Laser-Inscribed Glass Microfluidic Device for Non-Mixing Flow of Miscible Solvents

• Main Authors: Valeria Italia, Argyro N. Giakoumaki, Silvio Bonfadini, Vibhav Bharadwaj, Thien Le Phu, Shane M. Eaton, Roberta Ramponi, Giacomo Bergamini, Guglielmo Lanzani, Luigino Criante
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-12-01
• Series: Micromachines
• Subjects: optofluidics; lab-on-a-chip; femtosecond laser; laser micromachining; diffusion
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/10/1/23

In recent years, there has been significant research on integrated microfluidic devices. Microfluidics offer an advantageous platform for the parallel laminar flow of adjacent solvents of potential use in modern chemistry and biology. To reach that aim, we worked towards the realization of a buried microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip which enables the separation of the two components by exploiting the non-mixing properties of laminar flow. To fabricate the aforementioned chip, we employed a femtosecond laser irradiation technique followed by chemical etching. To optimize the configuration of the chip, several geometrical and structural parameters were taken into account. The diffusive mass transfer between the two fluids was estimated and the optimal chip configuration for low diffusion rate of the components was defined.