Abstract
This study presented a new digital microfluidic platform capable of detection of influenza A (H1N1) viruses by utilizing a new one-aptamer/two-antibodies protocol on magnetic beads driven by electromagnetic forces on a structureless, super-hydrophobic surface. The tunable electromagnetic forces could be adjusted for three kinds of operating modes for manipulations of beads and droplets, including movement of droplets containing magnetic beads, mixing of two droplets and beads extraction out of droplets. Furthermore, the magnetic beads also served as a 3D substrate for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA)-like assay such that H1N1 viruses could be detected. This is the first time that a digital microfluidic platform was demonstrated such that the entire diagnostic process for influenza H1N1 viruses could be performed by using electromagnetic forces.