Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing
Precise fluid height sensing in open-channel microfluidics has long been a desirable feature for a wide range of applications. However, performing accurate measurements of the fluid level in small-scale reservoirs (<1 mL) has proven to be an elusive goal, especially if direct fluid-sensor contact...
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| Format: | Article |
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Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
2018
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/116892 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7890-7209 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8851-1224 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5876-8854 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1801-5548 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-5450 |
| _version_ | 1826189969848270848 |
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| author | Soenksen Martinez, Luis Ruben Kassis, Timothy Noh, Minkyun Griffith, Linda G Trumper, David L |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering Soenksen Martinez, Luis Ruben Kassis, Timothy Noh, Minkyun Griffith, Linda G Trumper, David L |
| author_sort | Soenksen Martinez, Luis Ruben |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Precise fluid height sensing in open-channel microfluidics has long been a desirable feature for a wide range of applications. However, performing accurate measurements of the fluid level in small-scale reservoirs (<1 mL) has proven to be an elusive goal, especially if direct fluid-sensor contact needs to be avoided. In particular, gravity-driven systems used in several microfluidic applications to establish pressure gradients and impose flow remain open-loop and largely unmonitored due to these sensing limitations. Here we present an optimized self-shielded coplanar capacitive sensor design and automated control system to provide submillimeter fluid-height resolution (∼250 μm) and control of small-scale open reservoirs without the need for direct fluid contact. Results from testing and validation of our optimized sensor and system also suggest that accurate fluid height information can be used to robustly characterize, calibrate and dynamically control a range of microfluidic systems with complex pumping mechanisms, even in cell culture conditions. Capacitive sensing technology provides a scalable and cost-effective way to enable continuous monitoring and closed-loop feedback control of fluid volumes in small-scale gravity-dominated wells in a variety of microfluidic applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:32:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/116892 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T08:32:59Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1168922022-09-30T09:30:08Z Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing Soenksen Martinez, Luis Ruben Kassis, Timothy Noh, Minkyun Griffith, Linda G Trumper, David L Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics Soenksen Martinez, Luis Ruben Kassis, Timothy Noh, Minkyun Griffith, Linda G Trumper, David L Precise fluid height sensing in open-channel microfluidics has long been a desirable feature for a wide range of applications. However, performing accurate measurements of the fluid level in small-scale reservoirs (<1 mL) has proven to be an elusive goal, especially if direct fluid-sensor contact needs to be avoided. In particular, gravity-driven systems used in several microfluidic applications to establish pressure gradients and impose flow remain open-loop and largely unmonitored due to these sensing limitations. Here we present an optimized self-shielded coplanar capacitive sensor design and automated control system to provide submillimeter fluid-height resolution (∼250 μm) and control of small-scale open reservoirs without the need for direct fluid contact. Results from testing and validation of our optimized sensor and system also suggest that accurate fluid height information can be used to robustly characterize, calibrate and dynamically control a range of microfluidic systems with complex pumping mechanisms, even in cell culture conditions. Capacitive sensing technology provides a scalable and cost-effective way to enable continuous monitoring and closed-loop feedback control of fluid volumes in small-scale gravity-dominated wells in a variety of microfluidic applications. United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Award W911NF-12-2-0039) 2018-07-11T15:17:13Z 2018-07-11T15:17:13Z 2018-02 2017-11 2018-07-11T14:43:32Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1473-0197 1473-0189 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/116892 Soenksen, L. R. et al. “Closed-Loop Feedback Control for Microfluidic Systems through Automated Capacitive Fluid Height Sensing.” Lab on a Chip 18, 6 (2018): 902–914 © 2018 Royal Society of Chemistry https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7890-7209 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8851-1224 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5876-8854 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1801-5548 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-5450 http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C7LC01223C Lab on a Chip Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ application/pdf Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Royal Society of Chemistry |
| spellingShingle | Soenksen Martinez, Luis Ruben Kassis, Timothy Noh, Minkyun Griffith, Linda G Trumper, David L Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| title | Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| title_full | Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| title_fullStr | Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| title_short | Closed-loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| title_sort | closed loop feedback control for microfluidic systems through automated capacitive fluid height sensing |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/116892 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7890-7209 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8851-1224 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5876-8854 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1801-5548 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-5450 |
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