A versatile valving toolkit for automating fluidic operations in paper microfluidic devices.

ABSTRACT: Failure to utilize valving and automation techniques has restricted the complexity of fluidic operations that can be performed in paper microfluidic devices. We developed a toolkit of paper microfluidic valves and methods for automatic valve actuation using movable paper strips and fluid-triggered expanding elements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first functional demonstration of this valving strategy in paper microfluidics. After introduction of fluids on devices, valves can actuate automatically after a) a certain period of time, or b) the passage of a certain volume of fluid. Timing of valve actuation can be tuned with greater than 8.5% accuracy by changing lengths of timing wicks, and we present timed on-valves, off-valves, and diversion (channel-switching) valves. The actu

SUBMITTER: Toley BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4391506 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature