聚二甲基硅氧烷基质微流控芯片封接技术的研究

考察了聚二甲基硅氧烷(Polydimethylsiloxane,PDMS)预聚体与固化剂间的配比、固化温度及固化时间对PDMS芯片封接强度的影响,得出PDMS芯片封接的最佳条件基片和盖片所用PDMS预聚体与固化剂质量配比分别为10∶1与5∶1,固化温度为75℃,固化时间分别为35～50min和25～40min,封接后继续加热60min.在该条件下封接制作的微芯片历经半年50多次的分析、冲洗及抽液后未见明显损坏,足以满足一般分析任务的要求,并将芯片成功用于两种氨基酸的快速毛细管电泳分离.     

基于BioMEMS技术的DNA固相萃取芯片的制备

基于BioMEMS技术,制备一种新型的Si-PDMS-玻璃结构的DNA固相萃取微流控芯片。在硅基片上制备4种固相载体,分析不同载体的性质和制备特点,优选多孔氧化硅作为萃取DNA的固相载体。对比研究芯片的封装工艺,优选压制法制备PDMS-玻璃盖片,采用粘接技术封装芯片。芯片成功提取老鼠全血中的基因组DNA,提取效率为23.5×10-9g/μL全血,并成功进行PCR反应,达到试剂盒水平。固相萃取微流控芯片具有与其他样品处理芯片、PCR芯片和电泳芯片相集成的潜力,可实现对复杂生物样品的检测和分析。     

毛细管电泳芯片简化安培检测系统的研制

摘要开发出一种新型电化学检测器,该检测器具有噪声低、基线漂移小、检测限低、整体体积小及便于现场使用等优点.在集成ITO电极的PDMS/玻璃毛细管电泳芯片上,利用多巴胺标准样品对该检测器的性能进行了评价.     

微流控芯片电泳激光诱导荧光检测p53外显子上的突变点

利用单链构象多态性(SSCP),建立微流控芯片电泳(ME)联合激光诱导荧光检测(LIF)技术,检测人类p53基因点突变的方法。设计不同碱基长度的p53单链序列,针对易突变的外显子7,8,9进行SSCP分析,分离野生与突变的单链DNA序列;研究了筛分介质聚乙烯基氧化物(PEO)的浓度,场强对芯片电泳行为的影响。在PEO质量分数为0.5%,分离场强为260V/cm时,100 s之内就可以实现样品p53外显子7,8,9的野生型与突变型碱基的分离检测。     

聚二甲基硅氧烷芯片粘接强度的实验研究

聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)材料广泛地应用于制作微流控芯片.本文研究了PDMS预聚体与固化剂的配比、固化温度和固化时间、固化模具以及紫外光照射等重要因素对PDMS芯片封接强度的影响,得到PDMS芯片封接的最佳条件为:基片和盖片所用PDMS预聚体与固化剂的最佳质量配比为10∶1,最佳固化温度为75℃,固化时间为40 min;采用不同材料模具制作PDMS片,其表面均方根粗糙度控制着芯片的粘接强度.在研究的三种模具材料中,用有机玻璃模具制作的PDMS片间的粘接强度最高,用玻璃模具制作的PDMS片间粘接强度最小;PDMS片经紫外光照射表面处理后,粘接强度会增加.     

一种可绝对定量核酸的数字PCR微流控芯片

构建了一种新型的可进行核酸单分子扩增和核酸绝对定量的数字聚合酶链式反应(数字PCR)微流控芯片. 应用多层软光刻技术, 以聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)作为芯片材料, 盖玻片作为基底制作了具有3层结构以及微阀控制功能的微流控芯片. 芯片的大小与载玻片相当, 可同时检测4个样品, 每个样品通入芯片后平均分配到640个反应小室, 每个小室的体积为6 nL. 以从肺癌细胞A549中提取的18sRNA为样品检测了该芯片的可行性. 将样品稀释数倍后通入芯片, 核酸分子随机分布在640个小室中并扩增. 核酸分子在芯片中的分布符合泊松分布原理, 当样品中待测核酸分子平均拷贝数低于0.5个/小室时, 则每个反应小室包含0个或1个分子. 经过PCR扩增后, 有模板分子的小室检测结果为阳性反应, 而无模板分子的小室为阴性反应, 最后通过计数阳性反应室的个数, 可绝对定量原始待测样品中的目标DNA分子拷贝数. 实验结果表明, 该数字 PCR芯片可实现DNA单分子反应和核酸绝对定量, 具有成本低、 灵敏度高、 节省时间和试剂以及操作简单等优点, 为数字PCR方法在普通实验室的应用提供了一种新途径, 可用于癌症及感染性疾病的早期诊断、 单细胞分析、 产前诊断以及各种细菌病毒的核酸检验等研究.     

