| Popis: |
Milk intended for human consumption is strictly regulated for antibiotics, to prevent health problems, including allergic reactions and antibacterial resistance. Currently, testing is performed on bulk milk tanks, where, if contaminated, an entire tank is discarded. Microfluidic devices could provide on-farm testing, however, current microfluidic methods do not achieve the regulated antibiotics limit. This thesis presents developments in microfluidics towards this goal. A microparticle tracking velocimetry MATLAB program is developed and compared to mathematical models. This is tested for pressure-driven and electrophoresis applications. Moreover, microchip capillary electrophoresis is further explored with lock-in amplification to reduce system noise when detecting antibiotics in milk samples. This integration provides a significant noise reduction. This work provides a foundation to develop rapid and reliable antibiotic detection systems in the dairy industry. |
