Optimizing Polymer Lab-on-Chip Platforms for Ultrasonic Manipulation: Influence of the Substrate

Micromachines

Itziar González⁴  Mar໚ Tijero²  Alain Martin¹  Victor Acosta⁴  Javier Berganzo²  Adela Castillejo³  Mounir M. Bouali¹  Jose Luis Soto³ 

[1] Group of Microfludics, Politechnical University of Mondragón, Goiru Kalea, 20500 Mondragón, Spain; E-Mails:;Department of Microsystems, IKERLAN, Jose Maria Arizmendiarreta 2, 20500 Mondragón, Spain; E-Mails:;Group of Molecular Biology, Fundación Hospital General Universitario de Elche, Camino de la Almazara 11, 03203 Elche, Alicante, Spain; E-Mails:;Group of Ultrasonic Resonators, Institute of Physical Technologies and Information, Spanish National Research Council CSIC, Serrano 144, 28006 Madrid, Spain; E-Mail:

关键词: lab-on-chip;    ultrasonic manipulation;    polymeric resonators;    acoustic tweezers;    particle enrichment;    particle separation;    structure-fluid interactions;    microfluidics;   

DOI  :  10.3390/mi6050574

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The choice of substrate material in a chip that combines ultrasound with microfluidics for handling biological and synthetic microparticles can have a profound effect on the performance of the device. This is due to the high surface-to-volume ratio that exists within such small structures and acquires particular relevance in polymer-based resonators with 3D standing waves. This paper presents three chips developed to perform particle flow-through separation by ultrasound based on a polymeric SU-8 layer containing channelization over three different substrates: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA); Pyrex; and a cracked PMMA composite-like structure. Through direct observations of polystyrene microbeads inside the channel, the three checked chips exhibit their potential as disposable continuous concentration devices with different spatial pressure patterns at frequencies of resonance close to 1 Mhz. Chips with Pyrex and cracked PMMA substrates show restrictions on the number of pressure nodes established in the channel associated with the inhibition of 3D modes in the solid structure. The glass-substrate chip presents some advantages associated with lower energy requirements to collect particles. According to the results, the use of polymer-based chips with rigid substrates can be advantageous for applications that require short treatment times (clinical tests handling human samples) and low-cost fabrication.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.