Liquid circuits implemented using smartphone-controlled valves and self-vented channels

Abstract

Most microfluidic implementations rely on external components to manipulate liquids and involve cumbersome sample and chip preparation steps. Such practical challenges often hinder the broad use of many new concepts developed for lab-on-a-chip devices. Here, we introduce a new technique for programming the flow of multiple liquids in easy-to-use capillary-driven microfluidic systems using a compact and portable electronic peripheral and a protocol applied from a smartphone. We perform various tasks of complex liquid manipulation, such as sequential delivery and synchronized merging of multiple liquids.