title: A membrane microcontactor as a tool for integrated sample preparation.
abstract: A membrane microcontactor suitable to perform liquid-liquid extraction as well as evaporation in order to conduct enrichment steps in sample preparation of organ samples has been designed, fabricated, and characterized. Spacers of 100- or 200-μm high were constructed in a metal substrate with a channel width of 13 mm and the extraction kinetics in these channels was evaluated. The spacers were designed such that at the entrance and exit region a uniform flow distribution could take place and that a uniform flow profile could be guaranteed along the channel, hence allowing a large freedom in sample volume to be processed. The extraction and evaporation kinetic behavior of the device was first evaluated by extraction of a drug candidate (4-(2,5-dimethyl-pyrrol-1-y1)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid). To evaluate the device under more challenging working conditions, a homogenized mice kidney sample containing the drug candidate that was administered in life condition was cleaned and enriched with the extraction and evaporation modules and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography, yielding an overall analysis time of 15-20 min per sample only. The system has the potential to be operated in a continuous fashion, making it appealing to be implemented in screening or high-throughput applications.
authors.affiliation: μFlow, Department of Chemical Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hereijgers
authors.forename: Manly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Callewaert
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Breugelmans
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ottevaere
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cabooter
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: De Malsche
mesh_terms: D053000:Analytic Sample Preparation Methods / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000295:instrumentation; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D059627:Liquid Phase Microextraction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051379:Mice; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000032:analysis*; D012459:Salicylates / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: C579419:4-(2,5-dimethylpyrrol-1-y1)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid; D011758:Pyrroles; D012459:Salicylates