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Dry Film Photoresist-based Electrochemical Microfluidic Biosensor Platform: Device Fabrication, On-chip Assay Preparation, and System Operation
Published on: September 19, 2017
Multichannel microchip electrophoresis device fabricated in polycarbonate with an integrated contact conductivity
Hamed Shadpour1, Mateusz L Hupert, Donald Patterson
1Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA.
Analytical Chemistry
|February 1, 2007
Summary
This study introduces a novel 16-channel microfluidic electrophoresis chip with integrated conductivity sensors for rapid analysis of biomolecules. The device achieves fast separations and high efficiency, marking a significant advancement in microchip analysis.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Microfluidics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Microfluidic devices offer miniaturized platforms for complex separations.
- Integrated sensing capabilities are crucial for enhancing the functionality of microfluidic systems.
- Existing microchip electrophoresis systems often lack integrated, high-performance conductivity detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a novel 16-channel microfluidic electrophoresis chip.
- To integrate a contact conductivity sensor array for real-time detection.
- To evaluate the device's performance for analyzing various biomolecules.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a 16-channel polycarbonate microfluidic chip using hot-embossing.
- Lithographic patterning of a gold (Au) microelectrode conductivity sensor array.
- Assembly via thermal bonding, integrating sensors into each channel.
- Performance evaluation using microchip capillary zone electrophoresis (mu-CZE) and microchip capillary electrochromatography (mu-CEC).
Main Results:
- Achieved separations in under 4 minutes for amino acids, peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides.
- Demonstrated a concentration limit of detection of 7.1 microM for alanine.
- Reported high separation efficiencies and resolutions for various analytes.
- Exhibited excellent channel-to-channel migration time reproducibility (2.8%).
Conclusions:
- The developed 16-channel microfluidic chip with integrated conductivity sensors represents a significant advancement.
- The device enables rapid and efficient separation and detection of diverse biomolecules.
- This work is the first to report a multichannel microchip electrophoresis device with an integrated contact conductivity sensor array.

