, Yi S, Wang P, Mak PI, Martins RP, Jia Y. Nucleic acid analysis on electrowetting-based digital microfluidics. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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19
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Zare Harofte S, Soltani M, Siavashy S, Raahemifar K. Recent Advances of Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Lab on a Chip for Diagnosis and Treatment. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2203169. [PMID: 36026569 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202203169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) creates numerous promising opportunities in the life sciences. AI methods can be significantly advantageous for analyzing the massive datasets provided by biotechnology systems for biological and biomedical applications. Microfluidics, with the developments in controlled reaction chambers, high-throughput arrays, and positioning systems, generate big data that is not necessarily analyzed successfully. Integrating AI and microfluidics can pave the way for both experimental and analytical throughputs in biotechnology research. Microfluidics enhances the experimental methods and reduces the cost and scale, while AI methods significantly improve the analysis of huge datasets obtained from high-throughput and multiplexed microfluidics. This review briefly presents a survey of the role of AI and microfluidics in biotechnology. Also, the incorporation of AI with microfluidics is comprehensively investigated. Specifically, recent studies that perform flow cytometry cell classification, cell isolation, and a combination of them by gaining from both AI methods and microfluidic techniques are covered. Despite all current challenges, various fields of biotechnology can be remarkably affected by the combination of AI and microfluidic technologies. Some of these fields include point-of-care systems, precision, personalized medicine, regenerative medicine, prognostics, diagnostics, and treatment of oncology and non-oncology-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Zare Harofte
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967-15433, Iran
| | - Madjid Soltani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967-15433, Iran
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CBB), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Advanced Bioengineering Initiative Center, Multidisciplinary International Complex, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 14176-14411, Iran
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 14197-33141, Iran
| | - Saeed Siavashy
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967-15433, Iran
| | - Kaamran Raahemifar
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Program, College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), Penn State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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20
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Song J, Zhang J, Krishna Mani S, Sen A. Droplet Navigation by Photothermal Pumping in an Optofluidic System. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:11486-11491. [PMID: 36067338 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Droplets with guided motion have potential applications as microreactors and delivery vehicles. Directing long-range migration powered solely by light is particularly advantageous since light can be applied remotely, patterned with a photomask, and readily translated to irradiate specified locations. Herein, we describe a universal platform that allows fast directional navigation and collective merging of droplets controlled by either ultraviolet or visible light. The guided motion of water and oil droplets follows density-driven convective flows arising from photothermal conversion at a light-absorbing amphiphobic substrate. Because of the relatively high photothermal efficiency, a low-intensity light beam can be employed. Further, we demonstrate that the moving droplets can function as carriers and on-demand reaction chambers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Song
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Sanjana Krishna Mani
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Ayusman Sen
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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21
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Zhang N, Li C, Dou X, Du Y, Tian F. Overview and Future Perspectives of Microfluidic Digital Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (dRPA). Crit Rev Anal Chem 2022; 52:1969-1989. [PMID: 35201910 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2022.2042669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Digital recombinase polymerase amplification (dRPA) aims to quantify the initial amount of nucleic acid by dividing nucleic acid and all reagents required for the RPA reaction evenly into numerous individual reaction units, such as chambers or droplets. dRPA turns out to be a prominent technique for quantifying the absolute quantity of target nucleic acid because of its advantages including low equipment requirements, short time consumption, as well as high sensitivity and specificity. dRPA combined with microfluidics are recognized as simple, various, and high-throughput nucleic acid quantization systems. This paper classifies the microfluidic dRPA systems over the last decade. We analyze and summarize the vital technologies of various microfluidic dRPA systems (e.g., chip preparation process, segmentation principle, microfluidic control, and statistical analysis methods), and major efforts to address limitations (e.g., prevention of evaporation and contamination, accurate initiation, and reduction of manual operation). In addition, this paper summarizes key factors and potential constraints to the success of the microfluidic dRPA to help more researchers, and possible strategies to overcome the mentioned challenges. Lastly, actual suggestions and strategies are proposed for the subsequent development of microfluidic dRPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Zhang
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Chao Li
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuechen Dou
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaohua Du
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Tian
- Institute of Medical Support Technology, Academy of Military Science, Tianjin, China
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22
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Abstract
Lab-on-a-chip devices leverage microfluidic technologies to enable chemical and biological processes at small scales. However, existing microfluidic channel networks are typically designed for the implementation of a single function or a well-defined protocol and do not allow the flexibility and real-time experimental decision-making essential to many scientific applications. In this Perspective, we highlight that reconfigurability and programmability of microfluidic platforms can support new functionalities that are beyond the reach of current lab-on-a-chip systems. We describe the ideal fully reconfigurable microfluidic device that can change its shape and function dynamically, which would allow researchers to tune a microscale experiment with the capacity to make real-time decisions. We review existing technologies that can dynamically control microscale flows, suggest additional physical mechanisms that could be leveraged towards the goal of reconfigurable microfluidics and highlight the importance of these efforts for the broad scientific community.
