• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.30 no.1 s.244
• /
• pp.26-31
• /
• 2006

This paper reports low-cost PDMS/glass based DNA microbiochip for the restriction enzyme reaction and its products detection using the capillary electrophoresis. The microbiochip ($25mm{\times}75mm$) has the heater integrated reactor ($5{\mu}{\ell}$) for DNA restriction enzyme reaction at $37^{\circ}C$ and the microchannel ($80\;{\mu}m{\times}100\;{\mu}m{\times}58mm$) for the capillary electrophoresis detection. It is experimentally confirmed that the digestion of the plasmid ($pGEM^{(R)}-4Z$) by the enzyme (Hind III and Sca I) is performed for less than 10 min and its electrophoresis detection is able to sequentially on the fabricated microbiochip.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.32 no.8
• /
• pp.624-632
• /
• 2008

In this research, we developed new PDMS-glass based microbiochip consisted of the micromixer and microreactor for DNA ligation. The micromixer was composed of a straight channel integrated with nozzles and pillars, and the microreactor was composed of a serpentine channel. We coated the PDMS chip surface with the 0.25wt.% PVP solution to prevent the bubble generation which was caused by the hydrophobicity of the PDMS. The new micomixer was passive type and the mixing was enhanced by a convective diffusion using the nozzle and pillar. The 10.33mm long micromixer showed the good mixing efficiency of 87.7% at 500 l/min flow rate. We could perform the DNA ligation successfully in the microbiochip, and the ligation time was shortened from 4 hours in conventional laboratory method to 5 min in the microbiochip.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.30 no.1 s.244
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2006

A system for the electrical bio signal detection for a microchip is proposed. Gold nanoparticles were selected for the system for their bio-compatibility and potential for higher sensitivity with large surface areas. For the estimation of the conductivity of gold nanoparticles, microchips with interdigitated microelectrodes of 3,5,7 and $9\;{\mu}m$ spacing were fabricated. In addition, a simulation program was developed to estimate the electrical resistance of the fabricated microchip. The results of conduction simulation for the nanoparticles show good agreements with experimental data, which validate the proposed system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.181-187
• /
• 2005

In this study, a microchip system fabricated with MEMS technology was developed to detect bioelectrical signals. The developed microchip using the conductivity of gold nanoparticles could detect the biopotential with a high sensitivity. For designing the microchip, simulations were performed to understand the effects of the size and number of nanoparticles, and the sensing width between electrodes on the detection of biosignals. Then, a series of experiment was performed to validate the simulation results and understand the feasibility of the proposed microchip design. Both simulation and experimental results showed that as the sensing width between electrodes increased the conductivity decreased. Also, the conductivity increased as the density of gold nanoparticles increased. In addition, it was found that the conductivity that changes with the nanoparticles density could be approximated by a cumulative normal distribution function. The developed microchip system could effectively apply when a biosignals should be measured with a high sensitivity.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.34 no.12
• /
• pp.1785-1791
• /
• 2010

This paper describes a separable microfluidic device fabricated with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) and glass. The device is used for sample preparation involving cell lysis and the DNA purification process. The cell lysis was performed for 2 min at $80^{\circ}C$ in a serpentine-type microreactor ($20 {\mu}l$) using a Au microheater that was integrated with a thermal microsensor on a glass substrate. The DNA that was mixed with other residual products during the cell lysis process was then filtered through a new filtration system composed of microbeads (diameter: $50 {\mu}m$) and PDMS pillars. Since the entire process (sample loading, cell lysis reaction, DNA purification, and sample extraction) was performed within 5 min in a microchip, we could reduce the sample preparation time in comparison with that for the conventional methods used in biochemistry laboratories. Finally, we verified the performance of the sample preparation chip by conducting PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis of the chip product.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1115-1122
• /
• 2008

