A novel microfluidic system for fluorescent sample analysis fabricated by rapid prototyping

In this paper we present the design, simulation and measurement results of a microfluidic optical sensor system for fluorescent sample analysis fabricated by single-layer micro-stereolithographic prototyping in a transparent photoresin. With rapid fabrication and simple packaging processes the device can be manufactured in less than one hour. The analysis efficiency of the sample observation zone is enhanced by a novel arrangement of the light focusing unit including integrated cylindrical lenses and inserted glass fibers. Using multiple angles for excitation and detection of the fluorescent signal the sensor allows simultaneous signal measurements and correlations to achieve a better S/N-ratio. The optical performance of the sensor chip is evaluated by measuring the light focusing efficiency and fluorescent signal intensities of different Rhodamine B stained sample flow concentrations.