1
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Moraes da Silva Junior S, Bento Ribeiro LE, Fruett F, Stiens J, Swart JW, Moshkalev S. A Novel Microfluidics Droplet-Based Interdigitated Ring-Shaped Electrode Sensor for Lab-on-a-Chip Applications. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:672. [PMID: 38930642 PMCID: PMC11205656 DOI: 10.3390/mi15060672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive study focusing on the detection and characterization of droplets with volumes in the nanoliter range. Leveraging the precise control of minute liquid volumes, we introduced a novel spectroscopic on-chip microsensor equipped with integrated microfluidic channels for droplet generation, characterization, and sensing simultaneously. The microsensor, designed with interdigitated ring-shaped electrodes (IRSE) and seamlessly integrated with microfluidic channels, offers enhanced capacitance and impedance signal amplitudes, reproducibility, and reliability in droplet analysis. We were able to make analyses of droplet length in the range of 1.0-6.0 mm, velocity of 0.66-2.51 mm/s, and volume of 1.07 nL-113.46 nL. Experimental results demonstrated that the microsensor's performance is great in terms of droplet size, velocity, and length, with a significant signal amplitude of capacitance and impedance and real-time detection capabilities, thereby highlighting its potential for facilitating microcapsule reactions and enabling on-site real-time detection for chemical and biosensor analyses on-chip. This droplet-based microfluidics platform has great potential to be directly employed to promote advances in biomedical research, pharmaceuticals, drug discovery, food engineering, flow chemistry, and cosmetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salomão Moraes da Silva Junior
- Electronics & Informatics, Vrije Universiteit of Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Semiconductor Components and Nanotechnologies, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil;
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil (J.W.S.)
- BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Luiz Eduardo Bento Ribeiro
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil (J.W.S.)
| | - Fabiano Fruett
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil (J.W.S.)
| | - Johan Stiens
- Electronics & Informatics, Vrije Universiteit of Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacobus Willibrordus Swart
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil (J.W.S.)
| | - Stanislav Moshkalev
- Center for Semiconductor Components and Nanotechnologies, State University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-852, Brazil;
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2
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Payne EM, Taraji M, Murray BE, Holland-Moritz DA, Moore JC, Haddad PR, Kennedy RT. Evaluation of Analyte Transfer between Microfluidic Droplets by Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2023; 95:4662-4670. [PMID: 36862378 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics enables high-throughput experimentation and screening by encapsulating chemical and biochemical samples in aqueous droplets segmented by an immiscible fluid. In such experiments, it is critical that each droplet remains chemically distinct. A common approach is to use fluorinated oils with surfactants to stabilize droplets. However, some small molecules have been observed to transport between droplets under these conditions. Attempts to study and mitigate this effect have relied on evaluating crosstalk using fluorescent molecules, which inherently limits the analyte scope and conclusions drawn about the mechanism of the effect. In this work, transport of low molecular weight compounds between droplets was investigated using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for measurement. The use of ESI-MS significantly expands the scope of analytes that can be tested. We tested 36 structurally diverse analytes that were found to exhibit crosstalk ranging from negligible to complete transfer using HFE 7500 as the carrier fluid and 008-fluorosurfactant as a surfactant. Using this data set, we developed a predictive tool showing that high log P and log D values correlate with high crosstalk, and high polar surface area and log S correlate with low crosstalk. We then investigated several carrier fluids, surfactants, and flow conditions. It was discovered that transport is strongly dependent on all of these factors and that experimental design and surfactant tailoring can reduce carryover. We present evidence for mixed crosstalk mechanisms including both micellar and oil partitioning transfer. By understanding the driving mechanisms, surfactant and oil compositions can be designed to better reduce chemical transport for screening workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emory M Payne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, United States
| | - Maryam Taraji
- The Australian Wine Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia 5064, Australia.,Metabolomics Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5064, Australia.,School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7005, Australia
| | - Bridget E Murray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, United States
| | - Daniel A Holland-Moritz
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Moore
- Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Paul R Haddad
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7005, Australia
| | - Robert T Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, United States
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3
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Li Z, Liu H, Wang D, Zhang M, Yang Y, Ren TL. Recent advances in microfluidic sensors for nutrients detection in water. Trends Analyt Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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4
