Luke P. Lee (Advisor)

We report a novel tunable microdoublet lens capable of creating dual modes of biconvex or meniscus tunable lens. The microlens consists of a tunable liquid-filled lens and a solid negative lens and it can be tuned either by changing the shape of the liquid-filled lens into bi-convex or meniscus or by changing a filling media with different refractive index. The microfabrication is based on soft lithography and photopolymer microdispensing technologies. The microlens can provide a solution for minimizing optical aberrations as well as maximizing the tunability of focal length or field...

Nanopillar structures are fabricated in batch process with controllable geometry and pattern. After metallization, nanopillars will be used as Raman signal enhancing substrate. Through the surface modification of substrate with differently patterned nanopillars and the incorporation with micro/nano fluidics and MEMS scanning optics, high-sensitivity multiplexed biomolecule recognitions by SERS can be realized on a chip.

Project end date: 08/18/04

Demonstration of a microfluidic device at a size of 3”x3” for two-dimensional separation of proteins. The goal is to provide a better tool for proteomics research with faster turnaround time, less reagent consumption, less bio-waste production, as well as better resolution to distinguish similar biomolecules.

Project end date: 08/30/04

Our goal is to apply newly emerging technology in MEMS and microfluidics to create a high-throughput electrophysiology platform for characterizing ion channels in drug discovery and drug development. We plan to replace the micropipette of the original patch clamp design with Ag/AgCl electrodes, and form arrays of electrodes to create a high-throughput patch clamp system on a chip. The device should be high-throughput, to increase the amount of data able to be collected per unit time. Furthermore, the device should be largely automated, in order to reduce or eliminate the manual labor...