Compact photometric detector integrated with separation microchip for potential portable liquid chromatography...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Microfluidics
• Instrument Development

Background:

• Miniaturization of analytical instruments is crucial for portable and rapid analysis.
• Integration of functional modules is key to developing miniaturized analytical equipment.
• Existing liquid chromatography (LC) systems often lack portability for widespread use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a miniaturized photometric detector and a separation microfluidic chip for an LC system.
• To enable tubing-free integration between separation and detection units.
• To create a foundation for a portable LC system for community health.

Main Methods:

• Designed and fabricated a miniaturized photometric detector utilizing an LED and a double lens.
• Developed a Z-shaped flow cell microfluidic chip with a long optical path for enhanced detection.
• Integrated cation exchange resin and C18 particles into the microchip for different separation modes.

Main Results:

• The photometric detector demonstrated excellent linearity (upper limit 0.345 AU) and low stray light (0.08%).
• Constructed ion LC and reversed-phase LC systems using the developed detector and microchips.
• Successfully separated and detected metabolic markers, including glycated hemoglobin and bilirubin.

Conclusions:

• The developed miniaturized photometric detector and microfluidic chip are effective for LC applications.
• This technology facilitates the development of portable LC systems for point-of-care testing.
• Potential applications include community health services and chronic disease management.