The core of our microfluidic system for single-molecule experiments lies in a monolithic glass laminar flow cell. These leak-free custom chips for single-molecule research applications have a size of 70x14x1.3 mm and are entirely made of glass.
The flow cell has 5 inlet channels of 500 µm width and 100 µm depth. Three inlet channels combine to form one main channel of 2 mm wide and 100 µm deep. The fourth and fifth inlet channels join the main channel in the center of the chip and feature a reservoir in which experiments can be conducted.
The user will be provided with 2 types of flow cells; type C1 and type C2. In C2 the width of the laminar flows remains the same throughout the main flow chamber when all channels are flowing, while in C1 the width of the laminar flows remain the same when only the 3 channels are “on” that enter the main flow channel from the start. This makes type C1 the preferred flow cell when working with precious materials, which can easily reside in the upper channels without flow, whereas type C2 is more convenient when quick transport between different conditions is required. A LUMICKS application scientist or account manager will be happy to think along which flow cell design would suit the planned applications best.
Flow cell type C1 (top) and type C2 (bottom)