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23
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Qin F, Zhang K, Lin B, Su P, Jia Z, Xi K, Ye J, Gu S. Solution for Mass Production of High-Throughput Digital Microfluidic Chip Based on a-Si TFT with In-Pixel Boost Circuit. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12101199. [PMID: 34683251 PMCID: PMC8541461 DOI: 10.3390/mi12101199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
As one of the most popular research hotspot of lab-on-chip, digital microfluidic (DMF) technology based on the principle of electrowetting has unique advantages of high-precision, low cost and programmable control. However, due to the limitation of electrodes number, the throughput is hard to further upgrade. Therefore, active matrix electrowetting-on-dielectric (AM-EWOD) technology is a solution to acquire larger scale of driving electrodes. However, the process of manufacturing of AM-EWOD based on thin-film-transistor (TFT) is complex and expensive. Besides, the driving voltage of DMF chip is usually much higher than that of common display products.In this paper, a solution for mass production of AM-EWOD based on amorphous silicon (a-Si) is provided. Samples of 32 × 32 matrix AM-EWOD chips was designed and manufactured. A boost circuit was integrated into the pixel, which can raise the pixel voltage up by about 50%. Customized designed Printed Circuit Board (PCB) was used to supply the timing signals and driving voltage to make the motion of droplets programmable. The process of moving, mixing and generation of droplets was demonstrated.The minimum voltage in need was about 20 V and a velocity of up to 96 mm/s was achieved. Such an DMF device with large-scale matrix and low driving voltage will be very suitable for POCT applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Qin
- School of Electronic Science & Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (F.Q.); (J.Y.)
- Shanghai AVIC Optoelectronics, 3388 Huaning Rd., Minhang District, Shanghai 201108, China;
| | - Kaidi Zhang
- Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics, 889 Huiqing Rd., Pudong District, Shanghai 201201, China; (K.Z.); (B.L.); (P.S.); (Z.J.)
| | - Baiquan Lin
- Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics, 889 Huiqing Rd., Pudong District, Shanghai 201201, China; (K.Z.); (B.L.); (P.S.); (Z.J.)
| | - Ping Su
- Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics, 889 Huiqing Rd., Pudong District, Shanghai 201201, China; (K.Z.); (B.L.); (P.S.); (Z.J.)
| | - Zhenyu Jia
- Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics, 889 Huiqing Rd., Pudong District, Shanghai 201201, China; (K.Z.); (B.L.); (P.S.); (Z.J.)
| | - Kerui Xi
- Shanghai AVIC Optoelectronics, 3388 Huaning Rd., Minhang District, Shanghai 201108, China;
| | - Jiandong Ye
- School of Electronic Science & Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (F.Q.); (J.Y.)
| | - Shulin Gu
- School of Electronic Science & Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (F.Q.); (J.Y.)
- Correspondence:
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24
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Davis AN, Samlali K, Kapadia JB, Perreault J, Shih SCC, Kharma N. Digital Microfluidics Chips for the Execution and Real-Time Monitoring of Multiple Ribozymatic Cleavage Reactions. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:22514-22524. [PMID: 34514224 PMCID: PMC8427639 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we describe the design and performance of two digital microfluidics (DMF) chips capable of executing multiple ribozymatic reactions, with proper controls, in response to short single-stranded DNA inducers. Since the fluorescence output of a reaction is measurable directly from the chip, without the need for gel electrophoresis, a complete experiment involving up to eight reactions (per chip) can be carried out reliably, relatively quickly, and efficiently. The ribozymes can also be used as biosensors of the concentration of oligonucleotide inputs, with high sensitivity, low limits of quantification and of detection, and excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The presented chips are readily usable devices that can be used to automate, speed up, and reduce the costs of ribozymatic reaction experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alen N. Davis
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Kenza Samlali
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre
for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia
University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Jay B. Kapadia
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Jonathan Perreault
- Centre
for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia
University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Armand-Frappier
Health Biotechnology Center, Institut national
de la recherche scientifique, Laval, Québec H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Steve C. C. Shih
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre
for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia
University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
- Department
of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Nawwaf Kharma
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Québec H3G 1M8, Canada
- Centre
for Applied Synthetic Biology, Concordia
University, Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6, Canada
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25
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Cheng H, Liu H, Li W, Li M. Recent advances in magnetic digital microfluidic platforms. Electrophoresis 2021; 42:2329-2346. [PMID: 34196022 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic Digital microfluidics (DMF), which enables the manipulation of droplets containing different types of samples and reagents by permanent magnets or electromagnet arrays, has been used as a promising platform technology for bioanalytical and preparative assays. This is due to its unique advantages such as simple and "power free" operation, easy assembly, great compatibility with auto control systems, and dual functionality of magnetic particles (actuation and target attachment). Over the past decades, magnetic DMF technique has gained a widespread attention in many fields such as sample-to-answer molecular diagnostics, immunoassays, cell assays, on-demand chemical synthesis, and single-cell manipulation. In the first part of this review, we summarised features of magnetic DMF. Then, we introduced the actuation mechanisms and fabrication of magnetic DMF. Furthermore, we discussed five main applications of magnetic DMF, namely drug screening, protein assays, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cell manipulation, and chemical analysis and synthesis. In the last part of the review, current challenges and limitations with magnetic DMF technique were discussed, such as biocompatibility, automation of microdroplet control systems, and microdroplet evaporation, with an eye on towards future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cheng
- Laboratoire de Thermique et Energie de Nantes (LTEN), UMR CNRS 6607, Polytech' Nantes-Université de Nantes, Nantes Cedex 03, France.,School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Hangrui Liu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Ming Li
