Plastic integrated photonic biochip

We have developed a photonic microfluidic unit which contains a Z-shaped microfluidic channel  as well as the micro-optical components needed for absorbance and fluorescence measurements in this microchannel. As such a fully integrated plastic detection unit  was realized. Moreover due to the Z-shape of the channel, an optical path length of 1mm was realized to increase the sensitivity for absorbance measurements.

The main challenge for this device was its fabrication: the final unit had to contain high quality optics as well as a leakage-free microfluidic channel. The microchannel and the micro-optical components were prototyped out of the same PMMA plate. As such, for the first time, microfluidics and micro-optics were microstructured on the same sample by means of Deep Proton Writing . Two outer plates were thermally bonded to this sample to close the microfluidic channel. As such a leakage-free channel was realized, without the need of any adhesive and without affecting the PMMA material such that the optical quality of the unit was preserved.

In the proof-of-concept demonstration we have demonstrated experimentally absorbance and fluorescence measurements of a sample with a concentration of 0.6mM. We can conclude that this system is capable of detecting the presence of a sample such that a yes/no answer can be provided. Currently we are doing a more in-depth performance study by setting up a calibration curve and by defining the detection limit.

Research Area

Biophotonics

Main researcher(s)

	Name	Sara Van Overmeire
	E-mail
	Phone	+32 2 629 36 58
	Fax	+32 2 629 34 50

Other people involved

	Name	Heidi Ottevaere
	E-mail
	Phone	+32 2 629 34 51
	Fax	+32 2 629 34 50