Modular transmission line probes for microfluidic nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging

Microfluidic NMR spectroscopy can probe chemical and bio-chemical processes non-invasively in a tightly controlled environment. We present a dual-channel modular probe assembly for high efficiency microfluidic NMR spectroscopy and imaging. It is compatible with a wide range of microfluidic devices, without constraining the fluidic design. It collects NMR signals from a designated sample volume on the device with high sensitivity and resolution. Modular design allows adapting the detector geometry to different experimental conditions with minimal cost, by using the same probe base. The complete probe can be built from easily available parts. The probe body mainly consists of prefabricated aluminium profiles, while the probe circuit and detector are made from printed circuit boards. We demonstrate a double resonance HX probe with a limit of detection of 1.4 nmol s^-1/2 for protons at 600 MHz, resolution of 3.35 Hz, and excellent B₁ homogeneity. We have successfully acquired ¹H-¹³C and ¹H-¹⁵N heteronuclear correlation spectra (HSQC), including a ¹H-¹⁵N HSQC spectrum of 1 mM ¹⁵N labeled ubiquitin in 2.5 μl of sample volume.