Injection and flow control system for microchannels

In spite of considerable efforts, flow control in micro-channels remains a challenge owing to the very small ratio of channel/supply-system volumes, as well as the induction of spurious flows by extremely small pressure or geometry changes. We present here an inexpensive and robust system for flow control in a microchannel system, based on a dynamic control of reservoir pressures at the end of each channel. This system allows flow equilibration with a time constant smaller than one second, and is also able to maintain stable flux from stopped flow to many microl min(-1) range over several hours. It is robust to changes in ambient pressure and temperature. This system further includes a feature for sub-microliter sample injection during the experiment. We quantify flow control in elastomer and thermoplastic channels, and demonstrate the impact on one application of the system, namely the reproducible, automated separation of large DNA by electrophoresis in a self-organized magnetic bead matrix in a microchannel.     

Pressure-driven flow control system for nanofluidic chemical process

We developed a novel flow control system for a nanofluidic chemical process. Generally, flow control in nanochannels is difficult because of its high-pressure loss with very small volume flow rate. In our flow control method, liquid pressure in a microchannel connected to the nanochannels is regulated by utilizing a backpressure regulator. The flow control method was verified by using simple structured microchip, which included parallel nanochannels. We found that the observed flow rate was three times lower than the value expected from Hagen-Poiseuille's equation. That implied a size-dependent viscosity change in the nanochannels. Then, we demonstrated mixing of two different fluorescent solutions in a Y-shaped nanochannel and also a proton exchange reaction in the Y-shaped nanochannel. The flow control method will contribute to further integration of nanochemical systems.     

Field-effect flow control in a polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic system.

The application of the field-effect for direct control of electroosmosis in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic system, constructed on a silicon wafer with a 2.0 microm electrically insulating layer of silicon dioxide, is demonstrated. This microfluidic system consists of a 2.0 cm open microchannel fabricated on a PDMS slab, which can reversibly adhere to the silicon wafer to form a hybrid microfluidic device. Aside from mechanically serving as a robust bottom substrate to seal the channel and support the microfluidic system, the silicon wafer is exploited to achieve field-effect flow control by grounding the semiconductive silicon medium. When an electric field is applied through the channel, a radial electric potential gradient is created across the silicon dioxide layer that allows for direct control of the zeta potential and the resulting electroosmotic flow (EOF). By configuring this microfluidic system with two power supplies at both ends of the microchannel, the applied electric potentials can be varied for manipulating the polarity and the magnitude of the radial electric potential gradient across the silicon dioxide layer. At the same time, the longitudinal potential gradient through the microchannel, which is used to induce EOF, is held constant. The results of EOF control in this hybrid microfluidic system are presented for phosphate buffer at pH 3 and pH 5. It is also demonstrated that EOF control can be performed at higher solution pH of 6 and 7.4 by modifying the silicon wafer surface with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) prior to assembly of the hybrid microfluidic system. Results of EOF control from this study are compared with those reported in the literature involving the use of other microfluidic devices under comparable solution conditions.     

A microprocessor control system for automated multiple flow injection analysis

A microprocessor control system is reported for automated multiple flow injection analysis. The control system consists of an IMSAI-8048 microprocessor, some associated electronic interfacing and a control computer command language. The system can be programmed to control any of three versions of automated multiple flow injection analysers. This control system is relatively inexpensive and is suitable for use by inexperienced personnel.     

Oscillatory control of sample dispersion in a continuous flow system

A new strategy for the instrumental control of sample dispersion in continuous flow systems is presented. The method is based on shaking a loosely held straight reactor while the sample travels through the flow injection manifold. This external disturbance yields a sample transport more similar to the plug flow type because of the changes promoted on the flow pattern. Up to a three-fold increase in peak height, a comparable reduction in peak width and a more Gaussian peak profile are observed when the signals obtained with the shaken reactor are compared with those obtained with the same reactor but static. Improvements in the analytical performance as a function of different operational variables are shown for systems with or without a chemical reaction. Analytical implications and possible uses are discussed since this strategy allows the control of dispersion by simply selecting the frequency and amplitude of oscillation.     

Automatic miniaturized fluorometric flow system for chemical and toxicological control of glibenclamide

In this work, and for the first time, it was developed an automatic and fast screening miniaturized flow system for the toxicological control of glibenclamide in beverages, with application in forensic laboratory investigations, and also, for the chemical control of commercially available pharmaceutical formulations. The automatic system exploited the multipumping flow (MPFS) concept and allowed the implementation of a new glibenclamide determination method based on the fluorometric monitoring of the drug in acidic medium (λ_ex = 301 nm; λ_em = 404 nm), in the presence of an anionic surfactant (SDS), promoting an organized micellar medium to enhance the fluorometric measurements.The developed approach assured good recoveries in the analysis of five spiked alcoholic beverages. Additionally, a good agreement was verified when comparing the results obtained in the determination of glibenclamide in five commercial pharmaceutical formulations by the proposed method and by the pharmacopoeia reference procedure.     