微流控芯片技术在生命科学研究中的应用

微流控芯片最初起源于分析化学领域,是一种采用精细加工技术,在数平方厘米的基片,制作出微通道网络结构及其它功能单元,以实现集微量样品制备、进样、反应、分离及检测于一体的快速、高效、低耗的微型分析实验装置.随着微电子及微机械制作技术的不断进步,近年来微流控芯片技术发展迅猛,并开始在化学、生命科学及医学器件等领域发挥重要作用.本文首先简单介绍了微流控芯片制作材料和工艺,然后主要阐述了其在蛋白质分离、免疫分析、DNA分析和测序、细胞培养及检测等方面的应用进展.     

高灵敏纳米金比色芯片检测乙型肝炎病毒DNA及其变异

构建了新型纳米金比色芯片,利用Taq DNA连接酶的连接特异性,将其与乙型肝炎病毒DNA( HBV-DNA)靶序列完全互补杂交的捕获探针(固定在芯片上)和纳米金修饰的探针连接成一条链,从而将纳米金颗粒固定到芯片点阵上,再通过银染反应放大,形成裸眼可见的显色信息.通过点阵的位置及灰度,即可判断HBV-DNA靶序列的单碱基突变,并得出相对定量信息.本实验对不同浓度的HBV-DNA靶序列进行了检测.结果显示:此技术对单碱基突变有很强的特异性识别能力,并且具有较高的灵敏度(约10 pmol/L),在10～100 pmol/L浓度范围内表现出较好的线性关系.该技术检测时间短(＜1 h)、操作简单、不需要特殊的检测设备,具有很好的临床应用前景.     

一种用于核酸高灵敏检测的液滴式数字聚合酶链式反应芯片

为了实现对核酸的高灵敏度检测,构建了一种新型的液滴式数字聚合酶链式反应(dd PCR)芯片.该芯片由产生液滴的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)模块和储存液滴的玻璃腔室构成.实验结果表明,该芯片可以在25 min内产生2×106个直径为20μm的微液滴(体积4.187 p L).利用该芯片定量检测了表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)基因第19号外显子,在DNA浓度为106~101copies/μL范围内呈现良好的线性关系(R2=0.9998);在浓度为106copies/μL的19号外显子野生型DNA中检测105~100copies/μL的突变型DNA,其检测敏感度可达到0.0001%.该方法在同一芯片上实现了液滴产生、核酸扩增和荧光信号读取的功能,在核酸绝对定量及痕量突变基因的检测中具有潜在应用前景.     

阵列式对电极介电电泳芯片及其用于细胞分离富集研究

基于介电电泳原理, 设计并制作了一种新型的能够用于细胞分离和富集的微流控介电电泳芯片. 该芯片由沉积有金电极的石英基片和带有微管道的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)盖片组成. 通过在管道底部布置间距不同的对电极阵列, 增大了正介电电泳力在管道中的有效作用范围, 能够在降低施加电压的同时, 实现对流动体系中细胞样品的捕获. 在3 V和3 MHz条件下, 该DEP芯片对人血红细胞的捕获效率达到83%; 进一步通过将肝癌细胞捕获在芯片电极上可实现对红细胞和肝癌细胞混合样品的分离, 在5 V和400 kHz条件下对肝癌细胞的捕获效率达到86%.     

