1196-Chamber compatible LOC device with bubble valves for signaling molecular profiling in blood

The present medical technology cannot radically cure many chronic diseases, which often involved the interaction between different organs or systems in human body. Since signaling molecules, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines etc., play a key role in the communication of different organs, signaling molecular profiling (SMP) could provide an intelligible overview of the systems inside human body. Here, a 1196-chamber Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device based on the quantitative aptamer-NASBA (nucleic acid sequence-based amplification) assay was developed to monitor SMP in serum samples, which could help doctors fully understand the body of patients. The disposable chip is modeled on a 1536-well microplate, which is completely compatible with common microplate readers in biological laboratories. The chip was made of PDMS and silicon with a deposited gold layer. Notably, air bubbles were introduced as valves into the chip deliberately so as to isolate every reaction chamber. The preliminary test indicated that the LOC has the potential to quantify signaling molecules at a femtomolar level.