Universal bioprocessor LDRD final report.
Microsystems pose unparalleled opportunity in the realm of real-time sample analysis for multiple applications, including Homeland Security monitoring devices, environmental monitoring, and biomedical diagnostics. The need for a universal means of processing, separating, and delivering a sample within these devices is a critical need if these systems are to receive widespread implementation in the industry and government sectors. Efficient particle separation and enrichment techniques are critical for a range of analytical functions including pathogen detection, sample preparation, high-throughput particle sorting, and biomedical diagnostics. Previously, using insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) in microfluidic glass devices, we demonstrated simultaneous particle separation and concentration. As an alternative to glass, we evaluate the performance of similar iDEP structures produced in polymer-based microdevices and their enhancement through dynamic surface coatings. There are numerous processing and operational advantages that motivate our transition to polymers such as the availability of numerous innate chemical compositions for tailoring performance, mechanical robustness, economy of scale, and ease of thermoforming and mass manufacturing. The polymer chips we have evaluated are fabricated through an injection molding process of the commercially available cyclic olefin copolymer Zeonor{reg_sign}. We demonstrate that the polymer devices achieve the same performance metrics as glass devices. Additionally, we show that the nonionic block copolymer surfactant Pluronic F127 has a strong interaction with the cyclic olefin copolymer at very low concentrations, positively impacting performance by decreasing the magnitude of the applied electric field necessary to achieve particle trapping. The presence of these dynamic surface coatings, therefore, lowers the power required to operate such devices and minimizes Joule heating. The results of this study demonstrate that polymeric microfluidic devices with surfactant coatings for insulator-based dielectrophoresis provide an affordable engineering strategy for selective particle enrichment and sorting.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 895984
- Report Number(s):
- SAND2006-6704
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ALKENES
Biological monitoring.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COATINGS
COPOLYMERS
DETECTION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
Environmental monitoring.
GLASS
IMPLEMENTATION
JOULE HEATING
METRICS
MOLDING
MONITORING
Molecular integrated microsystems.
PATHOGENS
PLURONICS
POLYMERS
Polymeric composites.
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SECURITY
STRONG INTERACTIONS
SURFACE COATING
SURFACTANTS
TRAPPING