Applications of Modular Microfluidics Technology

Microfluidics has been widely used in the life science, analytical chemistry, environmental science and other fields in the recent years. Traditional microfluidics systems usually use a highly integrated system with multiple components for handling the fluid in the micro/nano scale. The design and fabrication of integrated microfluidics usually require highly sophisticated instruments and operation professionals. With the experience inherited from integrated circuit and micro electro mechanical system, the modular microfluidics system has been experienced a rapid development in recent years. Modular microfluidics system is a combination of a series of individual modules to achieve complicated liquid handling functions. Compared with conventional microfluidics approach, the modular microfluidics method has the potential in significantly reducing the fabrication cost by using the massive production of single chip, besides, it is easy to be operated, and the user can easily assembly the modules to obtain their customized microfluidics system. The concept of modular microfluidics also indicates the future development path for the standardization of microfluidics system and also provides a promising approach for the industrial massive production of microfluidics. However, the study of modular microfluidics is still in an early stage. Although lots of studies have been conducted with varies materials, fabrication methods and interface technologies, issues like modular interface still restricted the further development of microfluidics. In this paper, a comprehensive review for the latest research on the modular microfluidics and applications in biological and medical fields is provided, and the future research trends of modular microfluidics is also discussed.     

用于"芯片实验室"的静电机制微液滴控制芯片的研制

提出了一种结构简单、可编程控制的离散液滴控制芯片。它以硅为衬底,重掺杂多晶硅为微电极阵列,氧化硅为介质层,碳氟聚合物薄膜为疏水层。它克服了传统连续流传输、混合的局限性及层流条件的限制,通过控制施加在微电极阵列上的电压脉冲时序,成功实现了对离散液滴的快速传输和混合。在30 V驱动电压下,约0.9μL去离子水液滴传输速度可达24 mm/s;在40 V驱动电压下,约0.8μL去离子水液滴和约1.4μL的0.0001 mol/L Rhodam ine液滴在7/30 s内完成了快速混合。另外,还提出利用提高液滴速度及来回晃动混合后的液滴等几种加强混合方法。     

Simultaneous electrochemical detection in paper-based analytical devices

The growing need for reliable analytical tools to perform measurements at the point-of-need has prompted the development of novel sensors that are low cost, portable, sensitive, easy to use, and capable of multiplexed analysis. Miniaturization of the sensors into microfluidic platforms has become a promising approach to achieve these self-contained sensors. However, traditional microfluidics often require relatively expensive and complicated pumping mechanisms that increase the cost and limit the portability of the sensors. From a material perspective, paper is an attractive substrate for constructing point-of-need sensors because of its affordability, vast availability, and self-pumping ability, particularly when combined with electrochemical detection. In this mini-review, we discuss various strategies to achieve multiplexing or simultaneous detection of multiple analytes in electrochemical paper-based devices and provide a brief guide on selecting the detection strategy based on the electrochemical property of the analytes.     

可多次使用的液晶型类玻璃高分子

通过高温下酯交换反应的进行,含酯键的液晶型类玻璃高分子(liquid crystalline vitrimer),能够通过简单拉伸进行取向,获得随温度变化可逆伸缩的智能材料.在目前已报道的此类主链型高分子中,酯交换剧烈发生需要的临界温度(Tv),与液晶弹性体发生可逆形变的温度(Ti,即液晶相-各向同性相转变温度)相隔较近,导致材料的使用温度范围比较窄,而且多次升降温后,取向及可逆形变会消失.为解决此问题,本文在原来体系的基础上,通过共聚合另外一种液晶基元,有效地降低了Ti,从而拓宽Ti与Tv之间的距离.这不仅使材料的使用次数明显增加,还能延长此类液晶弹性体的使用期限.     

Two dimensional separations of human urinary protein digest using a droplet-interfaced platform

For highly complex mixtures, coelution is a common phenomenon in chromatography. A great deal of resolution is hidden in coelution, and lost due to inevitable molecular diffusion during sample transfer. The molecular diffusion may lead to band broadening and remix of separated peaks, which cause degradation of achievable resolution. In this study, we introduced droplet microfluidics as a high performance sample transfer tool in two dimensional nanoflow liquid chromatography–capillary electrophoresis separation of a human urine sample. The fine fractionation capability and sampling completeness enabled by the droplet-interface demonstrated the 2D system’s usefulness in high-resolution mapping of real world biological samples.     

