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High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip

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A compact optofluidic cytometer with integrated liquid-core/PDMS-cladding waveguides.

Peng Fei¹, Zitian Chen, Yongfan Men

¹College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.

|June 16, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers created simple, low-loss liquid-core optical waveguides in PDMS microfluidic devices. This innovation enables compact, low-volume flow cytometers for efficient single-cell analysis.

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Multicolor Fluorescence Detection for Droplet Microfluidics Using Optical Fibers

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Area of Science:

Microfluidics
Optical Engineering
Biomedical Devices

Background:

Microfluidic devices are increasingly used for biological analysis.
Integrating optical components into microfluidic systems simplifies device design and reduces cost.
Fabricating efficient optical waveguides within polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chips presents fabrication challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a straightforward method for fabricating liquid-core/PDMS-cladding optical waveguides.
To create optically clear surfaces for efficient light coupling in PDMS-based devices.
To demonstrate the utility of these integrated optical waveguides in a compact flow cytometer for single-cell analysis.

Main Methods:

Pressurized filling of micro-channels with optical fluids to form liquid-core waveguides.
Fabrication of waveguides within the same layer as microfluidic channels.
Development of techniques for creating flat, optically clear surfaces on PDMS for free-space light coupling.

Main Results:

Achieved low transmission loss (< 5 dB cm⁻¹) for the liquid-core optical waveguides.
Successfully integrated waveguides and microfluidic channels on the same device layer, simplifying fabrication.
Demonstrated a compact flow cytometer capable of fluorescence counting of single cells at ~50 cells/s with minimal sample volume.

Conclusions:

The developed method offers a simple and effective way to create integrated liquid-core optical waveguides in PDMS.
The technique for creating optically clear surfaces facilitates efficient light coupling for microsystems.
This approach has significant potential for integration into various PDMS-based microsystems, including advanced microfluidic analytical devices.