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Application of external micro-spectrophotometric detection to improve sensitivity on microchips

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Abstract

The goal of this work was to increase the sensitivity of a UV–Vis spectrophotometer by decreasing the background noise and lengthening the optical path. A microphotometer has been modified to precisely select very small parts of a microfluidic channel pattern of a chip and to measure light absorbance on a magnified area of the selected part of the channel. The viability of combining a projection microscope and a spectrophotometer for external absorbance measurements on disposable PDMS chips was studied. Besides the external direct detection above a microfluidic channel, the optical pathlength was lengthened by detecting in the region of the perpendicular exit port. Increasing the cross-sectional area of the zone of irradiation improved the signal-to-noise ratio and the limits of detection (LOD).

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support for this research by grants from the National Scientific Research Fund, Hungary K75286), the National Office for Research and Technology (Baross-2-2007-0028) and the National Science Foundation (DMR-0351848, CHE-0515363, and OISE-0754138).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Attila Gáspár & Mihály Braun

  2. Cetox Ltd, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    István Bácsi

  3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032-8202, USA

    Erika F. Garcia & Frank A. Gomez

Authors
  1. Attila Gáspár
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  2. István Bácsi
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  3. Erika F. Garcia
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  4. Mihály Braun
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  5. Frank A. Gomez
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Correspondence to Attila Gáspár.

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Gáspár, A., Bácsi, I., Garcia, E.F. et al. Application of external micro-spectrophotometric detection to improve sensitivity on microchips. Anal Bioanal Chem 395, 473–478 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2980-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2980-9

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