Microfluidic device with laterally insertable electrodes

A microfluidic device, comprising:

• a substrate with a microchannel formed as a groove on a main surface of the substrate;
• one or more conduits extending parallel to said main surface, from a lateral surface of the substrate up to a lateral wall of the microchannel, the one or more conduits configured so as to allow insertion of one or more electrodes therein, respectively, and such that an end of each of the one or more electrodes can reach into the microchannel;
• said one or more electrodes;
• and
• an electronic device comprising:
• a housing;
• and
• electronics encapsulated in the housing, such that the electronics can be set in electric communication with said one or more electrodes, the electronics being otherwise configured to read signals obtained from the one or more electrodes, in operation.

A method of operating a microfluidic device, the method comprising:

• providing a microfluidic device comprising:
• a substrate with a microchannel formed as a groove on a main surface of the substrate;
• and
• one or more conduits extending parallel to said main surface, from a lateral surface of the substrate up to a lateral wall of the microchannel, the one or more conduits configured so as to allow insertion of one or more electrodes therein, respectively, and such that an end of each of the one or more electrodes can reach into the microchannel;
• and
• inserting the one or more electrodes in the one or more conduits, respectively, such that an end of each of the one or more electrodes reaches into the microchannel.