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Elvira KS, Gielen F, Tsai SSH, Nightingale AM. Materials and methods for droplet microfluidic device fabrication. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:859-875. [PMID: 35170611 PMCID: PMC9074766 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00836f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Since the first reports two decades ago, droplet-based systems have emerged as a compelling tool for microbiological and (bio)chemical science, with droplet flow providing multiple advantages over standard single-phase microfluidics such as removal of Taylor dispersion, enhanced mixing, isolation of droplet contents from surfaces, and the ability to contain and address individual cells or biomolecules. Typically, a droplet microfluidic device is designed to produce droplets with well-defined sizes and compositions that flow through the device without interacting with channel walls. Successful droplet flow is fundamentally dependent on the microfluidic device - not only its geometry but moreover how the channel surfaces interact with the fluids. Here we summarise the materials and fabrication techniques required to make microfluidic devices that deliver controlled uniform droplet flow, looking not just at physical fabrication methods, but moreover how to select and modify surfaces to yield the required surface/fluid interactions. We describe the various materials, surface modification techniques, and channel geometry approaches that can be used, and give examples of the decision process when determining which material or method to use by describing the design process for five different devices with applications ranging from field-deployable chemical analysers to water-in-water droplet creation. Finally we consider how droplet microfluidic device fabrication is changing and will change in the future, and what challenges remain to be addressed in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine S Elvira
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Fabrice Gielen
- Living Systems Institute, College of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University, ON, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology (iBEST)-a partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital, ON, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, ON, Canada
| | - Adrian M Nightingale
- Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
- Centre of Excellence for Continuous Digital Chemical Engineering Science, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
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5
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Fang T, Li H, Bo G, Lin K, Yuan D, Ma J. On-site detection of nitrate plus nitrite in natural water samples using smartphone-based detection. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.106117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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6
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Naji M, Yelekli Kirici E, Javili A, Erdem EY. Describing Droplet Motion on Surface-Textured Ratchet Tracks with an Inverted Double Pendulum Model. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:4810-4816. [PMID: 33852311 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c03610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We describe the motion of a droplet on a textured ratchet track using a nonlinear resonator model. A textured ratchet track is composed of a semicircular pillar array that induces a net surface tension local gradient on a droplet placed on it. When a vertical vibration is applied, hysteresis is overcome, and the droplet moves toward the local lower energy barrier; however, due to the repetitive structure of texture, it keeps moving until the end of the track. The droplet motion depends on the amplitude and frequency of the vertical oscillation, and this dependence is nonlinear. Therefore, finding a fully analytic solution to represent this motion is not trivial. Consequently, the droplet motion remains poorly understood. In this study, we elaborate on the utility of a double pendulum as a basis for modeling the droplet motion on surfaces inducing asymmetric force. Similar to the droplet motion, resonators, such as a double pendulum, are simple, yet nonlinear systems. Moreover, an inverted double pendulum motion has key characteristics such as the two-phase motion and the double peak motion, which are also observed in the droplet motion. We use various data-processing methods to highlight the similarity between these two systems both qualitatively and quantitatively. After establishing this comparison, we propose a model that utilizes an inverted double pendulum mounted on a moving cart to successfully simulate the motion of a droplet on a ratchet track. This methodology will lead to the development of an accurate droplet-motion modeling approach, and we believe that it will be useful to understand droplet dynamics more deeply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayssam Naji
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | | | - Ali Javili
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - E Yegan Erdem
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Ankara 06800, Turkey
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7
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Utility of low-cost, miniaturized peristaltic and Venturi pumps in droplet microfluidics. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1151:338230. [PMID: 33608076 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Many laboratory applications utilizing droplet microfluidics rely on precision syringe pumps for flow generation. In this study, the use of an open-source peristaltic pump primarily composed of 3D printed parts and a low-cost commercial Venturi pump are explored for their use as an alternative to syringe pumps for droplet microfluidics. Both devices provided stable flow (<2% RSD) over a range of 1-7 μL/min and high reproducibility in signal intensity at a droplet generation rate around 0.25 Hz (<3% RSD), which are comparable in performance to similar measurements on standard syringe pumps. As a novel flow generation source for microfluidic applications, the use of the miniaturized Venturi pump was also applied to droplet signal monitoring studies used to measure changes in concentration over time, with average signal reproducibility <4% RSD for both single-stream fluorometric and reagent addition colorimetric applications. These low-cost flow methods provide stable flow sufficient for common droplet microfluidic approaches and can be implemented in a wide variety of simple, and potentially portable, analytical measurement devices.
