A microfluidic-based frequency-multiplexing impedance sensor (FMIS)

We present a novel technology for the simultaneous and simple impedimetric screening of multiple microfluidic channels with only one electrode pair. We have exploited the frequency dimension to distinguish between up to three channels. Each ‘sub-sensor’ possesses its corresponding measurement frequency where the sample-specific dielectric properties can be probed. We have shown the validity of our frequency-multiplexing impedance sensor (FMIS) by comparison with conventional ‘single sensors’. Our highly sensitive FMIS was proven suitable for life science applications through usage as a cell-based toxicology platform. We are confident that our technology might find great utility in parallelized cell-based analysis systems as well as in biomedical devices where size limitations and spatially distributed probing are important parameters.