DNA mutation detection with chip-based temperature gradient capillary electrophoresis using a slantwise radiative heating system

A simple and robust chip-based temperature gradient capillary electrophoresis (TGCE) system was developed for DNA mutation/single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis using a radiative heating system. Reproducible, stable and uniform temperature gradients were established along a 3 cm length of the electrophoretic separation channel using a single thermostated aluminium heater plate. The heater was slightly slanted relative to the plane of the glass chip at 0.2-1.3 degrees by inserting thin spacers between the plate and chip at one end to produce differences in radiative heating that created the temperature gradient. On-chip TGCE analyses of 4 mutant DNA model samples amplified from plasmid templates, each containing a single base substitution, with a wide range of melting temperatures, showed that mutations were successfully detected under a wide temperature gradient of 10 degrees C and within a short gradient region of about 3 cm (3.3 degrees C cm(-1) gradient). The radiative heating system was able to establish stable spatial temperature gradients along short microfluidic separation channels using simple peripheral equipment and manipulation while ensuring good resolution for detecting a wide range of mutations. Effectiveness of the system was demonstrated by the successful detection of K-ras gene mutations in 6 colon cancer cell lines.     

Joule heating and heat transfer in poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic systems

Joule heating is a significant problem in electrokinetically driven microfluidic chips, particularly polymeric systems where low thermal conductivities amplify the difficulty in rejecting this internally generated heat. In this work, a combined experimental (using a microscale thermometry technique) and numerical (using a 3D "whole-chip" finite element model) approach is used to examine Joule heating and heat transfer at a microchannel intersection in poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS), and hybrid PDMS/Glass microfluidic systems. In general the numerical predictions and the experimental results agree quite well (typically within +/- 3 degree C), both showing dramatic temperature gradients at the intersection. At high potential field strengths a nearly five fold increase in the maximum buffer temperature was observed in the PDMS/PDMS chips over the PDMS/Glass systems. The detailed numerical analysis revealed that the vast majority of steady state heat rejection is through lower substrate of the chip, which was significantly impeded in the former case by the lower thermal conductivity PDMS substrate. The observed higher buffer temperature also lead to a number of significant secondary effects including a near doubling of the volume flow rate. Simple guidelines are proposed for improving polymeric chip design and thereby extend the capabilities of these microfluidic systems.     

Actin Polymerization in a Thermal Gradient

Actin polymerization was studied as a function of temperature and in controlled thermal gradients. In the absence of a thermal gradient, we observe a polymerization transition with a temperature increase of less than 10K, and we verify that microrheology provides a local measure of the polymerized fraction. Both of these results are in good agreement with prior observations. Thermal gradients allow us to generate polymerization gradients. This polymerization gradient induces motion in embedded microspheres that is not seen in control samples.     

Rapid concentration of deoxyribonucleic acid via Joule heating induced temperature gradient focusing in poly-dimethylsiloxane microfluidic channel

This paper reports rapid microfluidic electrokinetic concentration of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with the Joule heating induced temperature gradient focusing (TGF) by using our proposed combined AC and DC electric field technique. A peak of 480-fold concentration enhancement of DNA sample is achieved within 40 s in a simple poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel of a sudden expansion in cross-section. Compared to a sole DC field, the introduction of an AC field can reduce DC field induced back-pressure and produce sufficient Joule heating effects, resulting in higher concentration enhancement. Within such microfluidic channel structure, negative charged DNA analytes can be concentrated at a location where the DNA electrophoretic motion is balanced with the bulk flow driven by DC electroosmosis under an appropriate temperature gradient field. A numerical model accounting for a combined AC and DC field and back-pressure driven flow effects is developed to describe the complex Joule heating induced TGF processes. The experimental observation of DNA concentration phenomena can be explained by the numerical model.     

基于表面起皱法的梯度图案的可控制备

报道了基于非刻蚀法的表面起皱机制来实现高分子薄膜表面的周期性梯度图案的简单可控制备.即对于处于机械拉伸状态的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)弹性基底,在其底部垫入"积木",而后对其进行紫外-臭氧(UVO)和氧等离子体(OP)的联合表面处理."积木"的加入引起了表面处理后表面硅氧层(SiOx)梯度厚度的形成,进而当释放拉伸应变后,诱导产生了梯度皱纹图案.结果表明:当UVO与OP联用处理时,不仅实现了较小拉伸应变下梯度皱纹形貌的制备,而且扩大了UVO单独使用时梯度皱纹周期的变化范围.通过OP与UVO的处理顺序和处理时间等因素的简单调节,进一步实现了不同梯度皱纹微结构的精细构筑.     

