A microfluidic interfacing connection system ($$\upmu $$FICS) combining simplicity, minimalism, robustness, high-pressure, reusability and low cost

A microFluidic interfacing connection system ( $$\upmu $$ FICS, pronounced ‘micro-fix’) is presented as a potential general solution to the problem of interfacing tubings to glass microfluidic devices. $$\upmu $$ FICS provides many benefits while at the same time not requiring chip designers to adhere to predefined chip dimensions or porthole placements. The interfacing technique is simple and minimalist and fluidic connections are quickly and easily made to external components by way of standard PEEK tubings and fittings that are widely available. Here the $$\upmu $$ FICS interface has been used to connect tubings to glass chips, with 145  $$\upmu $$ m base layer thickness, used in optical tweezers experiments. These connections can been pressurized to tens of bar (depending upon channel width) facilitating chip-cleaning and reusability.

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