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8
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Sohrabi S, Kassir N, Keshavarz Moraveji M. Droplet microfluidics: fundamentals and its advanced applications. RSC Adv 2020; 10:27560-27574. [PMID: 35516933 PMCID: PMC9055587 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra04566g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidic systems have been shown to be compatible with many chemical and biological reagents and capable of performing a variety of operations that can be rendered programmable and reconfigurable. This platform has dimensional scaling benefits that have enabled controlled and rapid mixing of fluids in the droplet reactors, resulting in decreased reaction times. This, coupled with the precise generation and repeatability of droplet operations, has made the droplet-based microfluidic system a potent high throughput platform for biomedical research and applications. In addition to being used as micro-reactors ranging from the nano- to femtoliter (10-15 liters) range; droplet-based systems have also been used to directly synthesize particles and encapsulate many biological entities for biomedicine and biotechnology applications. For this, in the following article we will focus on the various droplet operations, as well as the numerous applications of the system and its future in many advanced scientific fields. Due to advantages of droplet-based systems, this technology has the potential to offer solutions to today's biomedical engineering challenges for advanced diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Sohrabi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran Polytechnic Iran
| | - Nour Kassir
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran Polytechnic Iran
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9
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Payne EM, Holland-Moritz DA, Sun S, Kennedy RT. High-throughput screening by droplet microfluidics: perspective into key challenges and future prospects. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2247-2262. [PMID: 32500896 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00347f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
In two decades of development, impressive strides have been made for automating basic laboratory operations in droplet-based microfluidics, allowing the emergence of a new form of high-throughput screening and experimentation in nanoliter to femtoliter volumes. Despite advancements in droplet storage, manipulation, and analysis, the field has not yet been widely adapted for many high-throughput screening (HTS) applications. Broad adoption and commercial development of these techniques require robust implementation of strategies for the stable storage, chemical containment, generation of libraries, sample tracking, and chemical analysis of these small samples. We discuss these challenges for implementing droplet HTS and highlight key strategies that have begun to address these concerns. Recent advances in the field leave us optimistic about the future prospects of this rapidly developing technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emory M Payne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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10
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Gu Z, Wu ML, Yan BY, Wang HF, Kong C. Integrated Digital Microfluidic Platform for Colorimetric Sensing of Nitrite. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:11196-11201. [PMID: 32455243 PMCID: PMC7241042 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c01274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, a palm-size digital microfluidic (DMF) platform integrated with colorimetric analysis was developed for quantifying the concentration of nitrite. To realize the on-chip repeatable colorimetric analysis, a novel printed circuit board (PCB)-based DMF chip was designed with an embedded aperture on the actuator electrode, forming a vertical light path for online measurement of the droplets. The capabilities of the DMF platform enable automatic manipulation of microliter-level droplets to implement Griess assay without the use of external systems such as syringe, pump, or valve, which provides the benefits including high flexibility, portability, miniature size, and low cost. Results indicated the characteristics of good linearity (R 2 = 0.9974), the ignorable crosstalk for reusability, and the limit of detection (LOD) of nitrite as low as 5 μg/L. Furthermore, the presented platform was successfully applied to determine nitrite levels in food products with reliable results and satisfactory recoveries. This integrated DMF platform can be a promising new tool for a wide range of applications involving step-by-step solution mixing and optical detection in environmental monitoring, food safety analysis, and point-of-care testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Gu
- Key
Laboratory of Advanced Control and Optimization for Chemical Processes
Ministry of Education, East China University
of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Ming-Lei Wu
- Key
Laboratory of Advanced Control and Optimization for Chemical Processes
Ministry of Education, East China University
of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Bing-Yong Yan
- Key
Laboratory of Advanced Control and Optimization for Chemical Processes
Ministry of Education, East China University
of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Hui-Feng Wang
- Key
Laboratory of Advanced Control and Optimization for Chemical Processes
Ministry of Education, East China University
of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Cong Kong
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine (Academy of Forensic Science), Shanghai 200063, P. R. China
- Key
Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China
Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, P. R. China
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11
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Wang F, Zhu J, Chen L, Zuo Y, Hu X, Yang Y. Autonomous and In Situ Ocean Environmental Monitoring on Optofluidic Platform. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E69. [PMID: 31936398 PMCID: PMC7019421 DOI: 10.3390/mi11010069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Determining the distributions and variations of chemical elements in oceans has significant meanings for understanding the biogeochemical cycles, evaluating seawater pollution, and forecasting the occurrence of marine disasters. The primary chemical parameters of ocean monitoring include nutrients, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and heavy metals. At present, ocean monitoring mainly relies on laboratory analysis, which is hindered in applications due to its large size, high power consumption, and low representative and time-sensitive detection results. By integrating photonics and microfluidics into one chip, optofluidics brings new opportunities to develop portable microsystems for ocean monitoring. Optofluidic platforms have advantages in respect of size, cost, timeliness, and parallel processing of samples compared with traditional instruments. This review describes the applications of optofluidic platforms on autonomous and in situ ocean environmental monitoring, with an emphasis on their principles, sensing properties, advantages, and disadvantages. Predictably, autonomous and in situ systems based on optofluidic platforms will have important applications in ocean environmental monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structure of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (F.W.); (J.Z.); (L.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.H.)
