A self-contained fully-enclosed microfluidic cartridge for lab on a chip

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Lab-on-a-chip devices offer potential for point-of-care diagnostics.
• Current devices often require skilled personnel and complex handling, limiting field applications.
• Need for robust, user-friendly platforms for sample preparation in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-contained, fully-enclosed cartridge for simplified lab-on-a-chip applications.
• To enable safe and reliable field use by unskilled staff.
• To demonstrate the cartridge's utility for automated nucleic acid extraction.

Main Methods:

• Designed a valveless cartridge using liquid plugs isolated by air spacers.
• Integrated a microfluidic chip, a novel magnetically-actuated peristaltic pump fabricated via soft-lithography, and removable tubing.
• Utilized a battery-operated portable system for demonstration.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated automated extraction and purification of nucleic acids (DNA) from cell lysate.
• The novel peristaltic pump effectively displaced liquid plugs within the fluidic loop.
• The self-contained and enclosed design ensured safe operation.

Conclusions:

• The developed cartridge offers a simplified and safe approach for lab-on-a-chip applications, including nucleic acid extraction.
• The valveless design and novel pump contribute to ease of use and robustness.
• The platform is extendable for sample-in-answer-out diagnostic tests, enhancing field applicability.