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Optimising the supercritical angle fluorescence structures in polymer microfluidic biochips for highly sensitive
Trieu Nguyen1, Tien Anh Ngo2, Dang Duong Bang2
1Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. awol@dtu.dk.
Lab on a Chip
|October 19, 2019
Summary
This study optimizes supercritical angle fluorescence (SAF) structures in polymer microfluidic chips for pathogen detection. Optimized 163 μm SAF structures achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) for fluorescence and sensitive on-chip pathogen detection.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Microfluidics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Supercritical angle fluorescence (SAF) offers enhanced sensitivity for molecular detection.
- Polymer microfluidic chips are suitable platforms for integrated analytical systems.
- Optimizing SAF structure geometry is crucial for maximizing fluorescence collection efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform in-depth theoretical analysis and experimental validation of SAF structure optimization in polymer microfluidic chips.
- To investigate the relationship between SAF structure height and fluorescence intensity for pathogen detection.
- To determine the optimized limit of detection (LOD) for fluorescence-based assays.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polymer microfluidic chips using micro-milling and polymer injection-molding.
- Theoretical modeling and experimental characterization of SAF structures with varying heights (0-300 μm).
- Measurement of fluorescence intensity and determination of LOD using specific fluorophores.
- On-chip solid-phase polymerase chain reaction (SP-PCR) for pathogen detection.
Main Results:
- Optimized SAF structures with a 163 μm height yielded the highest fluorescence intensity for air-COC interfaces.
- Experimental results showed excellent agreement with theoretical modeling predictions.
- Achieved a fluorescence LOD of 5.42 × 10^4 molecules.
- Demonstrated sensitive on-chip pathogen detection with 3.37 × 10^2 copies of E. coli genome per μL via SP-PCR.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a comprehensive understanding of SAF structure optimization for enhanced fluorescence detection in microfluidic devices.
- Optimized SAF structures significantly improve sensitivity for pathogen detection, enabling point-of-care applications.
- Findings contribute to the advancement of SAF detection techniques and fluorescence microscopy.
