Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection

This paper presents a novel microfluidic device that integrates dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces with a membrane filter to concentrate and trap microparticles in a narrow region for enhanced optical analysis. The device combines the broad particle capture capability of a membrane filter with the preci...

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Main Authors: Young-Ho Nam, Seung-Ki Lee, Jae-Hyoung Park
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Micromachines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/2/158
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author Young-Ho Nam
Seung-Ki Lee
Jae-Hyoung Park
author_facet Young-Ho Nam
Seung-Ki Lee
Jae-Hyoung Park
author_sort Young-Ho Nam
collection DOAJ
description This paper presents a novel microfluidic device that integrates dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces with a membrane filter to concentrate and trap microparticles in a narrow region for enhanced optical analysis. The device combines the broad particle capture capability of a membrane filter with the precision of DEP to focus particles in regions optimized for optical measurements. The device features transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) top electrodes on a glass substrate and gold (Au) bottom electrodes patterned on a small area of the membrane filter, with spacers to control the gaps between the electrodes. This configuration enables precise particle concentration at a specific location and facilitates real-time optical detection. Experiments using 0.8 μm fluorescent polystyrene (PS) beads and <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) bacteria demonstrated effective particle trapping and concentration, with fluorescence intensity increasing proportionally to particle concentration. The application of DEP forces in a small region of the membrane filter resulted in a significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity, showcasing the effectiveness of the DEP-enhanced design for improving particle concentration and optical measurement sensitivity. The device also showed promising potential for bacterial detection, particularly with <i>E. coli</i>, by achieving a linear increase in fluorescence intensity with increasing bacterial concentration. These results highlight the device’s potential for precise and efficient microparticle concentration and detection.
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spelling doaj-art-e4fd4f64fb3b43f596a14ea77bbef9232025-08-20T02:44:35ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2025-01-0116215810.3390/mi16020158Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical DetectionYoung-Ho Nam0Seung-Ki Lee1Jae-Hyoung Park2Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin 16890, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin 16890, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering, Dankook University, Yongin 16890, Republic of KoreaThis paper presents a novel microfluidic device that integrates dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces with a membrane filter to concentrate and trap microparticles in a narrow region for enhanced optical analysis. The device combines the broad particle capture capability of a membrane filter with the precision of DEP to focus particles in regions optimized for optical measurements. The device features transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) top electrodes on a glass substrate and gold (Au) bottom electrodes patterned on a small area of the membrane filter, with spacers to control the gaps between the electrodes. This configuration enables precise particle concentration at a specific location and facilitates real-time optical detection. Experiments using 0.8 μm fluorescent polystyrene (PS) beads and <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>) bacteria demonstrated effective particle trapping and concentration, with fluorescence intensity increasing proportionally to particle concentration. The application of DEP forces in a small region of the membrane filter resulted in a significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity, showcasing the effectiveness of the DEP-enhanced design for improving particle concentration and optical measurement sensitivity. The device also showed promising potential for bacterial detection, particularly with <i>E. coli</i>, by achieving a linear increase in fluorescence intensity with increasing bacterial concentration. These results highlight the device’s potential for precise and efficient microparticle concentration and detection.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/2/158microfluidicsdielectrophoresismembrane filtermicroparticle concentration
spellingShingle Young-Ho Nam
Seung-Ki Lee
Jae-Hyoung Park
Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection
Micromachines
microfluidics
dielectrophoresis
membrane filter
microparticle concentration
title Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection
title_full Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection
title_fullStr Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection
title_full_unstemmed Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection
title_short Dielectrophoresis-Enhanced Microfluidic Device with Membrane Filter for Efficient Microparticle Concentration and Optical Detection
title_sort dielectrophoresis enhanced microfluidic device with membrane filter for efficient microparticle concentration and optical detection
topic microfluidics
dielectrophoresis
membrane filter
microparticle concentration
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/16/2/158
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AT seungkilee dielectrophoresisenhancedmicrofluidicdevicewithmembranefilterforefficientmicroparticleconcentrationandopticaldetection
AT jaehyoungpark dielectrophoresisenhancedmicrofluidicdevicewithmembranefilterforefficientmicroparticleconcentrationandopticaldetection