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Multifunctional System-on-Glass for Lab-on-Chip applications
G Petrucci1, D Caputo1, N Lovecchio1
1Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, University of Rome "La Sapienza", via Eudossiana 18, Rome, 00184 Italy.
Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|August 28, 2016
Summary
This study introduces a novel System on-Glass integrating thin film technologies for on-chip thermal treatments and biomolecule detection. This multifunctional platform enables efficient DNA amplification using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on a single site.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics and Lab-on-Chip Technology
- Thin Film Technology and Device Integration
- Biomolecular Analysis and Diagnostics
Background:
- Lab-on-Chip devices offer miniaturized biomolecular analysis with reduced time and reagent use.
- Integrating multiple functions onto a single chip presents significant technological challenges.
- Existing platforms often require complex external components for thermal control and detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a multifunctional platform on a single glass substrate for integrated on-chip thermal treatments and biomolecule detection.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating diverse thin film technologies, including heaters, temperature sensors, and photosensors.
- To enable on-chip DNA amplification via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with precise thermal cycling.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a System on-Glass incorporating thin metal film heaters, hydrogenated amorphous silicon diodes (acting as temperature and photosensors), and a ground plane.
- Optimization of technological steps, deposition temperatures, and photolithographic processes for seamless integration.
- Coupling the System on-Glass with a microfluidic network (polydimethylsiloxane) containing microvalves and a PCR chamber.
- Integration with an electronic system for driving heaters and controlling sensors.
Main Results:
- Successful integration of multiple thin film technologies onto a single glass substrate.
- Demonstration of precise on-chip thermal cycling for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
- Verification of successful DNA amplification off-chip using a standard fluorometer.
Conclusions:
- The developed System on-Glass is a multifunctional platform enabling on-chip thermal treatments and biomolecule detection.
- The integration of thin film technologies overcomes previous limitations in Lab-on-Chip device functionality.
- This platform shows significant potential for advancing miniaturized diagnostic and analytical systems, particularly for applications like PCR-based DNA amplification.
