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Authors: C. Lerma Arce, D. Witters, R. Puers, J. Lammertyn, P. Bienstman
Title: Silicon Photonic Sensors incorporated in a Digital Microfluidic System
Format: International Journal
Publication date: 9/2012
Journal/Conference/Book: Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Volume(Issue): 404(10) p.2887-2894
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-012-6319-6
Citations: 27 (Dimensions.ai - last update: 14/4/2024)
15 (OpenCitations - last update: 10/5/2024)
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Abstract

Label-free biosensing with silicon nanophotonic
microring resonator sensors has proven to be an excellent sensing technique for achieving high-throughput and high sensitivity, comparing favorably with other labeled and label-free sensing techniques. However, as in any biosensing platform, silicon nanophotonic microring resonator sensors require a fluidic component which allows the continuous
delivery of the sample to the sensor surface. This component is typically based on microchannels in polydimethylsiloxane or other materials, which add cost and complexity to the system. The use of microdroplets in a digital microfluidic
system, instead of continuous flows, is one of the recent trends in the field, where microliter- to picoliter-sized droplets are generated, transported, mixed, and split, thereby creating miniaturized reaction chambers which can be controlled individually
in time and space. This avoids cross talk between
samples or reagents and allows fluid plugs to be manipulated on reconfigurable paths, which cannot be achieved using the more established and more complex technology of microfluidic channels where droplets are controlled in series. It has great potential for high-throughput liquid handling, while avoiding on-chip cross-contamination. We present the integration
of two miniaturized technologies: label-free silicon
nanophotonic microring resonator sensors and digital microfluidics, providing an alternative to the typical microfluidic system based on microchannels. The performance of this combined system is demonstrated by performing proof-ofprinciple
measurements of glucose, sodium chloride, and
ethanol concentrations. These results show that multiplexed real-time detection and analysis, great flexibility, and portability make the combination of these technologies an ideal platform for easy and fast use in any laboratory.

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