A fluidic interconnection system for polymer-based microfluidic devices

Abstract

A microfabricated fluidic interconnection system for polymer-based microfluidic nebulizer chips is presented and discussed. The new interconnection mechanism can be used to make fluidic connection between external capillary and the polymer microfluidic chip. The connector mechanism was fabricated using a combination of mechanical milling and laser micromachining. Preliminary leakage tests were performed to demonstrate that the interconnection system is leak-free and pressure tests were performed to evaluate the burst pressure (maximum working pressure). The interconnection system has several advantages over commercially available Nanoport TM interconnection system. The new fluidic interconnection system implemented onto a microfluidic nebulizer chip was successfully tested for desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry applications. The performance of the chip using the new connector mechanism was excellent demonstrating the usability of the new connector mechanism.

Advances in Microfluidic Materials, Functions, Integration, and Applications

“…279 Multiple interconnects were embedded in a microfluidic device in an in-plane manner that avoided the need for adhesives. 281 Sen et al 278 fabricated an interconnection system between a COC chip and a capillary to transfer analyte from the chip to a desorption ESI-MS system.…”

“…are key to integrated microfluidic systems. Remaining challenges in creating fully integrated microdevices are the complexity of combining several different components in a single platform and interfacing with the macroscopic world . Here, we discuss recent successes in integrating various components.…”

“…A key challenge in integrated microfluidic systems is in making robust connections to the macroscale environment . Fluidic interconnects link microfluidics on a chip to an external fluid source, ideally in a simple and minimal dead volume format .…”

Analytical modeling, simulations and experimental studies of a PZT actuated planar valveless PDMS micropump

“…In the past few years, there has been a growing interest for the development of microfluidic systems for various applications [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] including biological and chemical analysis, lab on chip diagnostics and drug delivery. Micropump is a pivotal component in such microfluidic systems as it is essential for microliquid handling and thus micropump has become an important research area [3].…”

Connector-Free World-to-Chip Interconnection for Microfluidic Devices

“…The commercial Nanoport TM connector is required to be bonded on a microfluidic substrate and it occupies an area of at least 55.4 mm 2 . Large connectors are correlated with large dead volumes, even though the connection can withstand high pressure [14,15]. The use of glue or chemical to bond connectors is another disadvantage for chemical/biological analysis applications in terms of a potential chemical contamination.…”