Controlled mechanical fracture for fabricating microchannels with various size gradients

We present a simple method to generate cracks with controllable size (depth and width) and space gradients using deep surface oxidation and anisotropic mechanical stretching. To generate a thick oxidation layer (<～7 μm), a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab of uniform or varying thickness was exposed to UV/ozone for less than 30 min in the UV-C wavelength including wavelengths of 185 and 254 nm. Subsequently, the PDMS slab was wrapped on a cylindrical support (radius: 11 mm) to apply a uniform bending strain (<21%), resulting in equally separated, anisotropic cracks over a large area. By modulating initial oxidation depth and applied bending stress, cracks of varying sizes and spaces were formed on a single PDMS slab. Furthermore, multiple, sequential cracks were generated by increasing the strain in a step-wise fashion and multi-directional cracks by applying the strain with an orientation angle. Finally, size and space-varying cracks were formed between two adjacent large channels in an interconnected format by selective masking and irreversible bonding.     

Modelling the thermal behaviour of the low-thermal mass liquid chromatography system

We report upon the experimental investigation of the heat transfer in low thermal mass LC (LTMLC) systems, used under temperature gradient conditions. The influence of the temperature ramp, the capillary dimensions, the material selection and the chromatographic conditions on the radial temperature gradients formed when applying a temperature ramp were investigated by a numerical model and verified with experimental temperature measurements. It was found that the radial temperature gradients scale linearly with the heating rate, quadratically with the radius of the capillary and inversely to the thermal diffusivity. Because of the thermal radial gradients in the liquid zone inside the capillary lead to radial viscosity and velocity gradients, they form an additional source of dispersion for the solutes. For a temperature ramp of 1 K/s and a strong temperature dependence of the retention of small molecules, the model predicts that narrow-bore columns (i.d. 2.1 mm) can be used. For a temperature ramp of 10 K/s, the maximal inner diameter is of the order of 1 mm before a substantial increase in dispersion occurs.     

Poly(methyl methacrylate) CE microchips replicated from poly(dimethylsiloxane) templates for the determination of cations

A novel method for the rapid fabrication of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microfluidic chips using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) templates has been demonstrated. The PDMS molds were fabricated by soft lithography. The dense prepolymerized solution of methyl methacrylate containing thermal and UV initiators was allowed to polymerized between a PDMS template and a piece of a 1 mm thick commercial PMMA plate under a UV lamp. The images of microchannels on the PDMS template were precisely replicated into the synthesized PMMA substrates during the UV-initiated polymerization of the prepolymerized solution on the surface of the PMMA plate at room temperature. The polymerization could be completed within 10 min under ambient temperature. The chips were subsequently assembled by thermal bonding of the channel plate and the cover sheet. The new fabrication method obviates the need for specialized replication equipment and reduces the complexity of prototyping and manufacturing. Nearly 20 PMMA chips were replicated using a single PDMS mold. The attractive performance of the new microfluidic chips has been demonstrated by separating and detecting cations in connection with contactless conductivity detection. The fabricated PMMA microchip has also been successfully employed for the determination of potassium and sodium in environmental and biological samples.     

Single nucleotide polymorphism detection method by temperature-gradient affinity chromatography using a single-stranded oligo-DNA coupled column

We developed an affinity chromatographic method for simple single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection by use of a single-stranded DNA-coupled column and temperature gradient elution, utilizing the difference in thermal stability between hybridized double-stranded DNAs with and without mismatched base-pairs in the course of temperature gradient elution. We studied experimentally and theoretically the elution behavior of DNAs with and without SNPs in this chromatography and proposed a numerical calculation method based on a thermodynamic dissociation model. The effects of the column volume, flow rate of eluent and heating rate of the column on elution profiles were clarified. For designing DNA ligands, mismatched base-pair positions favorable for detection of SNPs were also explored by use of hybridized DNAs coding a part of the human TP53 gene.     

Spatial temperature gradient capillary electrophoresis for DNA mutation detection.

A continuous spatial temperature gradient was established in capillary electrophoresis by using a simple temperature control device. The temperature profile along the capillary was predicted by theoretical calculations. A nearly linear spatial temperature gradient was established and applied to DNA mutation detection. By spanning a wide temperature range, it was possible to perform simultaneous heteroduplex analysis for various mutation types that have different melting temperatures.