Microfluidics on liquid handling stations (μF-on-LHS): an industry compatible chip interface between microfluidics and automated liquid handling stations

We describe a generic microfluidic interface design that allows the connection of microfluidic chips to established industrial liquid handling stations (LHS). A molding tool has been designed that allows fabrication of low-cost disposable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips with interfaces that provid...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Lab on a chip 2013-06, Vol.13 (12), p.2337-2343
Main Authors: Waldbaur, Ansgar, Kittelmann, Jörg, Radtke, Carsten P, Hubbuch, Jürgen, Rapp, Bastian E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automation
Chip formation
Chips
Chips (electronics)
Handling
Liquids
Microfluidics
Stations
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We describe a generic microfluidic interface design that allows the connection of microfluidic chips to established industrial liquid handling stations (LHS). A molding tool has been designed that allows fabrication of low-cost disposable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips with interfaces that provide convenient and reversible connection of the microfluidic chip to industrial LHS. The concept allows complete freedom of design for the microfluidic chip itself. In this setup all peripheral fluidic components (such as valves and pumps) usually required for microfluidic experiments are provided by the LHS. Experiments (including readout) can be carried out fully automated using the hardware and software provided by LHS manufacturer. Our approach uses a chip interface that is compatible with widely used and industrially established LHS which is a significant advancement towards near-industrial experimental design in microfluidics and will greatly facilitate the acceptance and translation of microfluidics technology in industry.
ISSN:1473-0197
1473-0189
DOI:10.1039/c3lc00042g