A new fabrication process for a microchip electrophoresis device integrated with a three-electrode electrochemical detector

• Published in: Electrophoresis Vol. 26; no. 15; pp. 3007 - 3012
• Main Authors: Tsai, Dong-Mung, Lin, Kuan-Wen, Zen, Jyh-Myng, Chen, Hung-Yu, Hong, Ray-Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.08.2005; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Ascorbic Acid - urine; Electric Conductivity; Electrochemistry; Electrophoresis, Microchip - instrumentation; Human urine; Humans; Microchip electrophoresis; Microelectrodes; Miniaturization; Polymethyl Methacrylate - chemistry; Screen-printed electrode; Uric Acid - urine
• ISSN: 0173-0835; 1522-2683
• DOI: 10.1002/elps.200500107

We report here a novel and simple process for the fabrication of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)‐based microchip electrophoresis device, integrated with a screen‐printed three‐electrode electrochemical detector that does not require a replicate mold. In this approach, a photoresist layer constitutes both an adhesion layer and side walls of 50 μm wide and 50 μm tall microfluidic channels on a screen‐printed three‐electrode PMMA substrate. Openings were drilled for buffer reservoirs on an additional piece of PMMA, then the final device was bonded in a PMMA/photoresist/PMMA sandwich configuration. This process is inexpensive, less time‐consuming, and simpler compared with traditional fabrication methods. The combination of this PMMA‐based microchip fabrication together with screen‐printed electrode technology holds great promise for the mass production of a single‐use micrototal analytical system. Successful determination of uric acid and L‐ascorbic acid with the presented system validates its utility. In combination with a suitable electrochemical detector, this device holds much promise for the determination of other analytes in various biological samples for medical and clinical diagnosis.