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Jiaomeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structure of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (F.W.); (J.Z.); (L.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.H.)
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Longfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structure of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (F.W.); (J.Z.); (L.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.H.)
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yunfeng Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structure of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (F.W.); (J.Z.); (L.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.H.)
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xuejia Hu
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structure of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (F.W.); (J.Z.); (L.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.H.)
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structure of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (F.W.); (J.Z.); (L.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.H.)
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
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12
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Nightingale AM, Hassan SU, Makris K, Bhuiyan WT, Harvey TJ, Niu X. Easily fabricated monolithic fluoropolymer chips for sensitive long-term absorbance measurement in droplet microfluidics. RSC Adv 2020; 10:30975-30981. [PMID: 35516030 PMCID: PMC9056331 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra05330a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining a hydrophobic channel surface is critical to ensuring long-term stable flow in droplet microfluidics. Monolithic fluoropolymer chips ensure robust and reliable droplet flow as their native fluorous surfaces naturally preferentially wet fluorocarbon oils and do not deteriorate over time. Their fabrication, however, typically requires expensive heated hydraulic presses that make them inaccessible to many laboratories. Here we describe a method for micropatterning and bonding monolithic fluoropolymer flow cells from a commercially available melt-processable fluoropolymer, Dyneon THV 500GZ, that only requires a standard laboratory oven. Using this technique, we demonstrate the formation of complex microstructures, specifically the fabrication of sensitive absorbance flow cells for probing droplets in flow, featuring path lengths up to 10 mm. The native fluorous channel surface means the flow cells can be operated over extended periods, demonstrated by running droplets continuously through a chip for 16 weeks. We present a widely accessible method for fabricating monolithic fluoropolymer microfluidic chips, which allows droplet absorbance measurement over multi-month periods.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M. Nightingale
- Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- University of Southampton
- Southampton
- UK
| | - Sammer-ul Hassan
- Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- University of Southampton
- Southampton
- UK
| | - Kyriacos Makris
- SouthWestSensor Ltd
- Southampton Science Park
- The Innovation Centre
- Southampton
- UK
| | - Wahida T. Bhuiyan
- Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- University of Southampton
- Southampton
- UK
| | - Terry J. Harvey
- Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- University of Southampton
- Southampton
- UK
| | - Xize Niu
- Mechanical Engineering
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- University of Southampton
- Southampton
- UK
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13
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Nightingale AM, Hassan SU, Warren BM, Makris K, Evans GWH, Papadopoulou E, Coleman S, Niu X. A Droplet Microfluidic-Based Sensor for Simultaneous in Situ Monitoring of Nitrate and Nitrite in Natural Waters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:9677-9685. [PMID: 31352782 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic-based chemical sensors take laboratory analytical protocols and miniaturize them into field-deployable systems for in situ monitoring of water chemistry. Here, we present a prototype nitrate/nitrite sensor based on droplet microfluidics that in contrast to standard (continuous phase) microfluidic sensors, treats water samples as discrete droplets contained within a flow of oil. The new sensor device can quantify the concentrations of nitrate and nitrite within each droplet and provides high measurement frequency and low fluid consumption. Reagent consumption is at a rate of 2.8 mL/day when measuring every ten seconds, orders of magnitude more efficient than those of the current state-of-the-art sensors. The sensor's capabilities were demonstrated during a three-week deployment in a tidal river. The accurate and high frequency data (6% error relative to spot samples, measuring at 0.1 Hz) elucidated the influence of tidal variation, rain events, diurnal effects, and anthropogenic input on concentrations at the deployment site. This droplet microfluidic-based sensor is suitable for a wide range of applications such as monitoring of rivers, lakes, coastal waters, and industrial effluents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M Nightingale
- Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton , SO17 1BJ , United Kingdom
