Micropatterning of planar metal electrodes by vacuum filling microfluidic channel geometries

Abstract

We present a simple, facile method to micropattern planar metal electrodes defined by the geometry of a microfluidic channel network template. By introducing aqueous solutions of metal into reversibly adhered PDMS devices by desiccation instead of flow, we are able to produce difficult to pattern “dead end” or discontinuous features with ease. We characterize electrodes fabricated using this method and perform electrical lysis of mammalian cancer cells and demonstrate their use as part of an antibody capture assay for GFP. Cell lysis in microwell arrays is achieved using the electrodes and the protein released is detected using an antibody microarray. We show how the template channels used as part of the workflow for patterning the electrodes may be produced using photolithography-free methods, such as laser micromachining and PDMS master moulding, and demonstrate how the use of an immiscible phase may be employed to create electrode spacings on the order of 25–50 μm, that overcome the current resolution limits of such methods. This work demonstrates how the rapid prototyping of electrodes for use in total analysis systems can be achieved on the bench with little or no need for centralized facilities.

Biomedical and Tissue Engineering Strategies to Control Foreign Body Reaction to Invasive Neural Electrodes

“…Alternatively, they can be fabricated via simple and cost-effective photolithography-free methods, such as laser micromachining and master molding of PDMS. Such versatile processes give rise to planar metal electrodes with microfluidic channel geometries (Chatzimichail et al, 2018), and stable neural interfaces (Gao et al, 2013;Minev et al, 2015). Poly(dimethylsiloxane) micromachining is not only cheap, and easy to realize with high parallelization, but also suitable for the fabrication of long-term neural implants that are able to produce lower inflammatory response than polyimide-based electrodes (Minev et al, 2015).…”

“…Accordingly, the use of dexamethasone could be combined with tissue engineering strategies, such as substrate functionalization with biodegradable hydrogels and porous CPs, for its controlled local release in order to specifically target its activity around the implant, while reducing potential side effects caused by its systemic toxicity at too high doses. In relation to this approach, one of the first in vitro attempts to control the release of dexamethasone from a conducting polymer coating of PPy on Au electrode 2018) Lago et al, 2007;Garde et al, 2009;Mercanzini et al, 2010;Chang et al, 2013;Hassler et al, 2016;Oddo et al, 2016;Boehler et al, 2017;Delgado-Martínez et al, 2017;Wurth et al, 2017;de la Oliva et al, 2018b,c;Ji et al, 2018;Kang et al, 2019;Lee et al, 2019;Rombaut et al, 2019 Parylene C Reviewed in Fekete andPongrácz (2017) Ziegler et al, 2006;Sohal et al, 2014;Xie et al, 2014;Lecomte et al, 2017;Mueller et al, 2017;de la Oliva et al, 2018a,b;Vitale et al, 2018;Kang et al, 2019PDMS Blau et al, 2011Gao et al, 2013;Guo et al, 2014;Minev et al, 2015;Chatzimichail et al, 2018;Kumar et Poly(carboxybetaine) and pCBMA Jiang and Cao, 2010;Carr et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2013;Trel'Ová et al, 2019 Phosphorylcholine self-assembled monolayers Chen et al, 2005 Poly(sulfobetaine) and pSBMA Reviewed in Sin et al (2014a) Jiang and...…”

“…Alternatively, they can be fabricated via simple and cost-effective photolithography-free methods, such as laser micromachining and master molding of PDMS. Such versatile processes give rise to planar metal electrodes with microfluidic channel geometries ( Chatzimichail et al, 2018 ), and stable neural interfaces ( Gao et al, 2013 ; Minev et al, 2015 ).…”

Microneedle Patterning of 3D Nonplanar Surfaces on Implantable Medical Devices Using Soft Lithography

“…Micropatterning is a novel technique for engineering surface properties, such as adhesion [1] and wettability [2], and related biological processes and applications, such as inflammatory response [3] and cell manipulation [4,5]. It has been used in methodologies for testing drugs [6] and for the fabrication of a variety of devices within the fields of biochemical sensors [7], microfluidics [8], and organs on a chip [9,10]. Current micropatterning approaches are frequently limited to simple patterns and planar surfaces and can be time-consuming [4,8].…”

“…It has been used in methodologies for testing drugs [6] and for the fabrication of a variety of devices within the fields of biochemical sensors [7], microfluidics [8], and organs on a chip [9,10]. Current micropatterning approaches are frequently limited to simple patterns and planar surfaces and can be time-consuming [4,8].…”