Fluidics cube for biosensor miniaturization

To create a small, portable, fully automated biosensor, a compact means of fluid handling is required. We designed, manufactured, and tested a "fluidi cs cube" for such a purpose. This cube, made of thermoplastic, contains res ervoirs and channels for liquid samples and reagents and operates without t he use of any internal valves or meters; it is a passive fluid circuit that relies on pressure relief vents to control fluid movement. We demonstrate the ability of pressure relief vents to control fluid movement and show how to simply manufacture or modify the cube. Combined with the planar array b iosensor developed at the Naval Research Laboratory, it brings us one step closer to realizing our goal of a handheld biosensor capable of analyzing m ultiple samples for multiple analytes.