Microfluidics

Research that includes: 

  • Microvalves and fluidic flow control
  • Micropumps
  • Modeling of microfluidics
  • Particulate air monitoring
  • Flow Sensors
  • Capillary Pump Loop
  • Optoelectronic Transport & Tweezers

BPN360: Biomimetic Microfluidic Assembly of Spheroids and Dynamic Perfusion for Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery

Liz Wu
2007

Multicellular tumor spheroids may provide a better model than monolayer culture of in vivo tumors for drug assays. We present a novel microfluidic method for self-assembly of tumor spheroids for these studies. Our device traps cancer cells hydrodynamically and spheroid formation is enhanced by maintaining compact groups of the trapped cells due to continuous perfusion. It was found that spheroid formation speed and size uniformity increased with increased flow rate. A large amount of tumor spheroids (7,500 spheroids per square centimeter) with a narrow size distribution (10 ± 1...

BPN412: Signal Amplifications of SERS by Microfluidic CD-based Preconcentration Methods

Dukhyun Choi
2007

Signal amplifications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by microfluidic compact disk (CD)-based preconcentration method is accomplished for effective label-free bioassays and chemical detections. This is the first demonstration of the SERS-CD platform having capabilities of high-throughput microfluidic multifunctional on-chip biomedical devices. In order to achieve the preconcentration through the accumulation of biomolecules adsorbed on the SERS active site, we inject and dry biomolecular sample solution in the microfluidic channel prior to SERS detection and then repeat...

BPN323: MEMS Biopolymer: Bubble Time-of-Flight Flow Sensor

Julian Lippmann
2007

Liquid flow monitoring at nanoliter/min rates is important for many lab-on-a-chip and stand alone biomedical applications. Several technologies have been investigated to achieve this resolution. The majority require expensive detection systems and fabrication processes. To this end we have developed an injection molded fluidic flow sensor that requires no part-to-part micromachining of silicon, significantly reducing the cost. Further, many of these systems require extensive calibration and rely on phenomena impacted by diffusion (e.g. heat pulses) that quickly lose accuracy as flow...

BPN409: Long-term Cytotoxic Drug Assay via Single-Cell Microfluidic Array

Liz Wu
2007

Understanding cellular dynamics of xenobiotic and ion transport are important for in-vitro drug assay since it is a critical step to estimate the performance, toxin and side effect of new drug candidates. Most current drug assays are based on the average cellular response of large cell populations. In conventional cell culture platforms the mass transport of cell cluster is affected by transport at neighboring cells. In order to study systematically xenobiotic and ion transport, isolated single cells on optofluidic multisensing platform are required. To observe cancer cells under...

BPN384: Single-cell Analysis via Raman Spectroscopy

Adrian Lau
2007

There has been significant interest in applying Raman Spectroscopy on cellular analysis in recent years. Advanced optics has allowed very high resolution Raman signal measurement at the sub-cellular level, fueling the emerging field of Single-cell Raman Spectroscopy. The fact that Raman Spectroscopy/Imaging is in few ways superior to conventional fluorescence techniques enables novel ways of monitoring cell processes. Recently, multiple studies have reported the use of Raman Spectroscopy methods in detecting specific cell behaviors. However, an extensive quantitative study has yet to...

BPN344: Microfluidic Platform for Quantitative Microcirculation Studies in Sickle Cell Disease

Sharon Hsu
2007

Soft Lithography has been pioneered in the past decade as a tool to manipulate cells under well controlled physical and chemical conditions. Despite the vast number of studies applied in various lines of cells, there have been few focusing on the membrane properties of erythrocytes. Here we present a novel and convenient alternative to traditional methods used to obtain physical properties of erythrocytes, and our objective is to establish a standard model for healthy red blood cells and derive clear model for quantification of severity in erythrocyte membrane disorders, with...

BPN401: Microjets for Single Cell Injections

Peter F.White
2007

The goal of this project is to develop a microfluidic system that uses a high speed micron sized jet to inject biological material into single cells in a highly controlled fashion.

Project end date: 01/29/08

BPN400: PZT-Actuated Flexure-Mode Membranes for Nanoscale Droplet Generation

Nathan Emley
2007

We report on the current status of device fabrication of a monolithic, micro-machined device able to generate sub-micron diameter (femtoliter) fluidic droplets. Such droplet-on-demand (DoD) devices are important for a wide range of maskless lithography and rapid prototyping technologies, including direct-write patterning on non-standard, highly topographical, or extremely temperature sensitive substrates. Printable circuitry from DoD devices can be generated in non-clean room, extreme, or dynamic conditions. The basic design of these DoD devices places a pressure source at the bottom...

BPN391: MEMS Power: Thermo-Fluidic Nanoparticle Reactor

Nicola M. Fung
2008

The long-term objective of this project, along with BPN406, is to produce monodisperse nanocrystals through a microfluidic reactor. The microfluidic reactor will utilize the unique physical properties of colloidal suspension of liquid droplets in a surrounding immiscible inert liquid. This project intends to develop and produce the design from BPN406; specifically the coin structure to control the temperature profile and flow geometry to allow for flow focusing and the formation of uniform droplets. This will allow flow and temperature control, which would correlate to control over...

BPN398: Single Cell Electroporation Array with OET/PDMS Integration

Hsan-Yin (Tony) Hsu
Yir-Shyuan Liz Wu
2008

Single cell analysis is an important technology for biological and medical research. The precision of manipulating the location of the single cell (relative to the assay sites or other neighboring cells) is a necessary factor. We have previously demonstrated cell manipulation and separation with optoelectronic tweezers (OET), the goal of this project is to integrate this powerful tool with the micrifluidic devices to provide a complete solution for single cell electroporation.

Project end date: 07/30/08