Zhang Yuxin, Cole Tim, Yun Guolin, Li Yuxing, Zhao Qianbin, Lu Hongda, Zheng Jiahao, Li Weihua, Tang Shi-Yang
Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Micromachines (Basel). 2021 May 23;12(6):604. doi: 10.3390/mi12060604.
Portability and low-cost analytic ability are desirable for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics; however, current POC testing platforms often require time-consuming multiple microfabrication steps and rely on bulky and costly equipment. This hinders the capability of microfluidics to prove its power outside of laboratories and narrows the range of applications. This paper details a self-contained microfluidic device, which does not require any external connection or tubing to deliver insert-and-use image-based analysis. Without any microfabrication, magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) microactuators including pumps, mixers and valves are integrated into one modular microfluidic chip based on novel manipulation principles. By inserting the chip into the driving and controlling platform, the system demonstrates sample preparation and sequential pumping processes. Furthermore, due to the straightforward fabrication process, chips can be rapidly reconfigured at a low cost, which validates the robustness and versatility of an MRE-enabled microfluidic platform as an option for developing an integrated lab-on-a-chip system.
即时检测（POC）诊断需要具备便携性和低成本分析能力；然而，当前的即时检测平台通常需要耗时的多个微制造步骤，并且依赖于笨重且昂贵的设备。这阻碍了微流控技术在实验室之外发挥其优势的能力，并缩小了应用范围。本文详细介绍了一种独立的微流控装置，该装置无需任何外部连接或管道即可实现基于图像的即插即用式分析。无需任何微制造工艺，基于新型操纵原理，将包括泵、混合器和阀门在内的磁流变弹性体（MRE）微致动器集成到一个模块化微流控芯片中。通过将芯片插入驱动和控制平台，该系统展示了样品制备和顺序泵送过程。此外，由于制造过程简单，芯片可以低成本快速重新配置，这验证了基于MRE的微流控平台作为开发集成芯片实验室系统的一种选择的稳健性和通用性。
