Speaker
Description
Optofluidic technologies integrate optics into microfluidics for applications like refractive index (RI) sensing, but current platforms often demand complex optics limiting scalability and restricting them to monophasic flows. We introduce RIOD, a simple optical detector for RI measurement in sub millimetric capillaries supporting both monophasic and droplet-based flows. RIOD uses flexible light pipes aligned with a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode by 3D printed parts. The device is controlled via Arduino. It delivers RI sensitivity matching some existing complex systems, distinguishing liquids and sucrose concentrations. Simulations confirm its principle, revealing impacts of light wavelength and construction misalignments on performance. RIOD enables real time droplet monitoring and is integrated into a proof-of-concept peroxidase fluorescent assay presented in this work, demonstrating the versatility of the same electronics across both continuous and droplet microfluidics.
My name is Beatrice Crestani. I got a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Padova and I am currently a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Technology. My research background combines microfluidics, microfabrication, and droplet-based technologies through several research projects and training experiences. My current PhD project focuses on the isolation of extracellular vesicles from biofluids for liquid biopsy applications. The approach relies on droplet microfluidics to split samples into microdroplets, enabling precise manipulation and analysis, and allowing the isolation of extracellular vesicles through chemical affinity on solid supports. To support droplet handling and characterization, we developed custom the optical sensors explained above for refractive index detection, relevant for microfluidic applications in bioanalysis technologies.