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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26
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Yang YT, Ho TY. Conquering the Tyranny of Number With Digital Microfluidics. Front Chem 2021; 9:676365. [PMID: 34124004 PMCID: PMC8187867 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.676365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of large-scale integration based on soft lithography has ushered a new revolution in microfluidics. This technology, however, relies inherently on pneumatic control of micromechanical valves that require air pressure to operate, while digital microfluidics uses a purely electrical signal on an electrode for droplet manipulation. In this article, we discuss the prospect and current challenges of digital microfluidics to solve the problem of the tyranny of numbers in arbitrary fluidic manipulation. We distill the fundamental physics governing electrowetting and their implications for specifications of the control electronics. We survey existing control electronics in digital microfluidics and detail the improvements needed to realize a low-power, programmable digital microfluidic system. Such an instrument would attract wide interest in both professional and non-professional (hobbyist) communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Tang Yang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Yi Ho
- Department of Computer Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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27
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Xing Y, Liu Y, Chen R, Li Y, Zhang C, Jiang Y, Lu Y, Lin B, Chen P, Tian R, Liu X, Cheng X. A robust and scalable active-matrix driven digital microfluidic platform based on printed-circuit board technology. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1886-1896. [PMID: 34008645 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00101a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional digital microfluidic platforms, on which droplets are actuated by electrowetting on dielectrics, have merits such as dynamic reconfigurability and ease for automation. However, concerns for digital microfluidic platforms based on low-cost printed circuit boards, such as the scalability of the electrode array and the reliability of the device operation, should be addressed before high throughput and fully automatic applications can be realized. In this work we report the progress in addressing those issues by using active-matrix circuitry to automatically drive a large electrode array with enhanced device reliability. We describe the design and the fabrication of a robust and scalable active-matrix driven digital microfluidic platform based on printed-circuit board technology. Reliable actuation of aqueous and organic droplets is achieved using a free-standing double-layer hydrophobic membrane. To demonstrate the versatility of the digital microfluidic platform, a pentapeptide is synthesized on the device within 30 minutes. With these improvements, a fully automatic, scalable, robust, reusable, and low-cost digital microfluidic platform capable of parallel manipulation of a large number of droplets can find numerous applications in chemical engineering, bioengineering and biomedical engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Xing
- Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Rifei Chen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Yuyan Li
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Youwei Jiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China. and SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yao Lu
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Bingcheng Lin
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Peizhong Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ruijun Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xianming Liu
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Xing Cheng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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28
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Anderson S, Hadwen B, Brown C. Thin-film-transistor digital microfluidics for high value in vitro diagnostics at the point of need. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:962-975. [PMID: 33511381 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01143f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The latest developments in thin-film-transistor digital-microfluidics (TFT-DMF, also known by the commercial name aQdrop™) are reported, and proof of concept application to molecular diagnostics (e.g. for coronavirus disease, COVID-19) at the point-of-need demonstrated. The TFT-DMF array has 41 thousand independently addressable electrodes that are capable of manipulating large numbers of droplets of any size and shape, along any pathway to perform multiple parallel reactions. Droplets are continually tracked and adjusted through closed-loop feedback enabled by TFT based sensors at each array element. The sample-to-answer molecular in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) includes nucleic acid extractions from saliva, removal of dsDNA and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This proof of concept illustrates how the highly configurable TFT-DMF technology can perform many reactions in parallel and thus support the processing of a range of sample types followed by multiple complex multi-step assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Anderson
- Sharp Life Science (EU) Ltd, Edmund Halley Road, Oxford Science Park, OX4 4GB, UK.
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29
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Li H, Shen R, Dong C, Chen T, Jia Y, Mak PI, Martins RP. Turning on/off satellite droplet ejection for flexible sample delivery on digital microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:3709-3719. [PMID: 32974634 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00701c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Digital microfluidics has the potential to minimize and automate reactions in biochemical labs. However, the complexity of drop manipulation and sample preparation on-chip has limited its incorporation into daily workflow. In this paper, we report a novel method for flexible sample delivery on digital microfluidics in a wide volume range spanning four orders of magnitude from picoliters to nanoliters. The method is based on the phenomenon of satellite droplet ejection, triggered by a sudden change in the strength of the electric field across a drop on a hydrophobic dielectric surface. By precisely modulating the actuation signal with convenient external electric controls, satellite droplet ejection can be turned on to dispense samples or turned off to transport picking-up drops. A pico-dosing design is presented and validated in this work to demonstrate the direct and flexible on-chip sample delivery. This approach could pave the way for the acceptance of microfluidics as a common platform for daily reactions to realize lab-on-a-chip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, Institute of Microelectronics, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.
