Deployment of a multi-chip NFC system with microfluidic for electrochemical sensing

Fast, on-site chemical sensing can be a powerful tool for many applications, ranging from point-of-care analyses to food quality checks. NFC (Near Field Communications) devices capable of chemical sensing have recently become available. However, they are still limited to sensing a single chemical species at a time, whereas usually, an array of species should be quantified during the same analysis. Multi-chip NFC devices are still unavailable for chemical sensing, and the use of microfluidics with delay lines is also necessary for the correct delivery of liquid samples. Accordingly, this contribution explores the layout design of the first multi-chip NFC system integrated with microfluidics for electrochemical sensing using multiple boards simultaneously. The most functional arrangement of the responders is experimentally selected based on their read areas, the quality of the NFC communication, and the microfluidic characteristics. Lastly, a four-channel microfluidic system is integrated with the best board placement and validated by quantification of sodium in standard solution.