Reusable, compression-sealed fluid cells for surface mounting to planar substrates

Abstract

We have developed a universal structure and mechanism for the repeatable, rapid-attachment of a fluid cell to a planar substrate. The fluid cell and all fluidic connections are completely contained in a plastic body such that attachment requires neither adhesives nor modification of the substrate. The geometry of the fluid cell is defined by the active area of the planar substrate (e.g. a sensor array). All required components have been quickly prototyped using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining. It is also straight-forward to create an array of fluid cells to attach to a single substrate (e.g. a standard microscope slide). All components are easy to assemble and can be cleaned and reused, making this flexible approach applicable for a wide range of lab-on-a-chip applications.