Real-time flow measurement in paper-based microfluidics

Abstract

Recently the field of paper-based microfluidics has garnered significant interest due to the desire to develop very low cost diagnostic devices [1]. Critical to the development of the field is the availability of tools to monitor, or measure, liquid flow in paper, a porous and opaque material. Despite recent efforts to monitor flow in paper, there is yet a technique that is both easy to use and provides detailed flow information in real-time. To address this critical need, we demonstrate a real-time, non-optical technique, based on electrochemical velocimetry, to monitor liquid flow in paper samples.