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30
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Li J, Kim CJC. Current commercialization status of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) digital microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:1705-1712. [PMID: 32338272 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00144a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) in the early 2000s made the once-obscure electrowetting phenomenon practical and led to numerous activities over the last two decades. As an eloquent microscale liquid handling technology that gave birth to digital microfluidics, EWOD has served as the basis for many commercial products over two major application areas: optical, such as liquid lenses and reflective displays, and biomedical, such as DNA library preparation and molecular diagnostics. A number of research or start-up companies (e.g., Phillips Research, Varioptic, Liquavista, and Advanced Liquid Logic) led the early commercialization efforts and eventually attracted major companies from various industry sectors (e.g., Corning, Amazon, and Illumina). Although not all of the pioneering products became an instant success, the persistent growth of liquid lenses and the recent FDA approvals of biomedical analyzers proved that EWOD is a powerful tool that deserves a wider recognition and more aggressive exploration. This review presents the history around major EWOD products that hit the market to show their winding paths to commercialization and summarizes the current state of product development to peek into the future. In providing the readers with a big picture of commercializing EWOD and digital microfluidics technology, our goal is to inspire further research exploration and new entrepreneurial adventures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
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31
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Beck A, Obst F, Busek M, Grünzner S, Mehner PJ, Paschew G, Appelhans D, Voit B, Richter A. Hydrogel Patterns in Microfluidic Devices by Do-It-Yourself UV-Photolithography Suitable for Very Large-Scale Integration. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E479. [PMID: 32370256 PMCID: PMC7281684 DOI: 10.3390/mi11050479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The interest in large-scale integrated (LSI) microfluidic systems that perform high-throughput biological and chemical laboratory investigations on a single chip is steadily growing. Such highly integrated Labs-on-a-Chip (LoC) provide fast analysis, high functionality, outstanding reproducibility at low cost per sample, and small demand of reagents. One LoC platform technology capable of LSI relies on specific intrinsically active polymers, the so-called stimuli-responsive hydrogels. Analogous to microelectronics, the active components of the chips can be realized by photolithographic micro-patterning of functional layers. The miniaturization potential and the integration degree of the microfluidic circuits depend on the capability of the photolithographic process to pattern hydrogel layers with high resolution, and they typically require expensive cleanroom equipment. Here, we propose, compare, and discuss a cost-efficient do-it-yourself (DIY) photolithographic set-up suitable to micro-pattern hydrogel-layers with a resolution as needed for very large-scale integrated (VLSI) microfluidics. The achievable structure dimensions are in the lower micrometer scale, down to a feature size of 20 µm with aspect ratios of 1:5 and maximum integration densities of 20,000 hydrogel patterns per cm². Furthermore, we demonstrate the effects of miniaturization on the efficiency of a hydrogel-based microreactor system by increasing the surface area to volume (SA:V) ratio of integrated bioactive hydrogels. We then determine and discuss a correlation between ultraviolet (UV) exposure time, cross-linking density of polymers, and the degree of immobilization of bioactive components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Beck
- Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (M.B.); (S.G.); (P.J.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Franziska Obst
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany; (F.O.); (D.A.); (B.V.)
| | - Mathias Busek
- Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (M.B.); (S.G.); (P.J.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Stefan Grünzner
- Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (M.B.); (S.G.); (P.J.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Philipp J. Mehner
- Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (M.B.); (S.G.); (P.J.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Georgi Paschew
- Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (M.B.); (S.G.); (P.J.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Dietmar Appelhans
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany; (F.O.); (D.A.); (B.V.)
| | - Brigitte Voit
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany; (F.O.); (D.A.); (B.V.)
- Chair Organic Chemistry of Polymers, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Richter
- Institut für Halbleiter- und Mikrosystemtechnik, Technische Universität Dresden, 01187 Dresden, Germany; (A.B.); (M.B.); (S.G.); (P.J.M.); (G.P.)
