Functional hydrogel structures for autonomous flow control inside microfluidic channels

David J. Beebe (), Jeffrey S. Moore, Joseph M. Bauer, Qing Yu, Robin H. Liu, Chelladurai Devadoss and Byung-Ho Jo
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David J. Beebe: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jeffrey S. Moore: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Joseph M. Bauer: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Qing Yu: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Robin H. Liu: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chelladurai Devadoss: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Byung-Ho Jo: The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Nature, 2000, vol. 404, issue 6778, 588-590

Abstract: Abstract Hydrogels have been developed to respond to a wide variety of stimuli1,2,3,4,5,6, but their use in macroscopic systems has been hindered by slow response times (diffusion being the rate-limiting factor governing the swelling process). However, there are many natural examples of chemically driven actuation that rely on short diffusion paths to produce a rapid response7. It is therefore expected that scaling down hydrogel objects to the micrometre scale should greatly improve response times. At these scales, stimuli-responsive hydrogels could enhance the capabilities of microfluidic systems by allowing self-regulated flow control. Here we report the fabrication of active hydrogel components inside microchannels via direct photopatterning of a liquid phase. Our approach greatly simplifies system construction and assembly as the functional components are fabricated in situ, and the stimuli-responsive hydrogel components perform both sensing and actuation functions. We demonstrate significantly improved response times (less than 10 seconds) in hydrogel valves capable of autonomous control of local flow.

Date: 2000
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DOI: 10.1038/35007047

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