Reconfigurable Prototyping Microfluidic Platform for DEP Manipulation and Capacitive Sensing.

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new rapid prototyping platform dedicated to dielectrophoretic microfluidic manipulation and capacitive cell sensing. The proposed platform offers a reconfigurable design including 4 independently programmable output channels to be distributed across 64 electrodes. Although its range of frequency covers up to 3.4 MHz, signal amplitude accuracy ( +/-10%) was demonstrated for frequencies up to 1 MHz and channel-to-channel phase shift setting was stable up to 1.5 MHz. A test of maximum resistive load showed a 10% attenuation of a 12 V peak-to-peak signal with a 22 Ω load. The platform has an advanced capacitive sensor to measure capacitance variation between in-channel electrodes with a sampling frequency up to 5 kH z. Experimental data of capacitive sensor showed a sensitivity of 100 fF. The sensor can be extended to 4 parallel measurements with lower frequency. We also present a new assembly technique for reusable microfluidic chip based on anisotropic adhesive conductive film, epoxy and PDMS. The proposed platform provides a wide range of control signals depending on the type of manipulation as sine, rectangular or square wave. The frequency range is extendible up to 3.4 MHz, in addition to a programmable phase shift circuit with a minimum phase step of 3.6(°) for each signal.