Integrated microwave resonant device for dielectric analysis of microfluidic systems

Abstract

Herein we present a device for performing non-contact dielectric spectroscopy upon liquids in a microfluidic environment. The device is comprised of a compression-sealed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) chip with an embedded coaxial resonator, which is overmoded for dielectric measurements at six discrete frequencies between 1 and 8 GHz. A novel capacitive coupling structure allows transmission measurements to be taken from one end of the resonator, and an optimised microchannel design maximises sensitivity and repeatability. The use of a PTFE substrate and a non-contact measurement gives excellent chemical and biological compatibility. A simple 'fingerprint' method for identifying solvents is demonstrated, whereby a sample is characterised by air-referenced changes in complex frequency. Complex permittivity values are also obtained via a perturbation theory-based inversion. A combination of experimental and simulated results is used to characterise the device behaviour, limits of operation and measurement uncertainty. The high stability of temporal measurements, coupled with the robustness of the design, make this device ideal for analytical chemistry and industrial process control.