Rapid prototyping of active microfluidic components based on magnetically modified elastomeric materials

Replica molding of elastomeric materials has proven to be an extremely useful new technology for the formation of complex microfluidic systems. Recent demonstrations of convenient methods for production of such systems by simple, rapid methods that do not require expensive fabrication facilities have enabled the extensive use of microsystems in research and development into a host of new application fields. This report describes a simple new method for fabricating active elastomeric components in microfluidic systems that is based on deformation of elastic materials that have been impregnated or coated with magnetic materials. Computer controlled miniature electromagnets are used to activate switching valves within microfluidics systems. Similar fabrication techniques can be easily extended to construct complex, and potentially completely integrated, microfluidic systems containing active valves, pumps, injectors, mixers, and flow controllers. Preliminary results indicate fabrication of channels approxima...

[1]  Heinz Schmid,et al.  Printing Patterns of Proteins , 1998 .

[2]  P. Yager,et al.  Microfluidic Diffusion-Based Separation and Detection , 1999, Science.

[3]  S. Quake,et al.  A microfabricated fluorescence-activated cell sorter , 1999, Nature Biotechnology.

[4]  Chih-Ming Ho,et al.  A MEMS thermopneumatic silicone rubber membrane valve , 1998 .

[5]  T. Fujii,et al.  Handling of Picoliter Liquid Samples in a Poly(dimethylsiloxane)-Based Microfluidic Device , 1999 .

[6]  S. Quake,et al.  Monolithic microfabricated valves and pumps by multilayer soft lithography. , 2000, Science.

[7]  C Gärtner,et al.  Polymer microfabrication methods for microfluidic analytical applications , 2000, Electrophoresis.

[8]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Patterning proteins and cells using soft lithography. , 1999, Biomaterials.

[9]  A Manz,et al.  Chemical amplification: continuous-flow PCR on a chip. , 1998, Science.

[10]  S. Jacobson,et al.  Microfluidic devices for electrokinetically driven parallel and serial mixing , 1999 .

[11]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Microfabrication inside capillaries using multiphase laminar flow patterning , 1999, Science.

[12]  D. J. Harrison,et al.  Clinical potential of microchip capillary electrophoresis systems , 1997, Electrophoresis.

[13]  G M Whitesides,et al.  Patterning cells and their environments using multiple laminar fluid flows in capillary networks. , 1999, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[14]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Rapid prototyping of microfluidic switches in poly(dimethyl siloxane) and their actuation by electro-osmotic flow , 1999 .

[15]  A M Young,et al.  Contoured elastic-membrane microvalves for microfluidic network integration. , 1999, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[16]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Rapid Prototyping of Microfluidic Systems in Poly(dimethylsiloxane). , 1998, Analytical chemistry.

[17]  Shuichi Shoji,et al.  Fluids for Sensor Systems , 1998 .

[18]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Using patterns in microfiche as photomasks in 10-mu m-scale microfabrication , 1999 .

[19]  E. Delamarche,et al.  Patterned delivery of immunoglobulins to surfaces using microfluidic networks. , 1997, Science.

[20]  Paul Yager,et al.  Whole Blood Diagnostics in Standard Gravity and Microgravity by Use of Microfluidic Structures (T-Sensors) , 1999 .