133
Automatic Single-Cell Transfer Module
PDMS chip with 2-layer valve
Open
Close
PDMS chip with 3-layer valve
Open
Close
FIGURE 7.4
PDMS microfluidic chips and valve actuation. Figure shows valve deformation by applying
air pressure.
two valves so that one becomes closed if the other becomes open. In addition, the flow behavior of the “Y”-shaped channel can be observed by the use
of color pigments when the pump actuates. The control of the current direction in the microchannel is handled by the rotary motion of a high-precision
rotary pump (ISMATech). Although the fabrication process of a three-layer
microfluidic chip is more difficult than that for a two-layer chip, it has a better performance, in particular for response time. Table 7.1 shows a comparison of both valve designs.
7.2.6 Vision Systems
Two camera systems were assigned to monitor two important sections of the
entire mechanism. The first camera (compact optical setup with Point grey
Dragonfly camera, Point Grey Research, Richmond, BC, Canada) was placed
on the cell container in order to detect the position of the oocyte or donor
cells in the container. The second camera was boarded on the microfluidic
chip with the purpose of actuating valves and changing flow direction.
The compact vision system provides good image quality, allowing data
on the oocyte cell and donor cell to be extracted from the acquired images
(Uvet et al. 2008). In this second version, we changed the optical setup and
designed a task specific system that has a 1.5-mm monitoring area and light
source on the same side as the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS) sensor. The specifications are given in Table 7.2.
The camera can be placed and aligned on a chip with the aid of xyz microstages. As shown in Figure 7.5, the new system is small and can be easily
combined with the microfluidic chips. This makes it possible to observe
the cell container and microfluidic chip simultaneously in a short distance.
Otherwise, we would have to use two commercial microscopes, which
Automatic Single-Cell Transfer Module
PDMS chip with 2-layer valve
Open
Close
PDMS chip with 3-layer valve
Open
Close
FIGURE 7.4
PDMS microfluidic chips and valve actuation. Figure shows valve deformation by applying
air pressure.
two valves so that one becomes closed if the other becomes open. In addition, the flow behavior of the “Y”-shaped channel can be observed by the use
of color pigments when the pump actuates. The control of the current direction in the microchannel is handled by the rotary motion of a high-precision
rotary pump (ISMATech). Although the fabrication process of a three-layer
microfluidic chip is more difficult than that for a two-layer chip, it has a better performance, in particular for response time. Table 7.1 shows a comparison of both valve designs.
7.2.6 Vision Systems
Two camera systems were assigned to monitor two important sections of the
entire mechanism. The first camera (compact optical setup with Point grey
Dragonfly camera, Point Grey Research, Richmond, BC, Canada) was placed
on the cell container in order to detect the position of the oocyte or donor
cells in the container. The second camera was boarded on the microfluidic
chip with the purpose of actuating valves and changing flow direction.
The compact vision system provides good image quality, allowing data
on the oocyte cell and donor cell to be extracted from the acquired images
(Uvet et al. 2008). In this second version, we changed the optical setup and
designed a task specific system that has a 1.5-mm monitoring area and light
source on the same side as the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS) sensor. The specifications are given in Table 7.2.
The camera can be placed and aligned on a chip with the aid of xyz microstages. As shown in Figure 7.5, the new system is small and can be easily
combined with the microfluidic chips. This makes it possible to observe
the cell container and microfluidic chip simultaneously in a short distance.
Otherwise, we would have to use two commercial microscopes, which