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APELLA: Open-Source, miniaturized All-in-One powered Lab-on-a-Disc platform
Laura Serioli1,2, Atsushi Ishimoto1,3, Akinobu Yamaguchi3
1The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation's Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN), Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
We developed an All-in-one powered lab-on-disc platform (APELLA) using a quadcopter system for microfluidic control and visualization. This low-cost, portable device offers efficient mixing and real-time imaging for diverse lab applications.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Lab-on-a-Disc technology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Traditional Lab-on-a-Disc (LoD) systems often require bulky and expensive imaging setups.
- Achieving controlled rotation or shaking for microfluidic applications can be complex and power-intensive.
- There is a need for portable, low-cost, and energy-efficient LoD platforms for field deployment and resource-limited settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce an unconventional, open-source, miniaturized All-in-one powered lab-on-disc platform (APELLA).
- To integrate quadcopter propulsion, wireless power, and high-definition imaging into a single LoD device.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of APELLA for real-time microfluidic visualization and controlled fluid manipulation.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a quadcopter propulsion system for LoD rotation/shaking (0.1–24.5 Hz).
- Incorporation of a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi spy camera for real-time (30 fps, 1280 × 720) microfluidic imaging.
- Utilized an Arduino microcontroller with Bluetooth for closed-loop frequency control and wireless power (9.74 W Qi).
Main Results:
- APELLA demonstrated comparable mixing efficiency to traditional spin stands.
- The platform successfully captured rapid microfluidic events at low rotational frequencies (<5 Hz).
- Achieved a low-cost (approx. 100 Euro), compact, lightweight, and portable system powered by a USB power bank.
Conclusions:
- APELLA offers an innovative, cost-effective solution for advanced microfluidic applications.
- The system's portability, energy efficiency, and real-time imaging capabilities make it suitable for field deployment and educational purposes.
- This open-source platform democratizes access to sophisticated lab-on-disc technology, particularly in resource-limited environments.
