NanoFlow
Enhancement of in vitro Diagnostics using Nanoparticle Labels, Nanophotonics and Microfluidics
Principal Investigator at ASE: Prof. Pasi Kallio
Duration of the project: 2008 – 2011
Project description:
To tackle the challenges created by the global trends of point-of-care diagnostics industry, advancements in several fields of technology and science are needed – many of them related to nanotechnology. This project was set to develop and integrate nanophotonics, nanoparticle based assay technology and micro- and nanofluidics to respond to the future needs of the diagnostics industry.
ASE developed microfluidic sample pre-processing and immunoreaction technologies using injection molded and laser welded disposable polymer cartridges. The main results at ASE were:
• A method for metering sample volumes on a disposable cartridge was developed and real patient samples (serum, plasma, whole blood) were successfully metered (480 measurements)
• An image based measurement method for estimating the metered sample volume was developed
• A microfluidic alternative for a conventional mechanical 6-port valve in commercial Surface Plasmon Resonance devices was developed
• Methods, that were proven to produce highly hydrophilic PDMS surfaces (contact angle of 30° or below) over six months worth, were developed
• A microfluidic method for dissolving dried nanoparticles was developed
• Increased understanding on the effects of laser welding on immunoassay performance
• Increased understanding on the injection moulding as a manufacturing method using SEM imaging
• A modular test cartridge was developed to study and optimize different unit functions required to accomplish the assay procedure
Figure 1: Injection moulded polystyrene cartridge, photograph and conceptual design.
Figure 2: Laser welded seam of the cartridge.
Figure 3: Microfluidic liquid handling system for SPR devices.
Funding:
Tekes, Danaher Innotrac Diagnostics, Cencorp Corporation, Medisize Corporation, Hermia Oy, Bionavis Oy, Oy Reagena Ltd
Partners:
• Professor Timo Lövgren and PhD Lasse Välimaa Department of Biotechnology, University of Turku
• Professor Pasi Vahimaa Department of Physics and Mathematics, University of Eastern Finland
• D.Tech Jorma Vihinen in the Department of Production Engineering at Tampere University of Technology
Personnel:
• MSc Anne Mäntymaa,
• MSc Mathias von Essen,
• MSc Valtteri Heiskanen
• MSc Satu Vanhanen
• MSc Joose Kreutzer
• BSc Samu Hemmilä
Thesis works:
• Anne Mäntymaa: “Microfluidics in dry-chemistry based immunoassays”,
Master of Science Thesis, 2010
• Satu Vanhanen: “Sample Pre-Processing in a Microfluidic Cartridge”,
Master of Science Thesis, 2010
Publications:
• Mäntymaa, A., Välimaa, L. & Kallio, P. ”Solubility of Dried Nanoparticles and their Nonspecific Binding in Microfluidic Polystyrene Channels”. Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Microfluidics - Microfluidics 2010, Toulouse, France, December, 2010.
• Mäntymaa, A., Halme, J., Välimaa, L. & Kallio, P. ”The Effects of Laser Welding on the Heterogeneous Immunoassay Performance in a Microfluidic Cartridge”. Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Microfluidics - Microfluidics 2010, Toulouse, France, December, 2010.
• Hemmilä, S., Kreutzer, J. & Kallio, P. ”New Pneumatically Actuated PDMS System for Liquid Handling in SPR Devices”. Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Microfluidics - Microfluidics 2010, Toulouse, France, December, 2010.
• Heiskanen, V., Vanhanen, S. & Kallio, P. “Volume Estimation of a Liquid Plug in a Microchannel using a Machine Vision System” Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Microfluidics - Microfluidics 2010, Toulouse, France, December, 2010.
• Vanhanen, S., Järvelä, P. & Kallio, P. “Sample Volume Metering in a Disposable Microfluidic Cartridge”. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (µTAS2010), Groeningen, the Netherlands, October 2010.
• Heiskanen, V., Marjanen, K. & Kallio, P. “Machine Vision based Measurement of Dynamic Contact Angles in Microchannel Flows”. Journal of Bionic Engineering, Elsevier. Volume 5, Number 4, 2008. pp 282-290.