Nanoliter liquid handling on a low cost disposable with embedded fluid actuators

We present the development of a disposable liquid handling lab-on-a-chip (LOC) system with embedded actuators for applications in analytical chemistry. The proposed nanoliter liquid handling is based on a temperature sensitive silicone elastomer composite, consisting of PDMS and expandable microspheres. In our LOC system, we integrate active dosing, transportation and merging of nanoliter liquid volumes. The disposable successfully demonstrates precise sample volume control with smart microfluidic manipulation and on-chip active microfluidic components. It is entirely fabricated from low-cost materials using wafer-level processing. Moreover, a biochemical luminescent reaction was successfully conducted to exemplify its applicability as an LOC.