Three-Dimensional Microtubular Devices for Lab-on-a-Chip Sensing Applications

Abstract

The rapid advance of micro-/nanofabrication technologies opens up new opportunities for miniaturized sensing devices based on novel three-dimensional (3D) architectures. Notably, microtubular geometry exhibits natural advantages for sensing applications due to its unique properties including the hollow sensing channel, high surface−volume ratio, well-controlled shape parameters and compatibility to on-chip integration. Here the state-of-the-art sensing techniques based on microtubular devices are reviewed. The developed microtubular sensors cover microcapillaries, rolled-up nanomembranes, chemically synthesized tubular arrays, and photoresist-based tubular structures via 3D printing. Various types of microtubular sensors working in optical, electrical, and magnetic principles exhibit an extremely broad scope of sensing targets including liquids, biomolecules, micrometer-sized/nanosized objects, and gases. Moreover, they have also been applied for the detection of mechanical, acoustic, and magnetic fields as well as fluorescence signals in labeling-based analyses. At last, a comprehensive outlook of future research on microtubular sensors is discussed on pushing the detection limit, extending the functionality, and taking a step forward to a compact and integrable core module in a lab-on-a-chip analytical system for understanding fundamental biological events or performing accurate point-of-care diagnostics.

Whispering Gallery Mode Optical Microresonators: Structures and Sensing Applications

“…Microtubular resonators are widely used in the field of optics, electromagnetic, and mechanics with their good shape parameters, on‐chip compatibility, and high surface area volume ratio. As for the preparation of microtubular resonators, the simplest method was the glass capillary method, which can change the wall thickness by heating. With the rise of nanomaterials, Prinz et al.…”

“…Previous researchers used the hollow characteristics of microtubulars and combined them with microfluidic channels, which laid the foundation for unmarked detection with good selectivity and specificity . In 2007, Suter et al.…”

Quantification of Neuropeptide Y with Picomolar Sensitivity Enabled by Guided-Mode Resonance Biosensors

“…Circular or tubular-shaped whispering gallery mode optical microcavities are well known to have a narrow linewidth and high Q-factors. Label-free sensing of bovine serum albumin molecules is estimated down to 10 fg/mL [25]. Thus, microring sensor concepts possess high sensitivities but with drawbacks including fabrication and alignment challenges.…”

Advances in Optical Biosensors and Sensors Using Nanoporous Anodic Alumina

“…In recent years, three-dimensional nanostructures offer a new chance for researchers in the field of nanoscience to improve the performance of biodevices [ 1 , 2 , 3 ].…”