| | - Sammer-Ul Hassan
- Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton , SO17 1BJ , United Kingdom
| | - Brett M Warren
- SouthWestSensor Ltd , Enterprise House, Ocean Village , Southampton , SO14 3XB , United Kingdom
| | - Kyriacos Makris
- SouthWestSensor Ltd , Enterprise House, Ocean Village , Southampton , SO14 3XB , United Kingdom
| | - Gareth W H Evans
- Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton , SO17 1BJ , United Kingdom
| | - Evanthia Papadopoulou
- SouthWestSensor Ltd , Enterprise House, Ocean Village , Southampton , SO14 3XB , United Kingdom
| | - Sharon Coleman
- Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton , SO17 1BJ , United Kingdom
- SouthWestSensor Ltd , Enterprise House, Ocean Village , Southampton , SO14 3XB , United Kingdom
| | - Xize Niu
- Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton , SO17 1BJ , United Kingdom
- SouthWestSensor Ltd , Enterprise House, Ocean Village , Southampton , SO14 3XB , United Kingdom
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14
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Nightingale AM, Leong CL, Burnish RA, Hassan SU, Zhang Y, Clough GF, Boutelle MG, Voegeli D, Niu X. Monitoring biomolecule concentrations in tissue using a wearable droplet microfluidic-based sensor. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2741. [PMID: 31227695 PMCID: PMC6588579 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10401-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowing how biomarker levels vary within biological fluids over time can produce valuable insight into tissue physiology and pathology, and could inform personalised clinical treatment. We describe here a wearable sensor for monitoring biomolecule levels that combines continuous fluid sampling with in situ analysis using wet-chemical assays (with the specific assay interchangeable depending on the target biomolecule). The microfluidic device employs a droplet flow regime to maximise the temporal response of the device, using a screw-driven push-pull peristaltic micropump to robustly produce nanolitre-sized droplets. The fully integrated sensor is contained within a small (palm-sized) footprint, is fully autonomous, and features high measurement frequency (a measurement every few seconds) meaning deviations from steady-state levels are quickly detected. We demonstrate how the sensor can track perturbed glucose and lactate levels in dermal tissue with results in close agreement with standard off-line analysis and consistent with changes in peripheral blood levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M Nightingale
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Chi Leng Leong
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rachel A Burnish
- Critical Care/ Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Sammer-Ul Hassan
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Yu Zhang
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Geraldine F Clough
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Martyn G Boutelle
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - David Voegeli
- Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
- Now at Department of Sport, Exercise & Health, University of Winchester, Winchester, SO22 4NR, UK
| | - Xize Niu
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
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Kerr CB, Epps RW, Abolhasani M. A low-cost, non-invasive phase velocity and length meter and controller for multiphase lab-in-a-tube devices. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:2107-2113. [PMID: 31049546 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00296k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Opportunities for accessible microfluidic device integration have sharply grown with the rise of readily available lab-in-a-tube strategies. Herein, we present a facile, non-invasive, plug-and-play phase velocity and length measuring strategy for rapid deployment onto tube-based microfluidic systems, enabling quick and accurate residence (reaction) time measurement and tuning. Our approach utilizes inexpensive off-the-shelf optical phase sensors and requires no prior knowledge of the fluid composition or physical properties. Compared to camera-based measurements in fluoropolymer tubing, the optical phase sensor-based technique shows mean absolute percentage errors of 1.3% for velocity and 3.3% for length. Utilizing the developed multiphase flow monitoring technique, we screen the accessible parameter space of gas-liquid segmented flows. To further demonstrate the functionality of this process monitoring strategy, we implement two feedback controllers to establish simultaneous setpoint control for phase velocity and length. Next, to showcase the effectiveness and versatility of the developed multiphase flow process controller, we apply it to systematic studies of the effect of liquid slug velocity (controlling precursor mixing timescale) on the colloidal synthesis of cesium lead tribromide nanocrystals. By varying the liquid slug velocity and maintaining constant precursor composition, liquid slug length, and residence time, we observe a bandgap tunability from 2.43 eV (510 nm) to 2.52 eV (494 nm).
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Affiliation(s)
- Corwin B Kerr
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, USA.
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