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"Because we have this massively parallel approach--effectively like 62 microscopes—we can get very high measurement or data rates... This device has shown we can measure up to 200,000 drops per second, but I think we can push it even further." |
A microscope image of the microfluidic and optical device, consisting of a flow-focus drop maker, six layers of drop splitters, followed by 64 parallel microfluidic channels, and a zone-plate array which is aligned to the microfluidic channel array at a tilt angle.Researchers at Harvard's SEAS have put together a new chip with some pretty fantastic measurement and detection capabilities.
The platform combines a high throughput microfluidic device with 62 high powered lenses to create a new kind of optical lab-on-a-chip device.
The researchers—including Dr. Crozier and Ethan Schonbrun a graduate student at SEAS—claim that the whole system has the sensitivity of a large microscope, describing it as a "massively parallel approach." On top of that, the device can test up to 200,000 drops per second... and Dr. Crozier hopes to be able to push that further.
The team is optimistic that the device could enhance microfluidic and lab-on-chip devices for use in applications such as in-the-field biological assays.
The work is described in full in Lab on a Chip (Issue 5, 2010).
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