Digital microfluidics is known for fine manipulation of sub-millimeter samples, with applications from biological sample preparation to diagnostic testing. Unfortunately, until now, it has been only limited to liquid phases. In this paper, we present a new system based on a digital microfluidic platform (DMFP), which is able to digitally manipulate gaseous samples, such as alkanes from n-hexane to n-nonane. The DMFP relies mostly on interconnected micropreconcentrators (μPCs) to trap and release the samples depending on their controlled temperature. We show that the DMFP is capable of performing all basic operations of digital microfluidics: trapping/releasing and moving samples, adding samples and separating samples. As a first example of a more complex programmable use of our DMFP, we measured the breakthrough volume of alkanes on a Tenax TA adsorbent. The results were consistent with tabulated values obtained with standard laboratory instruments. This DMFP promises great possibilities for more complex programmable gas microfluidics digital devices and the development of new digital gas sample preparation and analysis methods.

中文翻译：

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用于气态样品数字化处理的微流控设备。

众所周知，数字微流体技术可用于亚毫米样品的精细处理，其应用范围从生物样品制备到诊断测试。不幸的是，直到现在，它仅限于液相。在本文中，我们提出基于数字微流体平台（DMFP），这是能够以数字方式操纵气体样品，例如从烷烃的新系统Ñ己烷至Ñ-壬烷 DMFP主要依靠互连的微型预浓缩器（μPC）来捕获和释放样品，具体取决于样品的受控温度。我们证明了DMFP能够执行数字微流体的所有基本操作：捕获/释放和移动样本，添加样本和分离样本。作为更复杂的DMFP可编程使用的第一个示例，我们测量了Tenax TA吸附剂上烷烃的突破体积。结果与使用标准实验室仪器获得的列表值一致。该DMFP有望为更复杂的可编程气体微流体数字设备和开发新的数字气体样品制备和分析方法提供巨大的可能性。