Researchers at the University of South Florida have devel-oped a novel microfluidics platform that enables reversible trapping of microspheres suitably for optical sensing.
Optical resonators such as microspheres are attractive as sensors in high precision applications. Typically, for sensing applications, han-dling and positioning of the sphere for optical alignment is often problematic. Currently demonstrated solutions in fluidic environ-ment include having the microsphere on a stem and handling with micro positioners, or permanently bonding the sphere to the opti-cal substrate or fiber, which are irreversible and cumbersome.
Our researchers have invented a new technique wherein they pro-pose a microfluidics platform which enables a microsphere to be easily and reversibly positioned for optical sensing, without the need for a stem. Hence the microfluidic platform can be reused for measuring multiple microsphere resonators or the same micro-sphere coated with targeted bio-species. The invention consists in a microfluidics device with a novel channel designed to flow a micro-sphere-containing fluid and immobilize a microsphere at a chosen location. This is particularly attractive to optical sensing as the loca-tion can be prealigned with optical elements in the testing set up or with an integrated optical waveguide. The microspheres in solution can be made target specific and be used as disposable probes for biosensing applications.
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