An integrated microfluidic biosensing platform for electronically controlled fluid manipulation, cell processing, and biomolecular detection

Background

Microfluidic biosensing is a rapidly evolving field that aims to miniaturize and automate laboratory processes for biological and chemical analysis, particularly for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. The promise of microfluidics lies in its ability to handle small fluid volumes, integrate multiple analytical steps, and deliver rapid, sensitive results using compact devices. This is especially valuable in healthcare settings where timely and accurate diagnostic information is critical, such as in remote locations, emergency rooms, or resource-limited environments. The need for portable, integrated biosensing platforms has grown as healthcare moves toward decentralized testing and personalized medicine, driving demand for solutions that can process samples, manipulate cells, and detect biomolecules efficiently outside of traditional laboratory settings.

Despite significant advances, current approaches to microfluidic biosensing face substantial limitations. Traditional diagnostic workflows rely on bulky, expensive equipment—such as pipettes, centrifuges, mixers, and pneumatic pumps—to perform fluid handling, cell processing, and detection. While microfluidic technologies like electrowetting, electrophoresis, and dielectrophoresis have enabled some degree of miniaturization, they are typically implemented in isolated modules that still require external pneumatic pumps and complex instrumentation. This reliance on external hardware undermines portability and scalability, making it difficult to achieve true integration in a compact, user-friendly device. As a result, existing systems are often too cumbersome and costly for widespread POC deployment, limiting their accessibility and impact in real-world healthcare scenarios.

Technology

This technology is a fully integrated, electronically driven microfluidic biosensing platform designed for point-of-care diagnostics. It consolidates fluid manipulation, cell processing, and biomolecular detection onto a single, compact device, eliminating the need for bulky external pneumatic pumps and instrumentation. Fluid flow within the microchannels is achieved using AC electro-osmosis, where alternating current signals applied to asymmetric interdigitated electrodes generate controlled fluid movement. Cell manipulation, including focusing and separation, is performed via dielectrophoresis (DEP) electrodes that exert precise forces on cells using programmable AC voltages. For detection, integrated impedance spectroscopy electrodes monitor changes in electrical impedance as cells or proteins pass through sensing regions, enabling real-time classification and quantification. All operational functions—signal generation, electrode control, and sensor data processing—are managed by custom CMOS chips, with the entire system assembled on a printed circuit board that houses the chips, electrodes on a glass wafer, and a PDMS microfluidic channel.

What sets this technology apart is its seamless integration of all biosensing functions into a palm-sized, battery-powered device, leveraging advanced CMOS electronics for precise control and signal processing. Unlike traditional diagnostic systems that rely on multiple, bulky instruments and external pumps, this platform achieves end-to-end sample processing, cell manipulation, and biomolecular sensing entirely through electronic means. The use of AC electro-osmosis for fluid flow and DEP for cell handling allows for programmable, scalable, and highly efficient operations within the microfluidic environment. Its impedance spectroscopy circuitry offers low noise, high dynamic range, and multi-modal sensing capabilities, supporting both cell cytometry and label-free biomolecular assays. This level of integration and electronic control enables rapid, portable, and cost-effective diagnostics, making it ideally suited for decentralized healthcare settings and transforming the accessibility of advanced biosensing technologies.

Benefits

• Fully integrated microfluidic biosensing platform combining fluid manipulation, cell processing, and biomolecular detection on a single compact device.
• Eliminates the need for bulky external pneumatic pumps by using electronically driven AC electro-osmosis for fluid flow.
• Precise cell focusing and separation achieved via dielectrophoresis (DEP) electrodes controlled by CMOS electronics.
• Real-time, label-free detection and classification of cells and proteins using integrated impedance spectroscopy with low noise and high dynamic range.
• Compact, palm-sized form factor (~6×10 cm²) suitable for portable point-of-care diagnostics.
• Low power consumption enabled by custom CMOS chips and battery-powered PCB integration.
• Scalable and cost-effective fabrication using standard CMOS processes, photolithography, and PDMS microfluidics.
• Multi-modal sensing capabilities supporting diverse applications including cancer cell diagnosis and immunoassays.

Applications

• Portable cancer cell diagnostics
• Point-of-care infectious disease testing
• Rapid antibody/antigen detection
• Label-free protein biomarker assays
• Automated cell sorting and analysis

Additional info

This integrated microfluidic biosensing system electronically manipulates fluids via AC electro-osmosis and cells using dielectrophoresis. Custom CMOS chips drive electrodes on a glass wafer within PDMS channels to achieve bulk fluid flow, cell focusing/separation, and impedance spectroscopy for biomolecular detection. It provides a compact, pneumatic-free platform for point-of-care diagnostics.