This paper presents a new microchip which can separate motile sperm by chemotaxis. The microchip was developed to create longitudinal concentration gradient in the microchannel due to diffusion. Linearly good concentration gradient of chemoattractant was generated without any fluid control devices. In sperm separation experiment with the developed microchip, mouse sperm was used as sample and acetylcholine was selected as chemoattractant. Human tubal fluid (HTF), buffer solution, was introduced into the microchannel of the microchip and attractants diluted in ratio of 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64 including control (DI water) were dropped in each outlet by $2\;{\mu}l$ volume with micropippet. After 5min, $1\;{\mu}l$ sperm solution was dropped into inlet of the chip. After 10 min, when sperms reached to the outlet by chemotaxis, we counted sperms in each outlet by using microscopy. Consequently, we could separate progressive motile sperm with the new microchip. In the experiment, the most sperms were isolated at the outlet dropped with 1/16 diluted solution. The optimal concentration gradient to induce chemotaxis was about 0.625 mg/ml/mm.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.30 no.10 s.253
• /
• pp.1261-1268
• /
• 2006

This paper reports low-cost microreactor $(10{\mu}{\ell})$ biochip for the DNA PCR (polymerase chain reaction). The microbiochip $(20mm{\times}28mm)$ is a hybrid type which is composed of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) layer with serpentine micochannel $(360{\mu}m{\times}100{\mu}m)$ chamber and glass substrate integrated with microheater and thermal microsensor. Undesirable bubble is usually created during sample loading to PMDS-based microchip because of hydrophobic chip surface. Created bubbles interrupt stable biochemical reaction. We designed improved microreactor chamber using microfluidic simulation. The designed reactor has a coner-rounded serpentine channel architecture, which enables stable injection into hydrophobic surface using micropipette only. Reactor temperature needed to PCR reaction is controlled within ${\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$ by PID controller of LabVIEW software. It is experimentally confirmed that SRY gene PCR by the fabricated microreactor chip is performed for less than 54 min.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.60-63
• /
• 2002

This paper presents bead-based microbiocihps to detect and separate target proteins. Micro beads coated with capture proteins were introduced into a microchamber, and target proteins flowing across the chamber were bound and concentrated. The chip was connected with an external fluid system. Bead surfaces were double-coated with photo-cleavable linkers and capture proteins. The proteins bound on the beads were photo-separated under UV irradiation, and excited to be measured in fluorescence. $38{\sim}50{\mu}m$ sized polystyrene beads were used. SOGs(silicon-on-glass) were used to fabricate the microchip having glasses bonded on both sides. 100 ${\mu}m$ thick silicon channel was formed through silicon deep RIE process. The upper glass cover had holed through to have inlets and outlets fabricated by powder-blastings. In this study, biotin and streptavidin were used as capture proteins and detection proteins, respectively. The protein mixtures of streptavidin, HSA(human serum albumin) and ovalbumin were applied for selective detection test.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.325-330
• /
• 2006

This study presents the characterization of an integrated portable microfluidic electrical detection system for fast and low volume immunoassay using polystyrene microbead, which are used as immobilization surfaces. In our chip, a filtration method using the microbead was adopted for sample immobilization and immunogold silver staining(IGSS) was used to increase the electrical signal. The chip is composed of an inexpensive and biocompatible Polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) layer and Pyrex glass substrate. Platinum microelectrodes for electric signal detection were fabricated on the substrate and microchannel and pillar-type microfilters were formed in the PDMS layer. With a fabricated chip, we reacted antigen and antibody according to the procedures. Then, silver enhancer was injected to increase the size of nanogold particles tagged with the second antibody. As a result, microbeads were connected to each other and formed an electrical bridge between microelectrodes. Resistance measured through the electrodes showed a difference of two orders of magnitude between specific and nonspecific immuno-reactions. The detection limit was 10 ng/ml. The developed immunoassay chip reduced the total analysis time from 3 hours to 50 min. Fast and low-volume biochemical analysis has been successfully achieved with the developed microfilter and immuno-sensor chip, which is integrated to the microfluidic system.