Hydrogels are networks of hydrophilic polymer chains that are swollen with water, and they are useful for a wide range of applications because they provide stable niches for immobilizing proteins and cells. We report here the marriage of hydrogels with digital microfluidic devices. Until recently, digital microfluidics, a fluid handling technique in which discrete droplets are manipulated electromechanically on the surface of an array of electrodes, has been used only for homogeneous systems involving liquid reagents. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the cylindrical hydrogel discs can be incorporated into digital microfluidic systems and that these discs can be systematically addressed by droplets of reagents. Droplet movement is observed to be unimpeded by interaction with the gel discs, and gel discs remain stationary when droplets pass through them. Analyte transport into gel discs is observed to be identical to diffusion in cases in which droplets are incubated with gels passively, but transport is enhanced when droplets are continually actuated through the gels. The system is useful for generating integrated enzymatic microreactors and for three-dimensional cell culture. This paper demonstrates a new combination of techniques for lab-on-a-chip systems which we propose will be useful for a wide range of applications.
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March 2012
Research Article|
March 01 2012
Hydrogel discs for digital microfluidics
Lindsey K. Fiddes;
Lindsey K. Fiddes
a)
1
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
, 80 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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Vivienne N. Luk;
Vivienne N. Luk
a)
1
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
, 80 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
2
Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
, 160 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
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Sam H. Au;
Sam H. Au
2
Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
, 160 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
3
Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
, 164 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
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Alphonsus H. C. Ng;
Alphonsus H. C. Ng
2
Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
, 160 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
3
Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
, 164 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
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Victoria Luk;
Victoria Luk
2
Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
, 160 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
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Eugenia Kumacheva;
Eugenia Kumacheva
b)
1
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
, 80 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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Aaron R. Wheeler
Aaron R. Wheeler
b)
1
Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
, 80 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
2
Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
, 160 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
3
Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
, 164 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
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a)
Lindsey K. Fiddes and Vivienne N. Luk contributed equally to this work.
b)
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic addresses: [email protected] (Tel.: (416) 978 3576. Fax: (416) 978 3576) and [email protected] (Tel.: (416) 946 3864. Fax: (416) 946 3865).
Biomicrofluidics 6, 014112 (2012)
Article history
Received:
November 16 2011
Accepted:
January 27 2012
Citation
Lindsey K. Fiddes, Vivienne N. Luk, Sam H. Au, Alphonsus H. C. Ng, Victoria Luk, Eugenia Kumacheva, Aaron R. Wheeler; Hydrogel discs for digital microfluidics. Biomicrofluidics 1 March 2012; 6 (1): 014112. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3687381
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