Lab-on-Chip for Testing Myelotoxic Effect of Drugs and Chemicals

This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.In the last twenty years, one of the main goals in the drug discovery field has been the development of reliable in vitro models. In particular, in 2006 the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) has approved the Colony forming Unit-Granulocytes-Macrophages (CFU-GM) test, which is the first and currently unique test applied to evaluate the myelotoxicity of xenobiotics in vitro. The present work aimed at miniaturizing this in vitro assay by developing and validating a Lab-on-Chip (LoC) platform consisting of a high number of bioreactor chambers with screening capabilities in a high-throughput regime

Evolvable Smartphone-Based Platforms for Point-Of-Care In-Vitro Diagnostics Applications

The association of smart mobile devices and lab-on-chip technologies offers unprecedented opportunities for the emergence of direct-to-consumer in vitro medical diagnostics applications. Despite their clear transformative potential, obstacles remain to the large-scale disruption and long-lasting success of these systems in the consumer market. For instance, the increasing level of complexity of instrumented lab-on-chip devices, coupled to the sporadic nature of point-of-care testing, threatens the viability of a business model mainly relying on disposable/consumable lab-on-chips. We argued recently that system evolvability, defined as the design characteristic that facilitates more manageable transitions between system generations via the modification of an inherited design, can help remedy these limitations. In this paper, we discuss how platform-based design can constitute a formal entry point to the design and implementation of evolvable smart device/lab-on-chip systems. We present both a hardware/software design framework and the implementation details of a platform prototype enabling at this stage the interfacing of several lab-on-chip variants relying on current- or impedance-based biosensors. Our findings suggest that several change-enabling mechanisms implemented in the higher abstraction software layers of the system can promote evolvability, together with the design of change-absorbing hardware/software interfaces. Our platform architecture is based on a mobile software application programming interface coupled to a modular hardware accessory. It allows the specification of lab-on-chip operation and post-analytic functions at the mobile software layer. We demonstrate its potential by operating a simple lab-on-chip to carry out the detection of dopamine using various electroanalytical methods

An all-glass microfluidic network with integrated amorphous silicon photosensors for on-chip monitoring of enzymatic biochemical assay

A lab-on-chip system, integrating an all-glass microfluidics and on-chip optical detection, was developed and tested. The microfluidic network is etched in a glass substrate, which is then sealed with a glass cover by direct bonding. Thin film amorphous silicon photosensors have been fabricated on the sealed microfluidic substrate preventing the contamination of the micro-channels. The microfluidic network is then made accessible by opening inlets and outlets just prior to the use, ensuring the sterility of the device. The entire fabrication process relies on conventional photolithographic microfabrication techniques and is suitable for low-cost mass production of the device. The lab-on-chip system has been tested by implementing a chemiluminescent biochemical reaction. The inner channel walls of the microfluidic network are chemically functionalized with a layer of polymer brushes and horseradish peroxidase is immobilized into the coated channel. The results demonstrate the successful on-chip detection of hydrogen peroxide down to 18 mu M by using luminol and 4-iodophenol as enhancer agent

A new lab-on-chip transmitter for the detection of proteins using RNA aptamers

A new RNA aptamer based affinity biosensor for CReactive Protein (CRP), a risk marker for cardiovascular disease was developed using interdigitated capacitor (IDC), integrated in Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) and output signal is amplified using Single Stage Power Amplifier (PA) for transmitting signal to receiver at Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. The Lab-on-Chip transmitter design includes IDC, VCO and PA. The design was implemented in IHP 0.25μm SiGe BiCMOS process; post-CMOS process was utilized to increase the sensitivity of biosensor. The CRP was incubated between or on interdigitated electrodes and the changes in capacitance of IDC occurred. In blank measurements, the oscillation frequency was 2.464GHz whereas after RNA aptamers were immobilized on open aluminum areas of IDC and followed by binding reaction processed with 500pg/ml CRP solution, the capacitance shifted to 2.428GHz. Phase noise is changed from -114.3dBc/Hz to -116.5dBc/Hz

Evanescent Waveguide Sensor for On-Chip Biomolecular Detection

This work presents analysis and development of an evanescent waveguide sensor system, which integrates an amorphous silicon photodiode and a glass-diffused waveguide. Design of the system includes a study of thickness and refractive index of the transparent electrode of the diode, which are crucial parameters for the optimization of the optical coupling between the waveguide and the photodetector. Preliminary electro-optical measurements on the fabricated device show excellent system performances, and suggest its use for on-chip detection in lab-on-chip applications

Towards photonic biosensing using a three-port mach-zehnder interferometer in a silicon nitride platform

Integrated photonics enables sensitive and label-free optical biosensors for the detection of chemical and biological substances and is therefore promising for future lab-on-chip solutions. In this article we present our current development of silicon nitride based integrated photonic biosensing devices working at telecom wavelengths. Our approach of three-port based interferometric sensing circumvents the issues of conventional Mach-Zehnder interferometers, providing a constant sensitivity, and allowing to use a fixed wavelength sensing scheme. Preliminary experimental results show that the fabricated devices work as expected from simulations.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Ultrafast laser inscription: perspectives on future integrated applications

This paper reviews the recent advancements achieved using ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) that highlight the cross-disciplinary potential of the technology. An overview of waveguide fabrication is provided and the three distinct types of waveguide cross-section architectures that have so far been fabricated in transparent dielectric materials are discussed. The paper focuses on two key emergent technologies driven by ULI processes. First, the recently developed photonic devices, such as compact mode-locked waveguide sources and novel mid-infrared waveguide lasers are discussed. Secondly, the phenomenon and applications of selective etching in developing ultrafast laser inscribed structures for compact lab-on-chip devices are elaborated. The review further discusses the conceivable future of ULI in impacting the aforementioned fields.</p