Microfluidic Adapter Converting a 96-Well Cartridge into an Autonomous Microfluidic Device.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) often require large sample volumes and long assay times.
• Existing lab-on-a-chip platforms may face challenges with cross-contamination and high-throughput multiplexing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, integrated immunosensing platform for high-throughput multiplexed immunoassays.
• To improve assay efficiency by reducing sample volume and assay time compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Integration of polydimethylsiloxane (PDX) pillars and a thermoplastic chip into a 96-well cartridge format.
• Utilized microvalves for sequential activation and isolation of eight reaction chambers to prevent cross-contamination.
• Optimized assay parameters for a sample volume of 10 μL and assay times of 10-15 minutes per step.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated effective multiplexed immunoassay capabilities with minimal cross-contamination.
• Achieved a low detection limit of 9.75 pg/mL for cardiac troponin I (cTnI).
• Significantly reduced assay time and sample volume compared to conventional 96-well plate ELISA.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid immunosensing platform offers a cost-effective solution for high-throughput lab-on-a-chip immunoassays.
• The platform's design facilitates precise control over multiple reaction chambers, enhancing assay reliability.
• This technology shows broad applicability for detecting various analytes in a multiplexed format.