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32
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Ruvalcaba-Cardenas AD, Gomez RAR, Khoshmanesh K, Tovar-Lopez FJ. Magnetic actuation and deformation of a soft shuttle. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:034103. [PMID: 32477442 PMCID: PMC7237223 DOI: 10.1063/5.0008176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Here, we describe the magnetic actuation of soft shuttles for open-top microfluidic applications. The system is comprised of two immiscible liquids, including glycerol as the soft shuttle and a suspension of iron powder in sucrose solution as the magnetic drop. Permanent magnets assembled on 3D printed motorized actuators were used for the actuation of the magnetic drop, enabling the glycerol shuttle to be propelled along customized linear, circular, and sinusoidal paths. The dynamics of the hybrid shuttle-magnetic drop system was governed by the magnetic force, the friction at the interface of the shuttle and the substrate, and the surface tension at the interface of the shuttle and the magnetic drop. Increasing the magnetic force leads to the localized deformation of the shuttle and eventually the full extraction of the magnetic drop. The versatility of the system was demonstrated through the propelling of the shuttle across a rough surface patterned with microfabricated barriers as well as taking advantage of the optical properties of the shuttle for the magnification and translation of microscale characters patterned on a planar surface. The integration of the system with current electrowetting actuation mechanisms enables the highly controlled motion of the magnetic drop on the surface of a moving shuttle. The simplicity, versatility, and controllability of the system provide opportunities for various fluid manipulation, sample preparation, and analysis for a range of chemical, biochemical, and biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Daysi Ruvalcaba-Cardenas
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed:; ; and
| | | | - Khashayar Khoshmanesh
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed:; ; and
| | - Francisco J. Tovar-Lopez
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed:; ; and
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33
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Zhang C, Su Y, Hu S, Jin K, Jie Y, Li W, Nathan A, Ma H. An Impedance Sensing Platform for Monitoring Heterogeneous Connectivity and Diagnostics in Lab-on-a-Chip Systems. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:5098-5104. [PMID: 32201796 PMCID: PMC7081429 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b04048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Reliable hardware connectivity is vital in heterogeneous integrated systems. For example, in digital microfluidics lab-on-a-chip systems, there are hundreds of physical connections required between a microelectromechanical fabricated device and the driving system that can be remotely located on a printed circuit board. Unfortunately, the connection reliability cannot be checked or monitored by vision-based detection methods that are commonly used in the semiconductor industry. Therefore, a sensing platform that can be seamlessly integrated into existing digital microfluidics systems and provide real-time monitoring of multiconnectivity is highly desired. Here, we report an impedance sensing platform that can provide fast detection of a single physical connection in timescales of milliseconds. Once connectivity is established, the same setup can be used to determine the droplet location. The sensing system can be scaled up to support multiple channels or applied to other heterogeneously integrated systems that require real-time monitoring and diagnostics of multiconnectivity systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Zhang
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- School
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Soochow University, 215006 Suzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yang Su
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- ACXEL
Tech Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0GA, U.K.
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Kai Jin
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
| | - Yuhan Jie
- ACXEL
Tech Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0GA, U.K.
| | - Wenshi Li
- School
of Electronics and Information Engineering, Soochow University, 215006 Suzhou, P.R. China
| | | | - Hanbin Ma
- CAS
Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, P.R. China
- ACXEL
Tech Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0GA, U.K.
- E-mail:
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34
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Ma H, Hu S, Jie Y, Jin K, Su Y. A floating top-electrode electrowetting-on-dielectric system. RSC Adv 2020; 10:4899-4906. [PMID: 35498287 PMCID: PMC9049253 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra09491a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we describe a novel device configuration for a double-plate electrowetting-on-dielectric system with a floating top-electrode. As a conventional double-plate EWOD device requires a grounded electrode on the top-plate, it will cause additional fabrication complicity and cost during the encapsulation process. In this work, we found that by carefully designing the electrode arrangement and configuring the driving electronic circuit, the droplet driving force can be maintained with a floating electrode on the top-plate. This can provide the possibilities to integrate additional electrical or electrochemical sensing functions on the top-plate. We use both finite element analysis and the fabricated system to validate the theory, and the results indicate that floating top-electrode EWOD systems are highly reliable and reproducible once the design considerations are fully met. A novel device configuration for an electrowetting-on-dielectric system with a floating top-electrode, which provides possibilities to enable a true lab-on-a-chip.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanbin Ma
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science No. 88 Keling Road Suzhou Jiangsu Province 215163 P. R. China .,ACXEL Tech Ltd Unit 184 Cambridge Science Park Cambridge CB4 0GA UK
| | - Siyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science No. 88 Keling Road Suzhou Jiangsu Province 215163 P. R. China
| | - Yuhan Jie
- ACXEL Tech Ltd Unit 184 Cambridge Science Park Cambridge CB4 0GA UK
| | - Kai Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science No. 88 Keling Road Suzhou Jiangsu Province 215163 P. R. China
| | - Yang Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science No. 88 Keling Road Suzhou Jiangsu Province 215163 P. R. China .,ACXEL Tech Ltd Unit 184 Cambridge Science Park Cambridge CB4 0GA UK
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35
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Liu L, Xiang N, Ni Z. Droplet‐based microreactor for the production of micro/nano‐materials. Electrophoresis 2019; 41:833-851. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Linbo Liu
- School of Mechanical Engineeringand Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro‐Nano Biomedical InstrumentsSoutheast University Nanjing P. R. China
