Soft lithography is an alternative to silicon-based micromachining that uses replica molding of nontraditional elastomeric materials to fabricate stamps and microfluidic channels. We describe here an extension to the soft lithography paradigm, multilayer soft lithography, with which devices consisting of multiple layers may be fabricated from soft materials. We used this technique to build active microfluidic systems containing on-off valves, switching valves, and pumps entirely out of elastomer. The softness of these materials allows the device areas to be reduced by more than two orders of magnitude compared with silicon-based devices. The other advantages of soft lithography, such as rapid prototyping, ease of fabrication, and biocompatibility, are retained.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/288/5463/113.full.pdf

Monolithic microfabricated valves and pumps by multilayer soft lithography

High-density microfluidic chips contain plumbing networks with thousands of micromechanical valves and hundreds of individually addressable chambers. These fluidic devices are analogous to electronic integrated circuits fabricated using large scale integration (LSI). A component of these networks is the fluidic multiplexor, which is a combinatorial array of binary valve patterns that exponentially increases the processing power of a network by allowing complex fluid manipulations with a minimal number of inputs. These integrated microfluidic networks can be used to construct a variety of highly complex microfluidic devices, for example the microfluidic analog of a comparator array, and a microfluidic memory storage device resembling electronic random access memories.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/298/5593/580.full.pdf

Microfluidic large scale integration

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers are extensively used for soft lithographic replication of microstructures in microfluidic and micro-engineering applications. Elastomeric microstructures are commonly required to fulfil an explicit mechanical role and accordingly their mechanical properties can critically affect device performance. The mechanical properties of elastomers are known to vary with both curing and operational temperatures. However, even for the elastomer most commonly employed in microfluidic applications, Sylgard 184, only a very limited range of data exists regarding the variation in mechanical properties of bulk PDMS with curing temperature. We report an investigation of the variation in the mechanical properties of bulk Sylgard 184 with curing temperature, over the range 25 ◦ C to 200 ◦ C. PDMS samples for tensile and compressive testing were fabricated according to ASTM standards. Data obtained indicates variation in mechanical properties due to curing temperature for Young’s modulus of 1.32‐2.97 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 3.51‐7.65 MPa, compressive modulus of 117.8‐186.9 MPa and ultimate compressive strength of 28.4‐51.7 GPa in a range up to 40% strain and hardness of 44‐54 ShA.

/pdf/mechanical-characterization-of-bulk-sylgard-184-for-2mkxi71f19.pdf

Mechanical characterization of bulk Sylgard 184 for microfluidics and microengineering

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS Sylgard® 184, Dow Corning Corporation) pre-polymer was combined with increasing amounts of cross-linker (5.7, 10.0, 14.3, 21.4, and 42.9 wt.%) and designated PDMS1, PDMS2, PDMS3, PDMS4, and PDMS5, respectively. These materials were processed by spin coating and subjected to common microfabrication, micromachining, and biomedical processes: chemical immersion, oxygen plasma treatment, sterilization, and exposure to tissue culture media. The PDMS formulations were analyzed by gravimetry, goniometry, tensile testing, nanoindentation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spin coating of PDMS was formulation dependent with film thickness ranging from 308 μm on PDMS1 to 171 μm on PDMS5 at 200 revolutions per minute (rpm). Ultimate tensile stress (UTS) increased from 3.9 MPa (PDMS1) to 10.8 MPa (PDMS3), and then decreased down to 4.0 MPa (PDMS5). Autoclave sterilization (AS) increased the storage modulus (σ) and UTS in all formulations, with the highest increase in UTS exhibited by PDMS5 (218%). PDMS surface hydrophilicity and micro-textures were generally unaffected when exposed to the different chemicals, except for micro-texture changes after immersion in potassium hydroxide and buffered hydrofluoric, nitric, sulfuric, and hydrofluoric acids; and minimal changes in contact angle after immersion in hexane, hydrochloric acid, photoresist developer, and toluene. Oxygen plasma treatment decreased the contact angle of PDMS2 from 109∘ to 60∘. Exposure to tissue culture media resulted in increased PDMS surface element concentrations of nitrogen and oxygen.

