Versatile lock and key assembly for optical measurements with microfluidic platforms and cartridges

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Analytical Chemistry
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Microfluidic platforms are increasingly used for various analytical applications.
• Accurate optical detection is crucial for reliable microfluidic measurements.
• Existing optical readers may lack versatility and reproducibility for diverse microfluidic designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel and versatile optical reader for microfluidic platforms.
• To demonstrate reproducible alignment using a modular lock-and-key insertion port.
• To showcase the reader's flexibility across different microfluidic shapes and analytical methods.

Main Methods:

• Development of a modular insertion port employing a lock-and-key mechanism.
• Integration of a miniaturized optical detection system with interchangeable light emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodiodes.
• Validation using three analytical methodologies: absorbance and fluorescence measurements.

Main Results:

• The modular reader achieved reproducible alignment of microfluidic platforms.
• The system demonstrated flexibility in accommodating various microfluidic shapes and configurations.
• Successful application of absorbance and fluorescence-based analytical techniques was confirmed.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical reader is a versatile and reproducible tool for microfluidic analysis.
• The modular design enhances compatibility with diverse microfluidic platforms.
• This setup facilitates reliable optical measurements in microfluidic systems.