Colaborative Research SST: Integration of Spectroscopic Sensors and Electroactive Nanowell Arrays with Microfluidic Chips Based on Thermocapillary Actuation

合作研究- SST：基于热毛细管驱动的光谱传感器和电活性纳米孔阵列与微流控芯片的集成用于液体计量、运输和混合的微流控设备正在推动基因组学和制药研究的创新，以及用于家庭、工业或军事用途的便携式套件的快速商业化。据预测，这种设备将给便携式化学检测和分析带来革命性的变化，预计到2010年将产生超过20亿美元的收入。最新的开放格式设备，基于驱动自由表面流动，即液-液或气-液界面，为吸附物质的高灵敏度检测提供了一个特别有吸引力的平台。对这些设备的操作和控制至关重要的是开发和集成高分辨率传感阵列，自主识别样品位置，体积，温度，速度，组成和分子种类。该研究计划的目标是开发和集成微型光学，光谱和电活性传感器与热流控芯片。这个由三部分组成的项目包括(a)薄膜波导与开放流体装置的集成，用于静止或移动样品的瞬时传感，(b)基于微尺度溪流的热毛细管驱动的新型液芯波导的开发，以及(c)用于静电约束和生物分子浓度的电活性纳米阱的开发。波导传感器将用于监测液滴的位置、组成、显色反应的速率常数，以及与液体悬浮液中功能化量子点的结合。通过与芯片表面制造的微环或微盘谐振器的倏逝耦合，将探索额外的信号增强。放置在静止或移动液滴下的电活性纳米阱传感器阵列将允许开发电阻抗光谱技术，用作水传播细菌病原体的环境传感器。传感器的开发和优化将通过实验、理论建模和数值模拟进行。这项资助的广泛影响如下：研究的跨学科性质将允许开发一种集成传感阵列的新型流体芯片，并为学生提供在微观传输现象和光子学交叉路口的独特培训，这两个高增长领域在生物和纳米技术方面有许多应用。美国国家科学基金会将通过康奈尔大学和普林斯顿大学的REU项目招募本科生，帮助他们进行芯片和纳米井的制造、简单原型的组装和数据分析。学生将接受有关先进光学和电动传感平台的物理和工程原理的培训；他们还将开发本科实验课程和K-12教育的示范单元。普林斯顿大学的PI将扩展目前关于微流体现象的课程，包括第二学期的小型化设备传感原理。她还将利用这项研究建立一个新的普林斯顿先进流体技术中心，这是新泽西州就业增长和经济发展委员会正在考虑的一个大规模试点项目。康奈尔大学的PI将设计一个新的课程，面向芯片实验室技术的光学和光谱传感器的现代工程和制造技术。pi将在IEEE换能器和SPIE光信息系统会议上联合组织关于光流体和传感的会议。

Proposal Number: 0529045Principal Investigator: David C. EricksonAffiliation: Cornell UniversityCollaborative Research - SST: Integration of Spectroscopic Sensors and Electroactive Nanowell Arrays with Microfluidic Chips Based on Thermocapillary ActuationMicrofluidic devices for liquid dosing, transport and mixing are driving innovation in genomic and pharmaceutical research as well as rapid commercialization of portable kits for home, industrial or military use. Such devices, predicted to revolutionize portable chemical detection and analysis, are expected to generate over 2 billion dollars in income by 2010. The newest open format devices, based on actuation of free surface flows, i.e. liquid-liquid or gas-liquid interfaces, provide an especially attractive platform for highly sensitive detection of adsorbed species. Essential to the operation and control of these devices is development and integration of sensing arrays for high resolution, autonomous identification of sample position, volume, temperature, speed, composition and molecular species. This research program targets the development and integration of miniaturized optical, spectroscopic and electroactive sensors with thermofluidic chips. The three-part program includes (a) integration of thin film waveguides with open fluidic devices for evanescent sensing of stationary or moving samples, (b) development of a novel liquid-core waveguide based on thermocapillary actuation of microscale rivulets and (c) development of electroactive nanowell traps for electrostatic confinement and concentration of biomolecules. The waveguide sensors will be used to monitor droplet location, composition, rate constants for chromogenic reactions, and binding to functionalized quantum dots in a liquid suspension. Additional signal enhancement will be explored through evanescent coupling to micro-ring or micro-disc resonators fabricated on the chip surface. The electroactive nanowell sensor arrays positioned beneath stationary or moving droplets will allow development of an electrical impedance spectroscopic technique for use as an environmental sensor of aqueous borne bacterial pathogens. Sensor development and optimization will proceed through experiment, theoretical modeling and numerical simulations. The broader impacts of this grant are as follows: The interdisciplinary nature of the research will allow development of a novel fluidic chip with integrated sensing arrays and provide students with unique training at the crossroad of microscale transport phenomena and photonics, two high growth areas with numerous applications to bio- and nanotechnology. Undergraduates will be recruited through the NSF REU programs at Cornell and Princeton to aid with chip and nanowell fabrication, assembly of simple prototypes and data analysis. Students will be trained in the physical and engineering principles governing advanced optical and electrokinetic sensing platforms; they will also develop demonstration units for undergraduate lab courses and K-12 education. The Princeton PI will expand a current course on microfluidic phenomena to include a 2nd semester on sensing principles for miniaturized devices. She will also be leveraging this study toward establishment of a new Princeton Center on Advanced Fluidic Technologies, a large scale pilot program currently under consideration by the New Jersey Commission on Jobs Growth and Economic Development The Cornell PI will design a new course geared toward modern engineering and fabrication techniques of optical and spectroscopic sensors for lab-on-a-chip technologies. The PIs will jointly organize sessions on optofluidics and sensing at the IEEE Tranducers and SPIE Optical Information Systems meetings.