Fabrication and testing of hydrogel-based microvalves for flow control in flexible lab-on-a-chip systems

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ang Li ◽  
Jonathan Lee ◽  
Bonnie L. Gray ◽  
Paul C. H. Li
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Lab On A Chip

Flow control using audio tones in resonant microfluidic networks: towards cell-phone controlled lab-on-a-chip devices

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3260-3267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reid H. Phillips ◽  
Rahil Jain ◽  
Yoni Browning ◽  
Rachana Shah ◽  
Peter Kauffman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Lab On A Chip ◽  
Selective Excitation ◽  
Microfluidic Networks

Microfluidic networks can be designed using fluidic analogies to electrical resistors, inductors, and capacitors and combining them to create resonant circuits. Multi-channel microfluidic networks show selective excitation that can be used to create pumps controlled by audio tones.

scholarly journals Electro-actuated valves and self-vented channels enable programmable flow control and monitoring in capillary-driven microfluidics

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (16) ◽  
pp. eaay8305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulieth Arango ◽  
Yuksel Temiz ◽  
Onur Gökçe ◽  
Emmanuel Delamarche
Keyword(s):  
Flow Control ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Lab On A Chip ◽  
Microfluidic Channels ◽  
Electronic Feedback ◽  
Programmable Device ◽  
Assay Protocol

Microfluidics are essential for many lab-on-a-chip applications, but it is still challenging to implement a portable and programmable device that can perform an assay protocol autonomously when used by a person with minimal training. Here, we present a versatile concept toward this goal by realizing programmable liquid circuits where liquids in capillary-driven microfluidic channels can be controlled and monitored from a smartphone to perform various advanced tasks of liquid manipulation. We achieve this by combining electro-actuated valves (e-gates) with passive capillary valves and self-vented channels. We demonstrate the concept by implementing a 5-mm-diameter microfluidic clock, a chip to control four liquids using 100 e-gates with electronic feedback, and designs to deliver and merge multiple liquids sequentially or in parallel in any order and combination. This concept is scalable, compatible with high-throughput manufacturing, and can be adopted in many microfluidics-based assays that would benefit from precise and easy handling of liquids.

Numerical and Microfluidic-Based Cell-Sorting Devices

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay K. Taylor ◽  
Carolyn L. Ren ◽  
G. D. Stubley
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Flow Control ◽  
Cell Sorting ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Lab On A Chip ◽  
Polymeric Materials ◽  
Chip Design ◽  
Pressure Disturbance ◽  
Chip Technology ◽  
Channel Blockage

The development of Lab-on-a-Chip devices with integrated bio-analysis functions requires a complex network of microfluidic transport and processes. Many of these functions call for the isolation or separation of specific bio-particles or cells. The design of a miniaturized cell-sorting device for handheld operation must follow the strict parameters associated with Lab-on-a-Chip technology. The limitations include applied voltage, high efficiency of cell-separation, repeatability, size, flow control, and cost, among others. Currently used designs have achieved successful levels of cell-isolation. However, further improvements in the microfluidic chip design are important for incorporation into larger systems. This study evaluates specific design modifications that contribute to the reduction of required applied potential aiming for developing portable devices, improved operation reliability by minimizing induced pressure disturbance when electrokinetic pumping is employed and incorporating online filters to reduce channel blockage, and improved flow control by incorporating directing streams achieving dynamic sorting and counting. The chip designs fabricated in glass and polymeric materials include asymmetric channel widths for sample focusing, nonuniform channel depth for minimizing induced pressure disturbance, directing streams to assist particle flow control, and online filters for reducing channel blockage. Fluorescence-based visualization of electrokinetic focusing, flow field phenomena, and dynamic cell-sorting demonstrate the advantages of the chip design. Numerical simulations in COMSOL are validated by the experimental data and used to investigate the effects of channel geometry and fluid properties on the flow field.

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