An integrated microfluidic device driven by an automated system for precise detection of antibiotics in water

Integrating microfabrication methods, automated pumping systems, and computational fluid dynamics simulations with microfluidic technology provides a robust platform for accurately detecting contaminants in water. This study explores incorporating optical sensing units with microfluidic platforms to enable real-time monitoring of aminoglycosidic antibiotics in water samples. Micromixers play a pivotal role in biological and chemical assays by facilitating rapid and efficient mixing of reactants or samples. A passive micromixer was designed to conduct assays in a PDMS chip, and its efficiency was evaluated through simulation studies. The proposed research focuses on the simulation of different micromixer geometries with studies on their impact on mixing efficiency and fluid flow dynamics over time, followed by designing and developing a microfluidic device for detecting antibiotics in water. The microfabrication was done through 3D printing and PDMS casting, translating the optimized designs into a physical device and validating experimental results. An automated fluid pumping system design based on a stepper motor capable of delivering a minimum volume flow rate of 40.5 µL/sec is presented, enhancing flexibility in reagent delivery for general optical sensing systems. This work is a proof of concept demonstrating a novel sensor technology with an impressive dynamic range of 8–100 μM/mL and a detection limit of 13 μM/mL. This integrated platform demonstrates significant potential for advancing real-time monitoring and automation in biological and environmental analysis.