title: Microfluidic "Pouch" Chips for Immunoassays and Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests.
abstract: Microfluidic cassettes ("chips") for processing and analysis of clinical specimens and other sample types facilitate point-of-care (POC) immunoassays and nucleic acid based amplification tests. These single-use test chips can be self-contained and made amenable to autonomous operation-reducing or eliminating supporting instrumentation-by incorporating laminated, pliable "pouch" and membrane structures for fluid storage, pumping, mixing, and flow control. Materials and methods for integrating flexible pouch compartments and diaphragm valves into hard plastic (e.g., acrylic and polycarbonate) microfluidic "chips" for reagent storage, fluid actuation, and flow control are described. We review several versions of these pouch chips for immunoassay and nucleic acid amplification tests, and describe related fabrication techniques. These protocols thus offer a "toolbox" of methods for storage, pumping, and flow control functions in microfluidic devices.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. mmauk@seas.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mauk
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Changchun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xianbo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Dafeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Jinzhao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 220 S 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Haim H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Bau
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Diaphragm valves; Microfluidics; Molecular diagnostics; Pouches; “Lab on a chip” immunoassays