An Inkjet-Printed Microfluidic RFID-Enabled Platform for Wireless Lab-on-Chip Applications

This paper introduces the first-of-its-kind wireless passive sensing platform combining radio frequency identification (RFID), microfluidics, and inkjet printing technology that enables remote fluid analysis and requires as little as 3 μL of fluid. The demonstrated variable microfluidic capacitors, resonators, and RFID tags are fabricated using a novel rapid, low-cost, and low-temperature additive inkjet process, making them disposable. However, even with their disposable nature, the RF microfluidic devices exhibit repeatability and long-term reusability for accurately detecting water, various alcohols, and % content of water/alcohol mixtures down to 1% water in ethanol. While the main discussion is on fluid sensing, the demonstrated components can also be used in fluid-tunable RF applications.