A submersible flow analysis system

A submersible chemical analyzer (SCANNER) has been developed which can perform analyses in situ in the ocean. The SCANNER is based on a modified flow-injection system and can be used to automate virtually any spectrophotometric determination that can be done by flow injection analysis. The SCANNER consists of a multichannel peristaltic pump, solid-state colorimeters, manifold tubing, valves, and an electronic module. All of the components are pressure-tolerant, except the electronics module, which is placed in a pressure housing. Typical detection limits are of the order of 0.1 μM. Sample introduction is continuous. The SCANNER has been tested successfully to pressures of 3300 dbar in the laboratory and to depths of 2500 m in the ocean. Examples of silicate and sulfide determinations around animal communities in a deep-sea hydrothermal vent field are presented.     

Advanced automation of a flow injection analysis system for quality control of olive oil through the use of a distributed expert system

A new methodology—based on the combination of flow injection analysis and a distributed expert system—is proposed for the on-line chemical quality control of olive oil. This knowledge-based system is in charge of carrying out the flow injection determination of total acidity, peroxide value, and UV spectrophotometric measurements (K₂₃₂ and K₂₇₀), according to EU legislation. On the other hand, the expert system, apart from supervising the correct functioning of the system (devices, clogging, analysis frequency, and so on), performs the definite classification of the analyzed oil by evaluating the oil quality from the values yielded, according to previously established specifications. Satisfactory results have been obtained in the application of this approach to different samples of Spanish olive oil along the storage process. The distributed expert system also allows for the remote control of the analysis process owing to the interconnection of the different nodes by means of a communication network.     

Frequency-dependent transversal flow control in centrifugal microfluidics

This work presents a novel flow switch for centrifugal microfluidic platforms which is solely controlled by the Coriolis pseudo force. This Coriolis switch consists of an inverse Y-structure with one common upstream channel and two symmetric outlets on a rotating disk. Above a certain threshold frequency, the Coriolis force becomes dominant that the entire flow is diverted into one of the outlets which is selected by the direction of rotation. The threshold frequency has been measured to be 350 rad s(-1)(approximately 55.7 Hz) for a channel width of 360 microm and a depth of 125 microm. The results are supported by extensive CFD simulations.     

Industrial process control by flow injection analysis

The principle of physiochemical and chemical modulation in flow injection analysis is outlined. Advantageous properties of flow injection analyzers for chemical on-line process control are summarized. Three exampls of applications are presented. First, peak-width measurements enable chemical batch processes to be monitored over several orders of magnitude of analyte concentration whereas peak-height measurements are selected in the critical state of the process where very small changes of analyte concentration must be determined precisely. Secondly, exploitation of variable gradient dilution to match sample concentration to the needs of accurate analysis is combined with trapped-zone selective spectrophotometry. Finally, frequency-discriminated chemical analysis is feasible by combining sample gradient formation with reagent injection.     

Titrimetry in a continuous flow system

Summary Sulphate in the range of 5–2000 mol · l^–1 is automatically titrated with Ba(II) in a device with an optical detection which is able to correct automatically for dilution and turbidities. The flow-through system contains 80% v/v ethanol; the indicator is dimethyl sulfonazo(III). Above a concentration level of about 20 mol · l^–1 SO ₄ ^2– the standard deviation is less than 5% rel. The titration time is negligibly small as compared to the sampling time.

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Titrimetrie im DurchflußsystemI. Apparatur und Sulfatbestimmung

Zusammenfassung Sulfat wird im Bereich von 5–2000 mol · l^–1 automatisch mit Ba(II) mit einem Gerät mit optischer Detektion titriert, das automatisch für Verdünnung und Trübung korrigieren kann. Das Durchflußsystem enthält 80% v/v Äthanol; Indicator ist Dimethylsulfonazo(III). Die Standardabweichung für Proben mit einem Sulfatgehalt höher als 20 mol · l^–1 ist niedriger als 5% rel. Die Titrationsdauer ist vernachlässigbar im Vergleich mit der Zeit für die Probennahme.

     

Photometry in a continuous flow system

Summary Sulphate in various environmental samples was determined by measuring the optical absorbance upon reaction with the barium(II) dimethylsulphonazo(III) complex. The measurement took place in a flow-through system. Interferences from phosphate, metal ions and others were eliminated. The results of a turbidimetric measurement, a spectrophotometric measurement with thorin, an automatic titration and the proposed method are compared. The latter allows the determination of sulphate in the range of 1.4–60 mol·l^–1. The standard deviation is 0.3–0.6 mol·l^–1, depending on the type of sample (water) analysed. A determination takes 1.5min.

