IEEE Trans Biomed Circuits Syst. 2017 Dec;11(6):1380-1391. doi: 10.1109/TBCAS.2017.2742548. Epub 2017 Sep 29.

Droplet Size-Aware and Error-Correcting Sample Preparation Using Micro-Electrode-Dot-Array Digital Microfluidic Biochips.

IEEE transactions on biomedical circuits and systems

Zipeng Li, Kelvin Yi-Tse Lai, Krishnendu Chakrabarty, Tsung-Yi Ho, Chen-Yi Lee

PMID: 28976321 DOI: 10.1109/TBCAS.2017.2742548

Abstract

Sample preparation in digital microfluidics refers to the generation of droplets with target concentrations for on-chip biochemical applications. In recent years, digital microfluidic biochips (DMFBs) have been adopted as a platform for sample preparation. However, there remain two major problems associated with sample preparation on a conventional DMFB. First, only a (1:1) mixing/splitting model can be used, leading to an increase in the number of fluidic operations required for sample preparation. Second, only a limited number of sensors can be integrated on a conventional DMFB; as a result, the latency for error detection during sample preparation is significant. To overcome these drawbacks, we adopt a next generation DMFB platform, referred to as micro-electrode-dot-array (MEDA), for sample preparation. We propose the first sample-preparation method that exploits the MEDA-specific advantages of fine-grained control of droplet sizes and real-time droplet sensing. Experimental demonstration using a fabricated MEDA biochip and simulation results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed sample-preparation method.

MeSH terms

• Electrodes
• Microarray Analysis / methods
• Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
• Microfluidics / methods

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't