Digital Microfluidics for Manipulation and Analysis of a Single Cell

The basic structural and functional unit of a living organism is a single cell. To understand the variability and to improve the biomedical requirement of a single cell, its analysis has become a key technique in biological and biomedical research. With a physical boundary of microchannels and microstructures, single cells are efficiently captured and analyzed, whereas electric forces sort and position single cells. Various microfluidic techniques have been exploited to manipulate single cells through hydrodynamic and electric forces. Digital microfluidics (DMF), the manipulation of individual droplets holding minute reagents and cells of interest by electric forces, has received more attention recently. Because of ease of fabrication, compactness and prospective automation, DMF has become a powerful approach for biological application. We review recent developments of various microfluidic chips for analysis of a single cell and for efficient genetic screening. In addition, perspectives to develop analysis of single cells based on DMF and emerging functionality with high throughput are discussed.     

一种PDMS薄膜型微阀的制备与性能分析

通过厚胶光刻工艺在硅片上制备SU-8胶模板，利用该模板制备了高分子聚合物PDMS(Polvdimethvlsiloxane，聚二甲基硅氧烷)微流道和薄膜结构。通过对不同结构的两层PDMS的不可逆粘接得到一种简单的阀结构，在外加气源压力作用下薄膜产生变形实现对微流道的控制。实验测量了微阀的控制气源压力与被控制液体流量之间的关系，说明膜阀的开闭性能良好。根据弹性薄膜的变形理论，对影响微阀性能的参数进行了分析，并提出了几种可行的用于薄膜微阀控制的方法。     

微流控分析芯片制作中的低温键合技术

微流控分析芯片制作方法的研究是微流控分析的基础。制作性能良好的微流控分析芯片时,基片与盖片的键合技术十分重要。本文针对近年来发展迅速的低温键合技术,对各种方法进行了评价,并对其发展前景进行了展望。     

一种新的纸基微流开关及其活跃方法

提出了一种新的、基于声表面波的纸基微流开关。通过软光刻技术制作内含两个微孔的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)微架,其上固定经折叠、长度可变的纸通道。PDMS微架贴附于压电基片之上,并在待连接的两微通道之下方,折叠纸通道最低端离压电基片间距为2 mm。压电基片上采用微电子工艺光刻一对叉指换能器和反射栅。当足够强度的电信号加到叉指换能器对时,激发两相向声表面波,使得压电基片上微流体输运到折叠纸通道,改变其长度,连接其上待连通的两纸基微通道,完成开关功能。对可编程微流器件提供了一种新的编程和开关控制方法。     

声表面波辅助实现纸基微流分析

纸基微流器件往往难以实现样品前处理操作.提出了一种简单的纸基微通道制作方法及兼具有前处理操作功能的纸基微流分析方法.采用Protel设计微通道图案,采用印刷电路技术制作铜模板,并涂覆石蜡、覆盖滤纸,而后用电烙铁加热铜模板另一侧,熔融石蜡渗透入滤纸形成纸基微通道.制作的纸基器件放置于128°YX-LiNbO3压电基片上,...     

用于高分辨率成像的肺器官芯片构建及肺炎模型应用研究

肺是人体呼吸系统的重要组成部分,气道上皮是肺与外界接触的第一道屏障,参与抵御外来的颗粒物、病原体等,可将异物以痰的形式排出体外,对维护呼吸道正常功能起到至关重要的作用。 常用的体外细胞培养模型和哺乳动物模型尚不能完全模拟人体肺-气道微环境,在人体细胞与病原体相互作用研究和药物研发应用方面具有一定的局限性。该研究设计制作了一种基于微流控技术的双通道肺器官芯片,通过改进制备工艺使其能够满足高倍镜极短工作距离的要求,用于高分辨率成像;实现了模拟人体肺-气道微环境的气液界面气道上皮培养,并且能够实时观察细胞与细菌的共培养过程,为体外研究气道上皮和病原微生物的相互作用提供一个有力平台。     

A review on microwell and microfluidic geometric array fabrication techniques and its potential applications in cellular studies

The ability to trap precise quantities of cells or particles into confined areas has numerous applications for biological purposes. In particular, single cell trapping has received considerable attention because it permits the study of heterogeneity in a population, while trapping larger groups of cells have been used to form aggregates. Among several methods, the use of microwell offers a simple platform to capture cells or particles using hydrodynamic forces. This review examines the use of microwells in both static and microfluidic environments, and the application of microfluidic geometric arrays for trapping. This paper discusses the design and fabrication methods of microwells and compares the trapping and release techniques used in both static and microfluidics‐integrated microwells. Finally, we will summarize novel microfluidic geometric arrays used to capture cells or particles through hydrodynamic trapping.     

A Droplet‐Based High‐Throughput SERS Platform on a Droplet‐Guiding‐Track‐Engraved Superhydrophobic Substrate

A novel droplet‐based surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor for high‐throughput real‐time SERS monitoring is presented. The developed sensors are based on a droplet‐guiding‐track‐engraved superhydrophobic substrate covered with hierarchical SERS‐active Ag dendrites. The droplet‐guiding track with a droplet stopper is designed to manipulate the movement of a droplet on the superhydrophobic substrate. The superhydrophobic Ag dendritic substrates are fabricated through a galvanic displacement reaction and subsequent self‐assembled monolayer coating. The optimal galvanic reaction time to fabricate a SERS‐active Ag dendritic substrate for effective SERS detection is determined, with the optimized substrate exhibiting an enhancement factor of 6.3 × 10⁵. The height of the droplet stopper is optimized to control droplet motion, including moving and stopping. Based on the manipulation of individual droplets, the optimized droplet‐based real‐time SERS sensor shows high resistance to surface contaminants, and droplets containing rhodamine 6G, Nile blue A, and malachite green are successively controlled and detected without spectral interference. This noble droplet‐based SERS sensor reduces sample preparation time to a few seconds and increased detection rate to 0.5 µ L s^?1 through the simple operation mechanism of the sensor. Accordingly, our sensor enables high‐throughput real‐time molecular detection of various target analytes for real‐time chemical and biological monitoring.