Integration of Nanochannels for Lab-on-Chip-Systems

The transport of ions and molecules across a biological membrane is regulated by biological nanochannels, which are highly selective. They are incorporated in the cellular membrane and therefore not suitable in technical systems. In this study ion-track etched synthetic nanochannels are chemically modified and used as a biosensing element. Currently, the nanochannels' sensory function is examined in a complex laboratory setup. In this study the functionalized membranes are integrated into a lab-on-chip-system. The designed microfluidic device with integrated nanochannels and electrodes is presented. The microfluidic channels are fabricated by structuring using a dry film photoresist. A polycarbonate ion-track etched nanochannel is sandwiched between two photoresist layers using a solvent-free, low temperature bonding process.