/pdf/characterization-of-polydimethylsiloxane-pdms-properties-for-4t0gmb2t3t.pdf

Characterization of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) properties for biomedical micro/nanosystems.

Characteristics of physical activity are indicative of one's mobility level, latent chronic diseases and aging process. Accelerometers have been widely accepted as useful and practical sensors for wearable devices to measure and assess physical activity. This paper reviews the development of wearable accelerometry-based motion detectors. The principle of accelerometry measurement, sensor properties and sensor placements are first introduced. Various research using accelerometry-based wearable motion detectors for physical activity monitoring and assessment, including posture and movement classification, estimation of energy expenditure, fall detection and balance control evaluation, are also reviewed. Finally this paper reviews and compares existing commercial products to provide a comprehensive outlook of current development status and possible emerging technologies.

A Review of Accelerometry-Based Wearable Motion Detectors for Physical Activity Monitoring

In this paper we demonstrate a compact ready-to-use micro Coriolis mass flow meter. The full scale flow is 1 g/h (for water at a pressure drop < 1 bar). It has a zero stability of 2 mg/h and an accuracy of 0.5% reading for both liquids and gases. The temperature drift between 10 and 50 °C is below 1 mg/h/°C. The meter is robust, has standard fluidic connections and can be read out by means of a PC or laptop via USB. Its performance was tested for several common gases (hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, argon and air) and liquids (water and isopropanol). As in all Coriolis mass flow meters, the meter is also able to measure the actual density of the medium flowing through the tube. The sensitivity of the measured density is ~1 Hz.m3/kg.

/pdf/compact-mass-flow-meter-based-on-a-micro-coriolis-flow-j1gxj6dycc.pdf

Compact Mass Flow Meter based on a Micro Coriolis Flow Sensor

A mass flowmeter of the Coriolis type with a tube through which a medium flows during operation and with excitation means for causing the entire tube or part thereof to perform a rotational vibration about a primary axis of rotation during operation The excitation means are electromagnetic and designed such that they do not make contact with the tube during operation and have no components that are fastened to the tube More in particular, the tube is made of an electrically well conducting material, and the excitation means comprise first means for causing an electric current to flow through the tube during operation and second means for generating a magnetic field at the area of a portion of the tube, which magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of the current and in operation either the current or the magnetic field changes its sign periodically, with the result that the (Lorentz) force generated by the product of current and magnetic field causes a rotational oscillation of the entire tube or a portion thereof about the primary axis of rotation

/pdf/coriolis-mass-flow-meter-using-contactless-excitation-and-45zay86780.pdf

Coriolis mass flow meter using contactless excitation and detection

Many microfluidic devices are made using specialized fabrication processes, limiting the ability to integrate those devices on the same chip. In this paper, a versatile technology platform is presented that allows for integration of many different devices. It provides a method to design channels in a wide range of sizes and shapes with different functionalization options in close proximity to the fluid in the channels. The latter includes release of the channels for thermal isolation or mechanical movement and metal or piezoelectric layers for actuation and read-out. The channel walls are made using silicon-rich silicon nitride to provide durable, strong, chemically inert and thermally stable channels directly below the substrate surface .

/pdf/a-versatile-technology-platform-for-microfluidic-handling-4vsf7cxez6.pdf

A versatile technology platform for microfluidic handling systems, part I: fabrication and functionalization

Quantification of the influence of external vibrations on the measurement error of a Coriolis Mass-Flow Meter

We have designed and realized an integrated multiparameter flow measurement system, consisting of an integrated Coriolis and thermal flow sensor, and a pressure sensor. The integrated system enables on-chip measurement, analysis and determination of flow and several physical properties of both gases and liquids. With the system, we demonstrated the feasibility to measure the flow rate, density, viscosity, specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, air, argon, water and IPA.

Joost Conrad Lötters

Papers

Compact Mass Flow Meter based on a Micro Coriolis Flow Sensor

Coriolis mass flow meter using contactless excitation and detection

A versatile technology platform for microfluidic handling systems, part I: fabrication and functionalization

Quantification of the influence of external vibrations on the measurement error of a Coriolis Mass-Flow Meter

Integrated multi-parameter flow measurement system