On-site, parallel detection of bio-analytes in water by an integrated capillary flow based opto-microfluidic device

An integrated capillary-flow driven opto-microfluidic device for on-site, parallel detection of bio-analytes has been demonstrated in this work. An array of capillary-induced flow microchannels and chambers were arranged on a microfluidic chip made of poly(methyl methacrylate). This poly(methyl methacrylate) chip was further integrated with an array of eight ring-shaped organic photodiodes for measuring chemiluminescence of pathogen immunoassays. Highly sensitive detection of chemiluminescence was ensured by the use of gold nanoparticles, which were attached to the chambers of the microfluidic chip. The developed device demonstrated a detection limit in the range of ~10⁴ cells/mL for bacteria detection in water. Furthermore, the device revealed feasibility to perform parallel detection of two types of bacteria and two types of viruses quantitatively. The presented concept may offer a promising route to realize truly in-the-field devices for medical and/or environmental measurements.