Paper microfluidics goes digital

Ryan Fobel; Andrea E Kirby; Alphonsus H C Ng; Ramin R Farnood; Aaron R Wheeler

doi:10.1002/adma.201305168

Paper microfluidics goes digital

Adv Mater. 2014 May;26(18):2838-43. doi: 10.1002/adma.201305168. Epub 2014 Jan 23.

Authors

Ryan Fobel¹, Andrea E Kirby, Alphonsus H C Ng, Ramin R Farnood, Aaron R Wheeler

Affiliation

¹ Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada.

PMID: 24458780
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201305168

Abstract

The first example of so-called "digital microfluidics" (DMF) implemented on paper by inkjet printing is reported. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is demonstrated as an example of a complex, multistep protocol that would be difficult to achieve with capillary-driven paper microfluidics. Furthermore, it is shown that paper-based DMF devices have comparable performance to traditional photolithographically patterned DMF devices at a fraction of the cost.

Keywords: diagnostics; digital microfluidics; electrowetting; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); paper.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Computer Peripherals
Disposable Equipment*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / instrumentation*
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
Miniaturization
Paper*
Printing, Three-Dimensional*
Reagent Strips*
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation*

Substances

Reagent Strips