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Alvarez-Amador M, Salimov A, Brouzes E. Universal and Versatile Magnetic Connectors for Microfluidic Devices. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:803. [PMID: 38930773 PMCID: PMC11205433 DOI: 10.3390/mi15060803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
World-to-chip interfacing remains a critical issue for microfluidic devices. Current solutions to connect tubing to rigid microfluidic chips remain expensive, laborious, or require specialized skills and precision machining. Here, we report reusable, inexpensive, and easy-to-use connectors that enable monitoring of the connection ports. Our magnetic connectors benefit from a simple one-step fabrication process and low dead volume. They sustain pressures within the high range of microfluidic applications. They represent an essential tool for rapid thermoplastic (PMMA, PC, COC) prototyping and can also be used with glass, pressure-sensitive adhesive, or thin PDMS devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alvarez-Amador
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (M.A.-A.); (A.S.)
| | - Amir Salimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (M.A.-A.); (A.S.)
| | - Eric Brouzes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (M.A.-A.); (A.S.)
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Cancer Center, Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Institute for Engineering Driven Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Yang M, Sun N, Luo Y, Lai X, Li P, Zhang Z. Emergence of debubblers in microfluidics: A critical review. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:031503. [PMID: 35757146 PMCID: PMC9217167 DOI: 10.1063/5.0088551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Bubbles in microfluidics-even those that appear to be negligibly small-are pervasive and responsible for the failure of many biological and chemical experiments. For instance, they block current conduction, damage cell membranes, and interfere with detection results. To overcome this unavoidable and intractable problem, researchers have developed various methods for capturing and removing bubbles from microfluidics. Such methods are multifarious and their working principles are very different from each other. In this review, bubble-removing methods are divided into two broad categories: active debubblers (that require external auxiliary equipment) and passive debubblers (driven by natural processes). In each category, three main types of methods are discussed along with their advantages and disadvantages. Among the active debubblers, those assisted by lasers, acoustic generators, and negative pressure pumps are discussed. Among the passive debubblers, those driven by buoyancy, the characteristics of gas-liquid interfaces, and the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of materials are discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of the bubble-removal technologies are reviewed to refer researchers to microfluidics and inspire further investigations in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nan Sun
- School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | | | | | - Peiru Li
- School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
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Zoupanou S, Volpe A, Primiceri E, Gaudiuso C, Ancona A, Ferrara F, Chiriacò MS. SMILE Platform: An Innovative Microfluidic Approach for On-Chip Sample Manipulation and Analysis in Oral Cancer Diagnosis. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12080885. [PMID: 34442507 PMCID: PMC8401059 DOI: 10.3390/mi12080885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Oral cancer belongs to the group of head and neck cancers, and, despite its large diffusion, it suffers from low consideration in terms of prevention and early diagnosis. The main objective of the SMILE platform is the development of a low-cost device for oral cancer early screening with features of high sensitivity, specificity, and ease of use, with the aim of reaching a large audience of possible users and realizing real prevention of the disease. To achieve this goal, we realized two microfluidic devices exploiting low-cost materials and processes. They can be used in combination or alone to obtain on-chip sample preparation and/or detection of circulating tumor cells, selected as biomarkers of oral cancer. The realized devices are completely transparent with plug-and-play features, obtained thanks to a highly customized architecture which enables users to easily use them, with potential for a common use among physicians or dentists with minimal training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Zoupanou
- Department of Mathematics & Physics E. de Giorgi, University of Salento, Via Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
- CNR NANOTEC—Institute of Nanotechnology, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
| | - Annalisa Volpe
- Physics Department, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy; (A.V.); (C.G.); (A.A.)
- Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (IFN), National Council of Research of Italy (CNR), 70126 Bari, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Gaudiuso
- Physics Department, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy; (A.V.); (C.G.); (A.A.)
- Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (IFN), National Council of Research of Italy (CNR), 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Ancona
- Physics Department, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy; (A.V.); (C.G.); (A.A.)
- Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (IFN), National Council of Research of Italy (CNR), 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferrara
- CNR NANOTEC—Institute of Nanotechnology, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
- STMicroelectronics s.r.l., Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.F.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Maria Serena Chiriacò
- CNR NANOTEC—Institute of Nanotechnology, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy;
- Correspondence: (F.F.); (M.S.C.)
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Directly Printed Hollow Connectors for Microfluidic Interconnection with UV-Assisted Coaxial 3D Printing. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10103384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Effective and reliable interconnections are crucial for microfluidics to connect with the macro world. Current microfluidic interfaces are still bulky, expensive, or with issues of clogging and material limitation. In this study, a novel ultraviolet (UV)-assisted coaxial three-dimensional (3D) printing approach was proposed to fabricate hollow microfluidic connectors with advantages of rapid prototyping, fixture-free, and materials compatible. An assembled coaxial nozzle was designed to enable co-flow extrusion, where the inner flow (water) served as the sacrificial layer and the outer flow (adhesive) was cured for shell formation. Furthermore, a converged UV-LED light source was attached to the coaxial nozzle for UV curing of adhesives. UV rheological characterizations were performed to study the UV curing kinematics, and the gelation time was employed to describe the state transition behaviors of UV curable adhesives used in the study. To explore requirements for successful hollow connectors direct printing, processing criteria such as co-flow regime and pre-cure time were investigated. The hollow connectors with an inner channel diameter of ~150 μ m and a height of 5 mm were successfully printed on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and glass substrate. The integration feasibility of the proposed method was also demonstrated by the presented microfluidic device with printed hollow connectors.
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Morioka K, Sato H, Morita K, Akihide H, Nakajima H, Shoji A, Yanagida A. Development of an on-chip sample injection system with a 6-port valve incorporated in a microchip. RSC Adv 2020; 10:35848-35855. [PMID: 35517096 PMCID: PMC9056900 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra07043b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Micro-flow-injection analysis (μFIA) is amenable to high-throughput systems with lower consumption of sample and reagent volumes. On-chip sample injection methods are important to prevent reduced analytical performance associated with dead volumes and diffusion of sample solutions. In this study, we have developed an on-chip sample injection system with a small-sized 6-port valve incorporated on a microchip. The valve is made with a 3D printer and is a simple structure that can be easily operated manually. A sample solution in a loading channel can be injected by switching the valve from the load to injection position. Sample injection tests using resorufin solutions revealed that samples can be injected below 100 μL min−1, and the performance of the sample injection system is comparable to that of a commercially available injector. In addition, the sample injection system was successfully applied to a flow-based assay for hydrogen peroxide. The detection limit (3σ) of hydrogen peroxide was estimated to be 0.5 μM, and the assay time after sample injection was approximately 100 s. The developed sample injection system will be useful for various microfluidic-based analyses including μFIA. We demonstrate on-chip sample injection using a 6-port valve incorporated in a microchip.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Morioka
- Department of Biomedical Analysis
- School of Pharmacy
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Hina Sato
- Department of Biomedical Analysis
- School of Pharmacy
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Kenji Morita
- Department of Biomedical Analysis
- School of Pharmacy
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | | | - Hizuru Nakajima
- Department of Applied Chemistry
- Graduate School of Urban Environmental Science
- Tokyo Metropolitan University
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Atsushi Shoji
- Department of Biomedical Analysis
- School of Pharmacy
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
- Hachioji
- Japan
| | - Akio Yanagida
- Department of Biomedical Analysis
- School of Pharmacy
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
- Hachioji
- Japan
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