3D printed microfluidic device with integrated optical sensing for particle analysis

Abstract The integration of particle counters within lab-on-chip (LOC) microfluidic devices creates a range of valuable tools for healthcare such as cell counting, and synthesis applications e.g. materials fabrication. Avoidance of long and/or complex fabrication processes can aid the uptake of these devices, specially within resource-poor societies. We present an additively manufactured microfluidic particle counter. The device features a hydrodynamic focusing chamber to stream the particles past embedded optical fibres for their detection. The intensity of occluded light through the fibre was found to be related to the size of the particles, allowing particles of different sizes to be identified. The signal-to-noise ratio and reproducibility of the particle analysis was optimised to three objectives (pulse magnitude, uniformity and periodicity) via the use of a genetic algorithm (GA). Once optimised the device was able to count particles upto 5.5 × 104 particles ml−1, and size particles in a mixture.

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