Aerosol sampling using an electrostatic precipitator integrated with a microfluidic interface

作者：Pardon Gaspard; Ladhani Laila; Sandstrom Niklas; Ettori Maxime; Lobov Gleb; van der Wijngaart Wouter^*

来源：Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical , 2015, 212: 344-352.

DOI：10.1016/j.snb.2015.02.008

• Exhaled breath analysis
• Electrostatic precipitator
• Microfluidics
• Lab-on-a-chip
• Diagnostics
• Aerosol sampling

In this work, the development of a point-of-care (PoC) system to capture aerosol from litres of air directly onto a microfluidic lab-on-chip for subsequent analysis is addressed. The system involves an electrostatic precipitator that uses corona charging and electrophoretic transport to capture aerosol droplets onto a microfluidic air-to-liquid interface for downstream analysis. A theoretical study of the governing geometric and operational parameters for optimal electrostatic precipitation is presented. The fabrication of an electrostatic precipitator prototype and its experimental validation using a laboratory-generated aerosolized dye is described. Collection efficiencies were comparable to those of a state-of-the-art Biosampler impinger, with the significant advantage of providing samples that are at least 10 times more concentrated. Finally, we discuss the potential of such a system for breath-based diagnostics.

• 出版日期2015-6