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Rapid microfluidics prototyping through variotherm desktop injection molding for multiplex diagnostics.

Gianmarco D Suarez1, Steevanson Bayer1, Yuki Yu Kiu Tang2

  • 1Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong. chnagl@ust.hk.

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This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a cost-effective method for prototyping microfluidic devices using desktop injection molding with variotherm technology. This technique enables accurate replication of microfeatures for applications like genetic analysis on centrifugal microfluidic chips.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Biotechnology
  • Microfluidics Engineering

Background:

  • Microfluidic devices offer miniaturized platforms for various applications, but prototyping can be expensive and time-consuming.
  • Traditional injection molding requires specialized equipment, limiting accessibility for researchers.
  • Developing cost-effective and rapid prototyping methods is crucial for advancing microfluidic technology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate an inexpensive method for prototyping microfluidic devices using a desktop injection molding machine.
  • To develop a centrifugal microfluidic device with a novel central filling mechanism to showcase the prototyping technique.
  • To overcome limitations in replicating microfluidic features with desktop machines.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a desktop injection molding machine with variotherm heating and cooling (50 °C to 110 °C within two minutes).
  • Developed a centrifugal microfluidic device with a novel central filling mechanism.
  • Produced polystyrene centrifugal microfluidic chips for fluid aliquoting and integrated optical pH sensors for readouts.
  • Performed allele-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (AS-LAMP) for CYP2C19 genotyping.

Main Results:

  • Achieved good replication of microfeatures with a coefficient of variation of 3.6% for 100 μm wide channels.
  • Produced functional microfluidic chips capable of aliquoting 5.0 μL volumes with 97.5% accuracy.
  • Demonstrated successful genotyping of CYP2C19 alleles using AS-LAMP on the microfluidic chips.
  • Obtained average time-to-results of 38 minutes for AS-LAMP reactions detected via pH sensor fluorescence changes.

Conclusions:

  • Variotherm desktop injection molding provides a cost-effective and iterative approach for microfluidic device prototyping.
  • This method enables researchers to create functional microfluidic chips in-house, reducing costs and accelerating development.
  • The prototyped designs are suitable for direct translation to mass production, enhancing commercialization potential.