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Photometric in einem DurchflußsystemBestimmung von Sulphat mit Dimethylsulfonazo(III) in Umweltmaterial mit Hilfe eines Durchflußsystems

Zusammenfassung Sulfat wurde in verschiedenen Umweltproben durch Messung der Extinktion nach Reaktion mit dem Barium(II)-dimethylsulfonazo(III)-komplex im Durchflußsystem bestimmt. Störungen von Phosphat, Metallionen, u.a. wurden beseitigt. Die Ergebnisse einer turbidimetrischen, einer photometrischen, einer automatischen Titration und der vorgeschlagenen Methode werden verglichen. Die Methode ermöglicht die Sulfatbestimmung im Bereich von 1,4–60 mol·l^–1. Die Standardabweichung beträgt 0,3–0,6 mol· l^–1 je nach Typ des Probematerials (Wasser). Eine Bestimmung erfordert 1,5min.

     

Microfluidic flow control on charged phospholipid polymer interface

A type of charged phospholipid polymer biointerface was constructed on a quartz microfluidic chip to control the electroosmotic flow (EOF) and to suppress non-specific protein adsorption through one-step modification. A negatively charged phospholipid copolymer containing 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), n-butyl methacrylate (BMA), potassium 3-methacryloyloxypropyl sulfonate (PMPS) and 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTMSi) moieties (referred to as PMBSSi) was synthesized to introduce such phosphorylcholine segments as well as surface charges onto the silica-based microchannels via chemical bonding. At neutral pH, the homogenous microchannel surface modified with 0.3 wt% PMBSSi in alcoholic solution, retained a significant cathodic EOF ((1.0 +/- 0.1) x 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) with approximately one-half of the EOF of the unmodified microchannel ((1.9 +/- 0.1) x 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)). Along with another non-charged copolymer (poly(MPC-co-MPTMSi), PMSi), the regulation of the surface charge density can be realized by adjusting the concentration of PMBSSi or PMSi initial solutions for modification. Coincidently, the zeta-potential and the EOF mobility at neutral pH showed a monotonically descending trend with the decrease in the charge densities on the surfaces. This provides a simple but feasible approach to controlling the EOF, especially with regard to satisfying the requisites of miniaturized systems for biological applications requiring neutral buffer conditions. In addition, the EOF in microchannels modified with PMBSSi and PMSi could maintain stability for a long time at neutral pH. In contrast to the EOF in the unmodified microchannel, the EOF in the modified microchannel was only slightly affected by the change in pH (from 1 to 10). Most importantly, although PMBSSi possesses negative charges, the non-specific adsorptions of both anionic and cationic proteins (considering albumin and cytochrome c, respectively, as examples) were effectively suppressed to a level of 0.15 microg cm(-2) and lesser in the case of the 0.3 wt% PMBSSi modification. Consequently, the variation in the EOF mobility resulting from the protein adsorption was also suppressed simultaneously. To facilitate easy EOF control with compatibility to biomolecules delivered in the microfluidic devices, the charged interface described could provide a promising option.     

The control of potential in continuous flow systems

The control of the potential of the working electrode in closed loop flowing systems is discussed. Various relative positions of the reference electrode are considered. No satisfactory arrangement of a three electrode configuration is possible for the general case; only when all but one of the current paths are blocked is a three electrode system satisfactory. Generally, however, a five electrode arrangement is adequate for all purposes. Electrical circuits for practical operation are given. With suitably designed tube electrodes reactions with very high exchange currents can be studied free from any uncertainty due to ohmic resistances. An application to the control of parasitic current corrosion is noted.     

Miniature liquid flow sensor and feedback control of electroosmotic and pneumatic flows for a micro gas analysis system.

Accurate liquid flow control is important in most chemical analyses. In this work, the measurement of liquid flow in microliters per minute was performed, and feedback control of the flow rate was examined. The flow sensor was arranged on a channel made in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) block. The center of the channel was cooled by a miniature Peltier device, and the change in temperature balance along the channel formed by the flow was measured by two temperature sensors. Using this flow sensor, feedback flow control was examined with two pumping methods. One was the electroosmotic flow method, made by applying a high voltage (HV) between the reagent and waste reservoirs; the other was the piezo valve method, in which a micro-valve-seat was fabricated in a PDMS cavity with a silicone diaphragm. The latter was adopted for a micro gas analysis system (microGAS) for measuring atmospheric H2S and SO2. The obtained baselines were stable, and better limits of detection were obtained.     

A new quality control method for lateral flow assay

We proposed a lateral flow assay (LFA) based on internal quality control microspheres to realize the accurate diagnosis of HbA1c in human body. This method can improve the precision and accuracy of HbA1c detection.     

Versatile control of multiphase laminar flow for in-channel microfabrication

We have improved the multiphase laminar flow based in-channel fabrication method to overcome diffusion-induced broadening. A sheathing phase with protecting molecules confines metal wire deposition and allows for flexible control of the location, width, and uniformity of deposited metal wires. Two-layered T-junctions are introduced to form vertically stacked multiphase laminar flow. Combining these techniques, we fabricate quadrupole silver electrodes on the four sidewalls of rectangular polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels that are 3 cm in length.