Integration of Microfluidics With a Love Wave Sensor for the Fabrication of a Multisample Analytical Microdevice

A novel approach for multisensing has been developed based on the integration of a parallel-channel microfluidic module with a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor chip. The microfluidic module was used to compartmentalize the surface of a single SAW sensor into equal subareas in order to deliver and detect multiple samples on the sensor. The design concerns and fabrication procedure using soft lithography of polydimethylsiloxane are described. Successful demonstration of a four-channel module is reported, along with a sensitivity evaluation and comparison with a standard flow cell used so far. Very promising results were revealed during the tests concerning the system's operation with liquid samples. The reliability and reproducibility of the results in all four subareas render the proposed setup very suitable for biological testing and screening of various biomolecules in an array format.