The goal of this project is to eliminate electroosmotic flow (EOF) in a microfluidic chip. EOF is a naturally occurring phenomenon at the fluid-surface interface in microfluidic chips when an electric field is applied across the fluid. When isoelectric focusing (IEF) is carried out to separate proteins based on their surface charge, the analytes must remain in the separation chamber, and not migrate to adjacent features in the microfluidic chip, which happens with EOF. For this project, a microfluidic chip was designed and commissioned to be photolithographically transferred onto a Si wafer. A PDMS component was then casted on the Si wafer and plasma bonded to a glass substrate. This chip was initially designed to carry out continuous IEF, and the focus of the project was shifted to the analysis of eliminating EOF in a microfluidic chamber. Per previous research test methods, methylcellulose will be used to analyze the phenomenon of electroosmotic flow in the chamber. A COMSOL model is used a theoretical basis of comparison when analyzing the flow velocities of the treated versus untreated microfluidic chips. The purpose of this project is to use the research performed in on this chip as a precursor to future analyses of continuous IEF on microfluidic chips in the Cal Poly Microfluidics group.

Le but de cette étude est de concevoir, fabriquer et caractériser une puce microfluidique afin de mettre en oeuve la capture de nanoparticules magnétiques fonctionnalisées en vue de la reconnaissance d’anticorps spécifiques (couplage d’une très grande spécificité et sensibilité). Après avoir modélisé et simulé les performances de la microbobine intégrée dans le canal de la puce microfluidique en prenant soin de limiter la température du fluide à 37°C, la capture devant être effective, le microsystème est fabriqué en salle blanche en utilisant des procédés de fabrication collective. La fabrication du microdispositif en PDMS a aussi donné lieu à l’optimisation de procédés de modification de surface afin d’assurer la ré-utilisation du microdispositif (packaging réversible) et la limitation de l’adsorption non spécifique. L’immobilisation des anticorps su les billes (300 nm) a été menée à l’intérieur du canal en utilisant un protocole de type ELISA éprouvé. Le procédé a montré qu’il était également efficient pour cet environnement puisque nous avons pu mettre ne évidence la capture de nanoparticules / In this study, a concept of microfluidic chip with embedded planar coils is designed and fabricated for the aim of trapping effectively functionalized magnetic nanobeads and immobilizing antibody (IgG type). The planar coils as a heart of microfluidic chip is designed with criterion parameters which are optimized from simulation parameters of the maximum magnetic field, low power consumption and high power efficiency by FE method. The characterization of microcoils such as effectively nanobeads (300 nm) at low temperature (<37oC) is performed and confirmed. The channel network in PDMS material is designed for matching with entire process (including mixing and trapping beads) in microfluidic chip. A process of PDMS’s surface modification is also carried out in the assemble step of chip in order to limit the non-specific adsorption of many bio substances on PDMS surface. The microfluidic chip assemble is performed by using some developed techniques of reversible packaging PDMS microfluidic chip (such as stamping technique, using non-adhesive layer, oxygen plasma combining with solvent treatment). These packaging methods are important to reused microchip (specially the bottom substrate) in many times. The immobilization of antibody IgG-type is performed inside microfluidic chip following the standard protocol of bead-based ELISA in micro test tube. The result showed that IgG antibodies are well grafted on the surface of carboxyl-beads (comparing to result of standard protocol); these grafted antibodies are confirmed by coupling them with labeled second antibody (Fab-FITC conjugation).