High-pressure on-chip mechanical valves for thermoplastic microfluidic devices

Abstract

A facile method enabling the integration of elastomeric valves into rigid thermoplastic microfluidic chips is described. The valves employ discrete plugs of elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) integrated into the thermoplastic substrate and actuated using a threaded stainless steel needle. The fabrication process takes advantage of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a sacrificial molding material to isolate the PDMS regions from the thermoplastic flow channels, while yielding smooth contact surfaces with the PDMS valve seats. The valves introduce minimal dead volumes, and provide a simple mechanical means to achieve reproducible proportional valving within thermoplastic microfluidic systems. Burst pressure tests reveal that the valves can withstand pressures above 12 MPa over repeated open/close cycles without leakage, and above 24 MPa during a single use, making the technology well suited for applications such as high performance liquid chromatography. Proportional valve operation is demonstrated using a multi-valve chemical gradient generator fabricated in cyclic olefin polymer.