Microfluidics

Research that includes: 

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

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...

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

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

BPN406: Microfluidic reactor for production of semiconductor nanocrystals

Jeffrey D. Winterton
2008

Nearly all proposed applications of semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) will require significant quantities of high quality nanocrystals with tightly controlled properties. Microfluidic nanocrystal synthesis techniques have recently been explored as an alternative to conventional production methods because they could potentially increase production rates, if used in parallel, while maintaining superior product quality. However, conventional microfluidic reactor designs suffer from two principal limitations: an inability to maintain a uniform reaction environment and an...

BPN301: Passive Microfluidic Mixers for Protein Folding Studies

Avinash Kane
2008

The purpose of this study is to design, fabricate and optimize microfluidic mixers to investigate the kinetics of protein secondary structure formation with Synchrotron Radiation Circular Dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopy. SRCD allows us to use wavelengths below 220 nm where differences between the CD spectra of random coil and the various secondary structure types are most pronounced. Microfluidic mixing allows a fast initiation of the protein folding reaction. By combining this with SRCD, we can clarify an intense debate in the protein folding community as to when, in the process of...

MCW2: Direct Image-Actuated Optoelectronic Tweezers

Aaron T. Ohta
2008

Optical manipulation provides a non-invasive, dynamic, and reconfigurable method of trapping, transporting, and sorting cells and other bioparticles. Optoelectronic tweezers (OET) enables optically-controlled cellular manipulation at much lower optical power densities than conventional optical tweezers. This enables the use of direct imaging and incoherent light to create a large (1.3 mm x 1.3 mm) manipulation area for the parallel processing of cells, microparticles, and nanoparticles. The use of direct image-actuated OET allows single-particle control for biological research and...

BPN445: Lab-on-a-Chip with Integrated CMOS Detection for Complex Assays

Lisen Wang
Amy Wu
Paul Liu
Octavian Florescu
2008

The goal of this project is to develop a fully integrated lab-on-a-chip microdevice for performing complex immunological assays and to apply it to the sensitive detection of PAH-protein adducts produced by environmental exposure. The ultimate device will consist of a microfluidic cartridge with embedded sensors capable of performing a wide variety of assays. Specific steps that will be demonstrated include sample preparation, mixing with reagents, incubation, and multiple target detection. Although these capabilities will be demonstrated for the detection of PAH-protein adducts, the...

BPN343: MEMS Biopolymer: Surface Electrophoresis with Functionalized Bilayer Lipid Membranes for Sample Preparation

Thomas H. Cauley III
2008

The goal of this project is to develop a robust, reusable, and automated micro-fluidic platform for the manipulation and use of integral membrane proteins and membrane associated proteins. In particular, the goal will be to use an artificially assembled phospholipid bi-layer membrane as an armature for engineered integral membrane proteins, such as alpha-hemolysin (a virulence factor responsible for the lysis of red blood cells). This functionalized membrane will be tested as an active “filtration” element in a sample preparation system, as a stand alone sensing platform with...

BPN452: Patterned Delivery and Expression of Gene Constructs into Zebrafish Embryos using Microfabricated Interfaces

Tushar Bansal
2009

We present the design, fabrication and results of microfabricated interfaces for the patterned delivery of foreign molecules via electroporation into developing embryos. We show how these systems can be used to ‘draw’ two-dimensional patterns of tracer molecules, DNA and mRNA into the yolk and cells of zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) at different stages of development. We demonstrate the successful delivery of two-dimensional patterns of trypan blue (normal dye), texas red (fluorescent dye), pCS2eGFP DNA and GFP-mRNA in both chorionated and dechorionated embryos. Both DNA and...