An Opto-Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip in Lithium Niobate for Protein Concentration Analysis
Leonardo Zanini,
PhD student,
University of Padova
Lab-on-a-chips integrating microfluidics and optics set a new frontier
in biological sample processing, merging miniaturization with real-time
content analysis. This presentation shows an example of such an
opto-microfluidic lab-on-a-chip and its application to protein
concentration investigation.
The integration is achieved herein by placing on the same substrate
surface in lithium niobate both an array of parallel waveguides and a
cross of two micrometric channels. After realizing the waveguides, the
longer channel is engraved to break perpendicularly each waveguide in
its middle, dividing each guide into two collinear ones. Once light is
carried through one waveguide, the optical interaction with the
microdroplets flowing in the channel generates a signal collected by the
opposite waveguide and strictly related to the droplet shape and
content.
In this research, different concentrations of a chosen protein are
encapsulated in microdroplets to be studied through the chip, applying
the well-known Bradford protocol for protein concentration
investigation. By fixing the droplet geometry, the content information
is extrapolated directly from the acquired signals through a comparison
with an appropriate baseline. The calibration of this detection method
will be presented together with experimental results and perspectives,
proving the chip as an efficient integrated sensor for content analysis.
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