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineeringand Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro‐Nano Biomedical InstrumentsSoutheast University Nanjing P. R. China
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineeringand Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro‐Nano Biomedical InstrumentsSoutheast University Nanjing P. R. China
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36
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Wu B, Ecken S, Swyer I, Li C, Jenne A, Vincent F, Schmidig D, Kuehn T, Beck A, Busse F, Stronks H, Soong R, Wheeler AR, Simpson A. Rapid Chemical Reaction Monitoring by Digital Microfluidics‐NMR: Proof of Principle Towards an Automated Synthetic Discovery Platform. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:15372-15376. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201910052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wu
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Sebastian Ecken
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto 80 St. George St. Toronto ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Ian Swyer
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto 80 St. George St. Toronto ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Chunliang Li
- Laboratory of Physical ChemistryEindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Amy Jenne
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Franck Vincent
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Daniel Schmidig
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Till Kuehn
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Armin Beck
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Falko Busse
- Bruker BioSpin GmbH Silberstreifen 4 76287 Rheinstetten Germany
| | - Henry Stronks
- Bruker Canada Ltd. 2800 High Point Drive Milton Ontario L9T 6P4 Canada
| | - Ronald Soong
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Aaron R. Wheeler
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto 80 St. George St. Toronto ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - André Simpson
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
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Zhukov DV, Khorosheva EM, Khazaei T, Du W, Selck DA, Shishkin AA, Ismagilov RF. Microfluidic SlipChip device for multistep multiplexed biochemistry on a nanoliter scale. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:3200-3211. [PMID: 31441477 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00541b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a multistep microfluidic device that expands the current SlipChip capabilities by enabling multiple steps of droplet merging and multiplexing. Harnessing the interfacial energy between carrier and sample phases, this manually operated device accurately meters nanoliter volumes of reagents and transfers them into on-device reaction wells. Judiciously shaped microfeatures and surface-energy traps merge droplets in a parallel fashion. Wells can be tuned for different volumetric capacities and reagent types, including for pre-spotted reagents that allow for unique identification of original well contents even after their contents are pooled. We demonstrate the functionality of the multistep SlipChip by performing RNA transcript barcoding on-device for synthetic spiked-in standards and for biologically derived samples. This technology is a good candidate for a wide range of biological applications that require multiplexing of multistep reactions in nanoliter volumes, including single-cell analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitriy V Zhukov
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Eugenia M Khorosheva
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Tahmineh Khazaei
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Wenbin Du
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - David A Selck
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Alexander A Shishkin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Rustem F Ismagilov
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. and Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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38
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Wu B, Ecken S, Swyer I, Li C, Jenne A, Vincent F, Schmidig D, Kuehn T, Beck A, Busse F, Stronks H, Soong R, Wheeler AR, Simpson A. Rapid Chemical Reaction Monitoring by Digital Microfluidics‐NMR: Proof of Principle Towards an Automated Synthetic Discovery Platform. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201910052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wu
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Sebastian Ecken
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St. Toronto ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Ian Swyer
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St. Toronto ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - Chunliang Li
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry Eindhoven University of Technology P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven The Netherlands
| | - Amy Jenne
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Franck Vincent
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Daniel Schmidig
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Till Kuehn
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Armin Beck
- Bruker BioSpin AG Industriestrasse 26 8117 Fällanden Switzerland
| | - Falko Busse
- Bruker BioSpin GmbH Silberstreifen 4 76287 Rheinstetten Germany
| | - Henry Stronks
- Bruker Canada Ltd. 2800 High Point Drive Milton Ontario L9T 6P4 Canada
| | - Ronald Soong
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Aaron R. Wheeler
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St. Toronto ON M5S 3H6 Canada
| | - André Simpson
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
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39
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Programmable Electrofluidics for Ionic Liquid Based Neuromorphic Platform. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10070478. [PMID: 31319459 PMCID: PMC6680446 DOI: 10.3390/mi10070478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Due to the limit in computing power arising from the Von Neumann bottleneck, computational devices are being developed that mimic neuro-biological processing in the brain by correlating the device characteristics with the synaptic weight of neurons. This platform combines ionic liquid gating and electrowetting for programmable placement/connectivity of the ionic liquid. In this platform, both short-term potentiation (STP) and long-term potentiation (LTP) are realized via electrostatic and electrochemical doping of the amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (aIGZO), respectively, and pulsed bias measurements are demonstrated for lower power considerations. While compatible with resistive elements, we demonstrate a platform based on transitive amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (aIGZO) pixel elements. Using a lithium based ionic liquid, we demonstrate both potentiation (decrease in device resistance) and depression (increase in device resistance), and propose a 2D platform array that would enable a much higher pixel count via Active Matrix electrowetting.
