BiowareCFP: An Application-Agnostic Modular Reconfigurable Cyber-Fluidic Platform

Abstract

Microfluidic biochips have been in the scientific spotlight for over two decades, and although technologically advanced, they still struggle to deliver on the promise for ubiquitous miniaturization and automation for the biomedical sector. One of the most significant challenges hindering the technology transfer is the lack of standardization and the resulting absence of a common infrastructure. Moreover, microfluidics is an interdisciplinary field, but research is often carried out in a cross-disciplinary manner, focused on technology and component level development rather than on a complete future-proof system. This paper aims to raise awareness and facilitate the next evolutionary step for microfluidic biochips: to establish a holistic application-agnostic common microfluidic architecture that allows for gracefully handling changing functional and operational requirements. Allowing a microfluidic biochip to become an integrated part of a highly reconfigurable cyber-fluidic system that adopts the programming and operation model of modern computing will bring unmatched degrees of programmability and design reusability into the microfluidics field. We propose a three-tier architecture consisting of fluidic, instrumentation, and virtual systems that allows separation of concerns and promotes modularity. We also present BiowareCFP as a platform-based implementation of the outlined concepts. The proposed cyber-fluidic architecture and the BiowareCFP facilitate the integration between the virtual and the fluidic domains and pave the way for seamless integration between the cyber-fluidic and biological systems.

Keywords: application agnostic; cyber-fluidic systems; digital-microfluidics; platform-based design.

Figure 1

The BiowareCFP instrumentation system instance.

Figure 2

Microfluidic biochip examples with required external instrumentation. (a) Channel-based continuous flow biochip. The on-chip valves are controlled trough off-chip pressure valves and pumps. (b) Digital biochip with integrated biosensor.

Figure 3

Side-on views of open and closed digital microfluidic droplet actuators. (a) Open configuration. (b) Closed configuration.

Figure 4

Droplet operations.

Figure 5

The cyber-fluidic platform architecture. The fluidic system is based on a microfluidic biochip, and the virtual and instrumentation parts represent the cyber part of the system.

Figure 6

Application space to platform instance mapping. The platform instance is composed of a library of available modules (M) to match the fluidic handling needs of a particular application (A). Figure inspired from [33].

Figure 7

Model of the digital biochip. (a) Top view showing: the main actuation electrode array, the on-chip reservoirs, and the clamping area used to fix the digital biochip to the electrode drivers. (b) Bottom view showing the electrode driver connection pads, the heater connection pads and configuration solder bridges, and the digital biochip identification solder bridges. (c) The top copper layer used to fabricate the actuation electrodes. (d) The heaters’ copper layer is located 100$\mathsf{\mu }$$\mathrm{m}$ under the top copper layer. (e) Digital biochip assembly and foil-frame coating.

Figure 8

The instrumentation system for calibrating three temperature zones for space domain PCR.

Figure 9

Temperature regions characterization for space-domain PCR. Each heatmap shows the measured temperature profile of the full electrode array at 0, 60, and 120 seconds after activating the three individual temperature zones. Starting at room temperature (T0), the three temperature zones reached their set points at 92 ${}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$, 68 ${}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$, and 54 ${}^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ in 120 s, as shown in T0 + 120s.