Ultra-Portable Smartphone Controlled Integrated Digital Microfluidic System in a 3D-Printed Modular Assembly

Abstract

Portable sensors and biomedical devices are influenced by the recent advances in microfluidics technologies, compact fabrication techniques, improved detection limits and enhanced analysis capabilities. This paper reports the development of an integrated ultraportable, low-cost, and modular digital microfluidic (DMF) system and its successful integration with a smartphone used as a high-level controller and post processing station. Low power and cost effective electronic circuits are designed to generate the high voltages required for DMF operations in both open and closed configurations (from 100 to 800 V). The smartphone in turn commands a microcontroller that manipulate the voltage signals required for droplet actuation in the DMF chip and communicates wirelessly with the microcontroller via Bluetooth module. Moreover, the smartphone acts as a detection and image analysis station with an attached microscopic lens. The holder assembly is fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to facilitate rapid prototyping. The holder features a modular design that enables convenient attachment/detachment of a variety of DMF chips to/from an electrical busbar. The electrical circuits, controller and communication system are designed to minimize the power consumption in order to run the device on small lithium ion batteries. Successful controlled DMF operations and a basic colorimetric assay using the smartphone are demonstrated.

A digital microfluidic system for serological immunoassays in remote settings

“…Another critical development was the new instrument reported here, the MR Box. The previously reported portable DMF control systems (41)(42)(43) have substantially reduced capabilities relative to the instruments that are used in the laboratory, such as a limited number of channels/electrodes and/or detectors with limited sensitivity. In contrast, the MR Box is a fully functional portable control system, capable of robustly completing the thousands of droplet "move," "dispense," "mix," "separate," "resuspend," "wash," and "split" steps necessary to run hundreds of personalized assays in a short period of time.…”

Mkit: A cell migration assay based on microfluidic device and smartphone

“…Different visible wavelengths of fluorescent signal can be measured using the smartphone-based imaging platform by configuring the suitable light sources and filter sets. Furthermore, we envision that 3D printing technology can be employed for fabricating integrated smartphone-based cell imaging system and to provide the necessary biological containment to allow its safe use out of a research lab (Knowlton et al 2015;Skandarajah et al 2014;Yafia et al 2015).…”

Novel developments in mobile sensing based on the integration of microfluidic devices and smartphones

“…The platform was not limited only to BDE-47 detection, but can also be applied to detection of some antigens. In addition to application of the electrolytic principle to generate gas for microfluidic manipulations, both the on-chip pneumatic system and modular digital microfluidic system have also been successfully integrated with a smartphone as a high-level controller and post processing station for immunoassay and droplet actuation without human intervention 50,51 .…”