Analytical Chemistry Chemical Cytometry Quantitates Superoxide

Anal. Chem. 2010, 82, 6870–6876
Autonomous Microfluidic Control by Chemically
Actuated Micropumps and Its Application to
Chemical Analyses
Atsushi Takashima, Kenichi Kojima, and Hiroaki Suzuki*
Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba,
Ibaraki 305-8573, Japan
Autonomous control of microfluidic transport was realized
through the use of chemically actuated diaphragm micropumps
connected to a network of controlling flow channels.
A hydrogen peroxide (H 2O2) solution was transported
in the controlling flow channel by capillary
action. Upon the solution’s arrival at the lower compartment
of a micropump filled with manganese dioxide
(MnO 2) powder, a volume change that accompanied
the production of oxygen caused by the catalytic
decomposition of H 2O2 induced inflation of the diaphragm.
This in turn caused the movement of a
solution in another network of flow channels formed
in the upper layer. Micropumps that only exert pressure
were also fabricated. By positioning the micropumps
at appropriate locations in conjunction with
additional flow-delaying components, the ejection of
solutions from the reservoir of each micropump could
be initiated at coordinated times. Furthermore, the
solutions could be transported by the application of
pressure from other micropumps. In other words, the
information for switching from one micropump to
another could be described on the chip in the form of
a network of flow channels. This autonomous processing
of solutions was demonstrated for enzymatic analyses
of H 2O2, glucose, and lactate.
With the progress now being made in microfluidic technologies,
innovative devices that make possible the complicated
manipulation of solutions have been proposed for various
applications. 1-5 However, as far as microfluidic transport is
concerned, many of these previous devices have relied on external
instruments such as microsyringe pumps or power sources to
produce pressure-driven flows or to generate electroosmotic flows.
Such bulky instruments, however, are obstacles to the increased
integration of components and miniaturization of the entire system.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: +81-29-853-5598.
Fax: +81-29-853-4490. E-mail: hsuzuki@ims.tsukuba.ac.jp.
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6870 Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 82, No. 16, August 15, 2010
To address this problem, trials have been performed to integrate
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The long history of the development of micropumps and
microvalves has produced a variety of devices that are based on
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components has usually been based on switching by electrical
signals that are programmed in a number of ways. In this
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10.1021/ac1009657 © 2010 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 07/29/2010