Comprehensive Integration, Automation and Parallelisation of Multi-step Bioanalytical Assay Formats on the Centrifugal Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Disc Platform

Over the recent years, we have significantly advanced flow control on centrifugal microfluidic “lab-on-a-disc” platforms. These novel, event- and pulse-triggered valving schemes establish logical, Boolean-type relationships such as AND / OR which are well familiar to large-scale integrated electronic circuits that are the backbone of our modern, ubiquitous gadgets. Furthermore, we established a fluidic “clock” which can time on-disc processes. As a result, the spin rate may essentially be freely programmed, e.g. to optimise conditions for on-disc sample preparation, on-board reagent storage and detection. Through these significant extensions of the centrifugal microfluidic toolbox, we have demonstrated higher-level integration and automation of various multi-step, multi-reagent, multi-parameter test panels implementing methods such nucleic acid amplification, immunoassays and cell counting.