Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT), KIT, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
Lab Chip. 2013 Jun 21;13(12):2337-43. doi: 10.1039/c3lc00042g. Epub 2013 May 3.
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.
我们描述了一种通用的微流控接口设计，允许将微流控芯片连接到现有的工业液体处理站（LHS）。我们设计了一种模具工具，允许制造低成本的一次性聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）芯片，其接口提供了微流控芯片与工业 LHS 的方便且可重复的连接。该概念允许微流控芯片本身具有完全自由的设计空间。在这种设置中，微流控实验通常所需的所有外围流体组件（如阀门和泵）都由 LHS 提供。实验（包括读数）可以使用 LHS 制造商提供的硬件和软件完全自动化地进行。我们的方法使用与广泛使用和工业上已建立的 LHS 兼容的芯片接口，这是朝着微流控中接近工业实验设计的重要进展，并且将极大地促进微流控技术在工业中的接受和转化。
