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A Silicon-tipped Fiber-optic Sensing Platform with High Resolution and Fast Response
Published on: January 7, 2019
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Glass 3D printing of microfluidic pressure sensor interrogated by fiber-optic refractometry
Qi Zhang1, Jincheng Lei1, Yizheng Chen1
1Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clemson University Center for Intelligent Systems for Extreme Environments (CU-ISEE), Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA.
IEEE Photonics Technology Letters : a Publication of the IEEE Laser and Electro-Optics Society
|July 3, 2020
Summary
A novel fused silica microfluidic device uses integrated additive and subtractive manufacturing for pressure sensing. This 3D-printed device offers flexible design, stability, and adjustable sensitivity for chemical and biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Microfluidics
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Microfluidic devices are crucial for various sensing applications.
- Existing pressure sensors often lack design flexibility and integrated manufacturing capabilities.
- Fused silica offers excellent chemical and mechanical stability for device fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a novel fused silica microfluidic device with pressure sensing capability.
- To demonstrate the fabrication of this device using integrated additive and subtractive manufacturing (IASM).
- To highlight the device's potential for chemical and biomedical sensing.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a fused silica microfluidic device using IASM.
- Integration of a capillary and a 3D printed glass reservoir for pressure transduction.
- Sealing the reservoir using a 3D printing assisted glass bonding process.
- Interrogation of liquid level using a fiber-optic sensor based on multimode interference (MMI).
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of a microfluidic device with integrated pressure sensing.
- Demonstration of pressure-to-liquid level conversion via reservoir volume change.
- Achieved liquid-in-glass thermometer configuration with a sealed reservoir.
- Utilized MMI-based fiber-optic sensing for liquid level detection.
Conclusions:
- The novel IASM method enables flexible design and fabrication of microfluidic pressure sensors.
- The device exhibits good chemical and mechanical stability.
- The sensor offers adjustable sensitivity and range, making it suitable for diverse sensing tasks.
- This technology presents an attractive platform for advanced chemical and biomedical sensing.