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40
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Improvement of the Sphericity and the Thickness Uniformity of the Polystyrene (PS) Shell Microsphere during Curing Process. COATINGS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/coatings9060385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
To improve the quality of dispersed polystyrene (PS) compound droplets, a new random rotating curing system is designed. In addition, the qualities of the curing products of the PS compound droplets of this new system are compared with those of the traditional curing system with a constant rotating speed, so as to verify the effectiveness of the new system on the quality improvement of the PS compound droplets. The effect of the liquid level, rotation rate and the density difference on the curing process is also analyzed to reveal the mechanism of the curing process in a rotating flow field. The results indicate that, in the new rotating curing system, the disturbance of the fluid increases the deformation recovery ability of the compound droplets. Furthermore, the vortex with different directions in the external flow fields, make the compound droplets spin in many directions, which improves the spheroidization and concentricity of the compound droplets. Compared with using the traditional rotating curing system, when utilizing the random rotating curing system, the sensitivity of the microspheres’ quality to the density mismatch between the phases is smaller, and the sphericity and the thickness uniformity of the polystyrene (PS) microsphere increase by 10.2% and 4.5%, respectively. In addition, there is an optimal rotation rate for the random rotating curing device, which can optimize the survival rate and quality of the hollow microspheres.
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41
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Hadikhani P, Borhani N, H Hashemi SM, Psaltis D. Learning from droplet flows in microfluidic channels using deep neural networks. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8114. [PMID: 31148559 PMCID: PMC6544611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A non-intrusive method is presented for measuring different fluidic properties in a microfluidic chip by optically monitoring the flow of droplets. A neural network is used to extract the desired information from the images of the droplets. We demonstrate the method in two applications: measurement of the concentration of each component of a water/alcohol mixture, and measurement of the flow rate of the same mixture. A large number of droplet images are recorded and used to train deep neural networks (DNN) to predict the flow rate or the concentration. It is shown that this method can be used to quantify the concentrations of each component with a 0.5% accuracy and the flow rate with a resolution of 0.05 ml/h. The proposed method can in principle be used to measure other properties of the fluid such as surface tension and viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooria Hadikhani
- Optics Laboratory, School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Navid Borhani
- Optics Laboratory, School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - S Mohammad H Hashemi
- Optics Laboratory, School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Computational Science & Engineering Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Demetri Psaltis
- Optics Laboratory, School of Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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42
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Abstract
Microfluidics platforms can program small amounts of fluids to execute a bio-protocol, and thus, can automate the work of a technician and also integrate a large part of laboratory equipment. Although most microfluidic systems have considerably reduced the size of a laboratory, they are still benchtop units, of a size comparable to a desktop computer. In this paper, we argue that achieving true mobility in microfluidics would revolutionize the domain by making laboratory services accessible during traveling or even in daily situations, such as sport and outdoor activities. We review the existing efforts to achieve mobility in microfluidics, and we discuss the conditions mobile biochips need to satisfy. In particular, we show how we adapted an existing biochip for mobile use, and we present the results when using it during a train ride. Based on these results and our systematic discussion, we identify the challenges that need to be overcome at technical, usability and social levels. In analogy to the history of computing, we make some predictions on the future of mobile biochips. In our vision, mobile biochips will disrupt how people interact with a wide range of healthcare processes, including medical testing and synthesis of on-demand medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirela Alistar
- Atlas Institute and Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309-0320, USA.
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43
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Bian X, Huang H, Chen L. Motion of droplets into hydrophobic parallel plates. RSC Adv 2019; 9:32278-32287. [PMID: 35530760 PMCID: PMC9072857 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra05135j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the superior operability and good anti-interference, the prospect of controlling microdroplets using a parallel plate structure (PPS) is very promising. However, in practical applications, droplets in such structures are often affected by various factors, resulting in deformation, evaporation, stress rupture and other phenomena, leading to equipment failure. Therefore, how to simply and effectively transfer liquid droplets to PPS to maintain the stable and efficient operation of the system has become an urgent problem to be solved. In this paper, a simple and effective ratchet-like strategy (relaxing and squeezing actions) is introduced to transfer droplets. To analyze the mechanism of the strategy and optimize the control, we conduct this study from three aspects. First, the droplet movement trend is obtained by analyzing the pressure between SPS and PPS. Second, the reasons why the droplet can achieve this inward motion are investigated. Through theoretical analysis, which is also proven by simulations and experiments, we creatively put forward that the asymmetric change of the contact angle (CA) induced by the asymmetric structure is the fundamental cause of this kind of motion. Due to the asymmetric change of the contact angle, the CA in the PPS will reach the advancing angle first in the squeezing process, and the CA in the SPS will reach the receding angle first in the relaxing process, thus causing the inward movement of the droplet. Third, to optimize this strategy, the effects of the following governing parameters are researched individually based on the corresponding simulations and experiments: the control parameters (the initial gap width of the PPS H0 and the amount of squeezing and relaxing of ΔH) and the thickness of the top plate. Subsequently, an optimized ratchet-like cycle is achieved. In summary, these findings not only provide a new method by which to realize the movement of droplets toward hydrophobic PPSs but also creatively point out the cause of the ratchet strategy, which can be applied in many microfluidics fields. A simple and effective ratchet-like strategy is introduced to transfer droplets. We creatively put forward that the asymmetric change of the contact angle induced by the asymmetric structure is the fundamental cause of this kind of motion.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongheng Bian
- Robotics & Microsystem Center
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology
- Soochow University
