Rapid determination of vitamin B12 concentration with a chemiluminescence lab on a chip.

This paper reports a novel method for the rapid determination of vitamin B(12) concentration in a continuous-flow lab-on-a-chip system. This new method is based on luminol-peroxide chemiluminescence (CL) assays for the detection of cobalt(II) ions in vitamin B(12) molecules. The lab-on-a-chip device consisted of two passive micromixers acting as microreactors and a double spiral microchannel network serving as an optical detection region. This system could operate in two modes. In the first mode, samples are acidified and evaluated directly in the microchip. In the second mode, samples are treated externally by acidification prior to detection in the microchip. In the first mode, the linear range obtained was between 1.00 ng ml(-1) to 10 µg ml(-1), R(2) = 0.996, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.23 to 2.31% (n = 5) and a limit of detection (lod) of 0.368 pg ml(-1). The minimum sample volume required and the analytical time were 30 µl and 3.6 s, respectively. In the second mode, the linear range obtained was between 0.10 ng ml(-1) to 10 µg ml(-1), R(2) = 0.994, with the RSD of 0.90 to 2.32% (n = 6) and a lod of 0.576 pg ml(-1). The minimum sample and the analytical time required were 50 µl and 6 s, respectively. The lab on a chip working in mode II was successfully used for the determination of vitamin B(12) concentrations in nutritional supplemental tablets and hen egg yolks.

Passive micromixer for luminol-peroxide chemiluminescence detection.

This paper reports a microchip with an integrated passive micromixer based on chaotic advection. The micromixer with staggered herringbone structures was used for luminol-peroxide chemiluminescence detection. The micromixer was examined to assess its suitability for chemiluminescence reaction. The relationship between the flow rate and the location of maximum chemiluminescence intensity was investigated. The light intensity was detected using an optical fiber attached along the mixing channel and a photon detector. A linear correlation between chemiluminescence intensity and the concentration of cobalt(ii) ions or hydrogen peroxide was observed. This microchip has a potential application in environmental monitoring for industries involved in heavy metals and in medical diagnostics.

Enhanced electrophoretic DNA separation in photonic crystal fiber.

Joule heating generated by the electrical current in capillary electrophoresis leads to a temperature gradient along the separation channel and consequently affects the separation quality. We describe a method of reducing the Joule heating effect by incorporating photonic crystal fiber into a micro capillary electrophoresis chip. The photonic crystal fiber consists of a bundle of extremely narrow hollow channels, which ideally work as separation columns. Electrophoretic separation of DNA fragments was simultaneously but independently carried out in 54 narrow capillaries with a diameter of 3.7 microm each. The capillary bundle offers more efficient heat dissipation owing to the high surface-to-volume ratio. Under the same electrical field strength, notable improvement in resolution was obtained in the capillary bundle chip.

Rapid amplification of genetically modified organisms using a circular ferrofluid-driven PCR microchip.

The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as food and in food products is becoming more and more widespread. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is extensively used for the detection of GMOs in food products in order to verify compliance with labeling requirements. In this paper, we present a novel close-loop ferrofluid-driven PCR microchip for rapid amplification of GMOs. The microchip was fabricated in polymethyl methacrylate by CO2 laser ablation and was integrated with three temperature zones. PCR solution was contained in a circular closed microchannel and was driven by magnetic force generated by an external magnet through a small oil-based ferrofluid plug. Successful amplification of genetically modified soya and maize were achieved in less than 13 min. This PCR microchip combines advantages of cycling flexibility and quick temperature transitions associated with two existing microchip PCR techniques, and it provides a cost saving and less time-consuming way to conduct preliminary screening of GMOs.

High-throughput polymerase chain reaction in parallel circular loops using magnetic actuation.

We report here a novel multichannel closed-loop magnetically actuated microchip for high-throughput polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This is achieved by designing a series of concentric circular channels on one microchip and exploiting a magnetic force to drive DNA samples flowing continuously through the closed loops. The magnetic force arises from an external permanent magnet through ferrofluid plugs inside the microchannels. The magnet enables simultaneous actuation of DNA samples in all the channels. As the samples go around the loops, they pass through three preset temperature zones. Parameters of PCR, such as incubation time, temperatures, and number of cycles, can be fully controlled and adjusted. High reproducibility was achieved for different channels in the same run and for the same channels in consecutive runs. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were amplified simultaneously using the developed device. This simple, reliable, and high-throughput PCR microchip would find wide applications in forensic, clinical, and biological fields.

Long path-length axial absorption detection in photonic crystal fiber.

In this paper, we present a long path-length axial absorption detection method in photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). A PCF, also called a holey fiber or microstructured fiber, is an optical fiber which consists of a periodic array of very tiny and closely spaced air holes on the scale of 1 microm running through the whole length of the fiber. Here, a PCF with porous microstructures was used as a sample container for absorption detection. Light was guided by total internal reflection and propagated axially in the air holes of PCFs that were filled with the solution of the absorbing species by vacuum pumping. Excellent linearity was obtained for different sample concentrations, and high sensitivity was achieved due to the long optical path length. In addition, as the dimension of the PCF is small, the sample volume is greatly reduced. Moreover, due to its robustness, the PCF can be coiled up to keep the footprint small, making it suitable for microchip absorption detection. It can be widely used for both off-chip and on-chip detection of absorbing species, such as ions, alkaloids, and biomolecules.

Faster and improved microchip electrophoresis using a capillary bundle.

Joule heating generated in CE microchips is known to affect temperature gradient, electrophoretic mobility, diffusion of analytes, and ultimately the efficiency and reproducibility of the separation. One way of reducing the effect of Joule heating is to decrease the cross-section area of microchannels. Currently, due to the limit of fabrication technique and detection apparatus, the typical dimensions of CE microchannels are in the range of 50-200 microm. In this paper, we propose a novel approach of performing microchip CE in a bundle of extremely narrow channels by using photonic crystal fiber (PCF) as separation column. The PCF was simply encapsulated in a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microchannel right after a T-shaped injector. CE was simultaneously but independently carried out in 54 narrow capillaries, each capillary with diameter of 3.7 microm. The capillary bundle could sustain high electric field strength up to 1000 V/cm due to efficient heat dissipation, thus faster and enhanced separation was attained.