micrIO: An Open-Source Autosampler and Fraction Collector for Automated Microfluidic Input-Output

Abstract

Microfluidic devices are an empowering technology for many labs, enabling a wide range of applications spanning highthroughput encapsulation, molecular separations, and long-term cell culture. In many cases, however, their utility is limited by a 'world-to-chip' barrier that makes it difficult to serially interface samples with these devices. As a result, many researchers are forced to rely on low-throughput, manual approaches for managing device input and output (IO) of samples, reagents, and effluent. Here, we present a hardware-software platform for automated microfluidic IO (micrIO). The platform, which is uniquely compatible with positive-pressure microfluidics, comprises an 'AutoSipper' for input and a Fraction Collector for output. To facilitate wide-spread adoption, both are open-source builds constructed from components that are readily purchased online or fabricated from included design files. The software control library, written in Python, allows the platform to be integrated with existing experimental setups and to coordinate IO with other functions such as valve actuation and assay imaging. We demonstrate these capabilities by coupling both the AutoSipper and Fraction Collector to a microfluidic device that produces beads with distinct spectral codes, and an analysis of the collected bead fractions establishes the ability of the platform to draw from and output to specific wells of multiwell plates with no detectable cross-contamination between samples. † Electronic Supplementary Information (ESI) available: [GitHub repository: https://github.com/FordyceLab/micrio ]. See

Open-source autosampler for elemental and isotopic analyses of solids

“…Autosamplers are a standard part of most elemental analyzers, and some accessories for these autosamplers have been developed by scientists, either to deal with special analytical needs [9] , or to make operation easier [10] . Autosamplers themselves are also among the most accessible scientific devices in terms of fabrication by non-specialized engineers, with several examples available in the literature [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] . While in some cases these autosamplers have been integrated to other in-house made components [17] , [16] , [13] , [18] , [19] , the integration of in-house made autosamplers to commercial, off-the-shelf equipment like elemental analyzers has been a difficult challenge for several decades [21] , [22] , [23] , only recently facilitated by the adoption of AutoIt for laboratory automation.…”

Low-cost, scalable, and automated fluid sampling for fluidics applications

“…To reduce cost and facilitate custom applications, a number of open-source fraction collectors have been developed, e.g. (Caputo et al, 2020;Longwell and Fordyce, 2020) . These devices, while less expensive, continue to rely on complex engineering designs and parts that may be difficult to source and manufacture, thus driving costs higher, lengthening the assembly process, and complicating operation.…”

“…The colosseum fraction collector can be assembled in less than an hour and costs $67.02. Unlike the micrIO (Longwell and Fordyce, 2020) , which is built from parts of a salvaged Illumina Genome Analyzer that costs $1500, the colosseum fraction collector uses off-the-shelf and 3D-printed parts (Supplementary Table 2). The LEGO MINDSTORM fraction collector (Caputo et al, 2020) costs $500, and while it uses more commonly available components, it still requires cutting and bending of steel C-channel.…”