Low-cost fluorescence microscope with microfluidic device fabrication for optofluidic applications
Abstract
Optofluidic devices have revolutionized the manipulation and transportation of fluid at smaller length scales ranging from micrometers to millimeters. We describe a dedicated optical setup for studying laser-induced cavitation inside a microchannel. In a typical experiment, we use a tightly focused laser beam to locally evaporate the solution laced with a dye resulting in the formation of a microbubble. The evolving bubble interface is tracked using high-speed microscopy and digital image analysis. Furthermore, we extend this system to analyze fluid flow through fluorescenceParticle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique with minimal adaptations. In addition, we demonstrate the protocols for the in-house fabrication of a microchannel tailored to function as a sample holder in this optical setup. In essence, we present a complete guide for constructing a fluorescence microscope from scratch using standard optical components with flexibility in the design and at a lower cost compared to its commercial analogues.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2302.00062,
title = {Low-cost fluorescence microscope with microfluidic device fabrication for optofluidic applications},
author = {Nagaraj Nagalingam and Aswin Raghunathan and Vikram Korede and Edwin F. J. Overmars and Shih-Te Hung and Remco Hartkamp and Johan T. Padding and Carlas S. Smith and Huseyin Burak Eral},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2302.00062},
year = {2023}
}
Comments
N. Nagalingam and A. Raghunathan contributed equally to this work