Development of a microfluidic circuit with femtosecond laser technology for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay validation

Abstract

One of the great challenges in science today is to develop applications for disease diagnosis that can be accessible to the poorest populations distant from large centers. Using ultra-short laser pulses, we developed and machined a microfluidic circuit capable of replicating enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with a much lower cost of materials. Microchannels etched in BK7 glass separated by a PDMS film form the basis of the system. The reagent flow control is done by pneumatic micro-valves controlled by an Arduino microcontroller through a Labview platform. The enzymatic reactions occurred under stopped-flow conditions, in a portion of the circuit constructed in a serpentine shape to facilitate the detection by an image processing software. This work presents the design of the microfluidic circuit developed and an ELISA test for characterization and validation of the results.