Liquid crystal Pancharatnam-Berry phase lens with spatially separated focuses

In this paper, we proposed and fabricated a liquid crystal (LC) lens with spatially separated focuses via liquid crystal photoalignment technology. The novel lens is an integration of the polarisation grating and conventional LC lens. The two focuses of that new lens, one of which is real while the other is virtual, can be spatially separated. When combined with normal convex lens and illuminated by a linearly polarised beam, the two emergent light beams become all convergent and the two focuses are separated in three-dimension space. Moreover, the focal lengths of the lens system can be artificially controlled by adjusting the distance between our new lens and the conventional lens. Our results achieve the potential of LC lens’ application in imaging devices such as multifocal cameras, bifocal eyeglasses and so on.     

Microfluidic immunoassay with plug-in liquid crystal for optical detection of antibody

Recent advance in liquid crystal (LqC) based immunoassays enables label-free detection of antibody, but manual preparation of LqC cells and injection of LqC are required. In this work, we developed a new format of LqC-based immunoassay which is hosted in a microfluidic device. In this format, the orientations of LqC are strongly influenced by four channel walls surrounding the LqC. When the aspect ratio (depth/width) of the channel is smaller than 0.38, LqC orients homeotropically inside the microchannel and appears dark. After antigens bind to immobilized antibodies on the channel walls, a shift of the LqC appearance from dark to bright (due to the disruption of LqC orientation) can be visualized directly. To streamline the immunoassay process, a tubing cartridge loaded with a sample solution, washing buffers and a plug of LqC is connected to the microfluidic device. By using pressure-driven flow, the cartridge allows antigen/antibody binding, washing and optical detection to be accomplished in a sequential order. We demonstrate that this microfluidic immunoassay is able to detect anti-rabbit IgG with a naked-eye detection limit down to 1 μg mL⁻¹. This new format of immunoassay provides a simple and robust approach to perform LqC-based label-free immunodetection in microfluidic devices.     

Design and fabrication of liquid crystal-based lenses

ABSTRACT

Liquid crystal (LC)-based lenses are promising for a wide range of applications from optical communications and signal processing to three-dimensional displays. Among a variety of the LC-based lenses, several classes including the Fresnel type and the lenticular type are comprehensively reviewed from the standpoints of the basic concepts and the device architectures. The underlying mechanisms for the focusing effect and the tuning capability inherent to the lens configuration are described. Recent progress on the LC-based lenses for reconfigurable optical processing and autostereoscopic displays is also presented. The lens architecture combined with the intrinsic anisotropy of the LC provides a versatile platform to build up high-performance LC-based lenses with the tuning capability.     

Analysis of polyhexamethylene biguanide in multipurpose contact lens solutions

The objective of this study was to establish a reasonably simple and reliable method to measure very low concentrations of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) in multipurpose contact lens solutions (MPSs). By using a weak cation exchange solid phase extraction cartridge to extract the PHMB from MPS, followed by HPLC analysis using an evaporative light scattering detector, low levels (0.1 ppm) of PHMB were detected. Application of this method to a series of off-the-shelf MPS with PHMB as the active ingredient demonstrated these solutions contain 1 ppm. The contact lens solution with hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient gave no peak where the PHMB peak eluted. The Polyquad^® contact lens solution generated a peak close to the retention time of PHMB. Recovery of PHMB from fortified hydrogen peroxide contact lens solution was good at 0.25 ppm and above; 105% with a RSD of 17% or less. The repeatability of the HPLC system ranged from 4 to 11% RSD; the reproducibility of the entire method was less than 17.5% RSD. Storage and stability studies indicated that storage of MPS with PHMB for chemical analysis are not temperature dependent, but are affected by the composition of the container in which the contact lens solution is stored.