Primary surface measurement reported
Water contact angle measurements on Parafilm® surfaces (before vs. after laser ablation of the paper).
Client Citation Analysis
Engineered detection zone to enhance color uniformity on paper microfluidics fabricated via Parafilm®-heating-laser-cutting
This study presents a Parafilm®-laminated paper microfluidics fabrication workflow and uses water contact-angle measurements to evaluate whether the laser ablation step affects Parafilm® hydrophobicity.
At-a-Glance Summary
Dropometer attribution in the paper
Water contact angle was assessed using Dropometer (Droplet Lab) in the device characterization methods.
How the surface-tension / contact-angle data were used in the study
The contact-angle comparison was used to investigate whether laser ablation of the paper alters the hydrophobicity of the Parafilm® layer used in the fabrication method, with results presented as a before/after comparison.
Replication / reliability statement
Figure 3A reports contact-angle values with (n = 3).
Paper Details
Title
Engineered detection zone to enhance color uniformity on paper microfluidics fabricated via Parafilm®-heating-laser-cutting
Authors
Seyed Hamid Safiabadi Tali; Hasti Hajimiri; Zubi Sadiq; Sana Jahanshahi-Anbuhi
Journal
Sensors and Actuators: B. Chemical
Year
2023
Volume
380
Pages / Article
133324
Journal context
What it is
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How to read it
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Scopus metrics (Elsevier / Scopus rating 2024)
CiteScore 2024
15.6
CiteScore subject ranks (CiteScore 2024)
- Q1 — Physics and Astronomy: Instrumentation (4/174)
- Q1 — Chemistry: Analytical Chemistry (6/160)
SNIP 2024
1.332
SJR 2024
1.509
Journal Impact Factor (Clarivate JCR)
Journal Impact Factor (JCR )
7.7
5-Year Impact Factor
JCR category rank
What Was Measured
Primary surface / interfacial measurement
Water contact angle of (i) a pristine Parafilm® sheet and (ii) the Parafilm® layer after laser ablation of the paper.
Supporting measurements
Device characterization included laminated-paper thickness measurements, optical microscopy of the cross-sectional structure, and image/video-based measurements (with ImageJ) of barrier/channel widths and flow speed using dye solutions in HPLC water. Relative humidity and temperature were recorded during flow-speed measurements.
Role of the Dropometer
The authors used Dropometer (Droplet Lab) to measure water contact angle on Parafilm® surfaces as a before/after comparison: a pristine Parafilm® sheet versus the Parafilm® layer following laser ablation of the paper from Parafilm®-laminated paper. For the post-ablation measurement, a 2.5 × 2.5 cm paper area was completely ablated, and the contact angle was measured on the exposed Parafilm® layer.
In the paper’s workflow, this Dropometer-based comparison supports the fabrication discussion by checking whether the laser ablation step used in the PHLC process affects Parafilm® hydrophobicity.
Key Findings
Before/after hydrophobicity comparison
Water contact angle was measured on a pristine Parafilm® sheet and on the Parafilm® layer after laser ablation of the paper to evaluate whether the ablation step affects Parafilm® hydrophobicity.
Nearly identical contact-angle values
Nearly identical contact-angle values
The reported contact angles were 108 ± 5° (pristine Parafilm®) and 109 ± 5° (Parafilm® after laser ablation of the paper), presented in Figure 3A.
Interpreted as minimal wettability change under the chosen laser settings
The authors discuss that laser ablation may alter surface roughness and wettability depending on settings and material, and they attribute the observed similarity in wettability to using laser settings intended to cut the paper with minimal impacts on Parafilm®.
Dropometer measurement integrated into device characterization
In the characterization section, the Dropometer-based contact-angle measurement appears alongside thickness measurements, optical microscopy, and channel/barrier characterization used to describe the fabricated µPAD structure and dimensions.
Figures & Visuals
Figure 3A — Wettability checkpoint for the PHLC workflow
What it shows
Side-by-side contact-angle images and values comparing unmodified Parafilm® versus Parafilm® after laser cutting/ablation of the paper (reported with n = 3).
Figure 3B — Structural context for the surface being measured
What it shows
Top-view and cross-sectional microscopic images illustrating the laminated device structure and the hydrophobic barrier / hydrophilic channel geometry that accompanies the contact-angle characterization.
Figure 1A — Where the ablation step fits in the overall fabrication
What it shows
A schematic of the PHLC process showing lamination by oven heating followed by CO₂ laser ablation of patterns on the paper side.
Why It Matters
Parafilm® serves as the hydrophobic component in the paper-lamination approach used to fabricate the µPADs in this study. The Dropometer-based water contact-angle measurements provide a direct check on Parafilm® wettability before and after the laser ablation step that patterns the paper side.
Within the authors’ fabrication discussion, the contact-angle comparison supports their assessment of how the chosen laser-ablation settings interact with the laminated Parafilm® layer during device fabrication.
Practical Takeaways
Use a before/after contact-angle check for laser-processing steps
The study measures water contact angle on pristine Parafilm® and after paper laser ablation to assess how the ablation step relates to Parafilm® hydrophobicity.
Match the “after” surface to the processed region
The post-ablation contact angle is measured on the Parafilm® layer exposed by completely ablating a 2.5 × 2.5 cm paper area from the laminated substrate.
Report the contact-angle values alongside the fabrication context
The paper presents the contact-angle comparison in Figure 3A as part of the device characterization narrative around the PHLC fabrication workflow.
Include replication for the contact-angle comparison
Figure 3A reports the contact-angle values with (n = 3).