Use of a CD laser pickup head to fabricate microelectrodes in polymethylmethacrylate substrates for biosensing applications

Biomed Microdevices. 2017 Mar;19(1):5. doi: 10.1007/s10544-016-0145-0.

Abstract

In this work, we report a simple fabrication method for microelectrodes on a polymethylmethacrylate substrate, using a low-cost laser platform based on a CD-DVD unit for direct rapid-prototyping. We used this laser microfabrication technique to etch any desired design on polymethylmethacrylate substrates to produce microchannels with controlled geometry, with a highly repeatable micron-scale resolution. Those shallow microchannels were then filled with a conductive paste of material of our choice that was converted into microelectrodes of desired shapes and geometries after drying. To validate our process, different geometries, sizes and materials were used as electrodes, and then tested for amperometry and impedance measurements. Development of these microelectrodes is motivated by their potential application in sensors and biosensors, such as glucose and cell counting, as demonstrated in this paper.

Keywords: Biosensing; Microelectrodes; Microfabrication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / economics
  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Line
  • Compact Disks*
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Electric Impedance
  • Equipment Design
  • Glucose / analysis
  • Lasers*
  • Microelectrodes* / economics
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemistry*
  • Temperature
  • Water

Substances

  • Water
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate
  • Glucose