Programmable fluidic networks on centrifugal microfluidic discs.

Background: Biomedical diagnostic and lab automation solutions built on the Lab-on-a-Disc (LoaD) platform has great potential due to their independence from specialised micro-pumps and their ease of integration, through direct pipetting, with manual or automated workflows. However, a challenge for all microfluidic chips is their cost of manufacture when each microfluidic disc must be customized for a specific application. In this paper, we present centrifugal discs with programmable fluidic networks.

Results: Based on dissolvable film valves, we present two technologies. The first, based on recently introduced pulse-actuated dissolvable film valves, is a centrifugal disc which, depending on how it is loaded, is configured to perform either six sequential reagent releases through one reaction chamber or three sequential reagent releases through two reaction chambers. In the second approach, we use the previously introduced electronic Lab-on-a-Disc (eLoaD) wireless valve array, which can actuate up to 128 centrifugo-pneumatic dissolvable film valves in a pre-defined sequence. In this approach we present a disc which can deliver any one of 8 reagent washes to any one of four reaction chambers. We use identical discs to demonstrate the first four sequential washes through two reaction chambers and then two sequential washes through four reaction chambers.

Significance: These programmable fluidic networks have the potential to allow a single disc architecture to be applied to multiple different assay types and so can offer a lower-cost and more integrated alternative to the standard combination of micro-titre plate and liquid handling robot. Indeed, it may even be possible to conduct multiple different assays concurrently. This can have the effect of reducing manufacturing costs and streamlining supply-chains and so results in a more accessible diagnostic platform.