An integrated and mixed technology LOC hydrodynamic focuser for cell counting application

Abstract

In our project a standard microfluidic analyzer background system and its construction steps were developed to analyze biologic fluids. The obtained micro-Total-Analysis-System (μTAS) is based on the integration of different microflu-idic systems. Each part follows well-defined rules to make the integration of the large-scale production microchip technology with the cheap polymer support system possible. The compiled system is based on the SensoNor glass/silicon/glass multilayer technology [1] and ThinXXS plastic slide technology, which are made from low cost materials, easily producible in large-scale and in the same time biocompatible. In this project hydrodynamic focusers were designed to sort and analyze particles and cells in one continuous focused line, in a 50 μm wide channel. The advantage of this Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC) structure is the easy interfaceability with electrodes and optical systems. The designed microchannels contain electrodes for electrical characterization and because of the anodic bonding process it is possible to observe the channel with an upright microscope [2]. With these two fundamental methods our system is able to analyze and measure any biological liquid, which contain less than 10 μm size particles or cells, and count the number of morphologically well-separated different elements in the focused liquid flow with image processing algorithms.