- Suzhou 215123
- China
| | - Haibo Huang
- Robotics & Microsystem Center
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology
- Soochow University
- Suzhou 215123
- China
| | - Liguo Chen
- Robotics & Microsystem Center
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology
- Soochow University
- Suzhou 215123
- China
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44
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Kalsi S, Valiadi M, Turner C, Sutton M, Morgan H. Sample pre-concentration on a digital microfluidic platform for rapid AMR detection in urine. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 19:168-177. [PMID: 30516215 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01249k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing need for rapid diagnostic methods to support stewardship of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Kalsi
- Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
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45
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Liao Z, Wang J, Zhang P, Zhang Y, Miao Y, Gao S, Deng Y, Geng L. Recent advances in microfluidic chip integrated electronic biosensors for multiplexed detection. Biosens Bioelectron 2018; 121:272-280. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.08.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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46
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Ng AHC, Fobel R, Fobel C, Lamanna J, Rackus DG, Summers A, Dixon C, Dryden MDM, Lam C, Ho M, Mufti NS, Lee V, Asri MAM, Sykes EA, Chamberlain MD, Joseph R, Ope M, Scobie HM, Knipes A, Rota PA, Marano N, Chege PM, Njuguna M, Nzunza R, Kisangau N, Kiogora J, Karuingi M, Burton JW, Borus P, Lam E, Wheeler AR. A digital microfluidic system for serological immunoassays in remote settings. Sci Transl Med 2018; 10:10/438/eaar6076. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar6076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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47
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Zhou X, Chen C, Cao C, Song T, Yang H, Song W. Enhancing reaction rate in a Pickering emulsion system with natural magnetotactic bacteria as nanoscale magnetic stirring bars. Chem Sci 2018; 9:2575-2580. [PMID: 29719712 PMCID: PMC5897955 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc05164f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pickering emulsion is emerging as an advanced platform for catalysis because of the large oil/water interface area for reaction and its superior efficiency. How to enhance the mass transportation within the micro-droplets is the biggest obstacle in further improving the efficiency of the Pickering emulsion system. In this study, we propose and solve this problem for the first time using natural magnetotactic bacteria as nanoscale magnetic stirring bars, which can be encapsulated into each micro-droplet and used to stir the solution to accelerate the mass transportation under an external magnet, and thus significantly enhance the reaction rate of Pickering emulsion. Taking the epoxidation of cyclooctene in the Pickering emulsion system as a demonstration, the reaction rate was enhanced three times with nanoscale magnetic stirring bars compared to that of traditional Pickering emulsion, and was even thirty times higher than that of conventional stirrer-driven biphasic systems. We envision that this strategy will bring biphasic reactions with fundamental innovations toward more green, efficient and sustainable chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences , Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructures and Nanotechnology , CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences , Institute of Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , China . ;
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing100049 , China
| | - Changyou Chen
- Institute of Electrical Engineering , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China
| | - Changyan Cao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences , Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructures and Nanotechnology , CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences , Institute of Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , China . ;
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing100049 , China
| | - Tao Song
- Institute of Electrical Engineering , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China
| | - Hengquan Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Shanxi University , Taiyuan 030006 , China
| | - Weiguo Song
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences , Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructures and Nanotechnology , CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences , Institute of Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , China . ;
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing100049 , China
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48
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Yafia M, Emran BJ, Najjaran H. Digital Microfluidic Systems: Fundamentals, Configurations, Techniques, and Applications. MICROFLUIDICS: FUNDAMENTAL, DEVICES AND APPLICATIONS 2018:175-209. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527800643.ch5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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49
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Li YJ, Cahill BP. Frequency Dependence of Low-Voltage Electrowetting Investigated by Impedance Spectroscopy. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:13139-13147. [PMID: 29041777 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b03049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
An electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) electrode was developed that facilitates the use of low alternating voltages (≤5 VAC). This allows online investigation of the frequency dependence of electrowetting by means of impedance spectroscopy. The EWOD electrode is based on a dielectric bilayer consisting of an anodic tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) thin film (d = 59.35 nm) with a high relative permittivity (εd = 26.3) and a self-assembled hydrophobic silane monolayer. The frequency dependence of electrowetting was studied using an aqueous μL-sized sessile droplet on the planar EWOD electrode in oil. Experiments using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and optical imaging indicate the frequency dependence of all three variables in the Young-Lippmann equation: the voltage drop across the dielectric layers, capacitance per unit area, and contact angle under voltage. The electrowetting behavior induced by AC voltages is shown to be well described by the Young-Lippmann equation for AC applications below a frequency threshold. Moreover, the dielectric layers act as a capacitor and the stored electrostatic potential energy is revealed to only partially contribute to the electrowetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jia Li
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques e.V. , Rosenhof, 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Georg August University of Göttingen , Tammannstraße 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Brian P Cahill
- Institute for Bioprocessing and Analytical Measurement Techniques e.V. , Rosenhof, 37308 Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany
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50
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Improvement of droplet speed and stability in electrowetting on dielectric devices by surface polishing. BIOCHIP JOURNAL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13206-017-1408-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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