CIF: IHCS: Medium: Collaborative Research: Design and Implementation of Position-Encoded 3D Microarrays

本研究涉及设计和构建一个三维（3D）微阵列设备，具有位置控制微球，可以在单个平台上同时，高效和准确地筛选互补dna， rna和蛋白质受体。这种新设备便携、独立、自动化、成本效益高。该设备的应用包括医学筛选、药物发现和基因测序。特别是，它进行廉价的疾病诊断，并提供对不同患者的分子基础的见解。在现有的3D微阵列中，微球被随机放置在衬底内。微球的这种随机放置使得它们的包装效率低下，数据处理也很复杂。为了克服这些缺点，研究人员设计并构建了带有位置控制微球的新型微阵列。他们通过计算性能边界来分析估计目标浓度的统计准确性，并将结果应用于选择微球与最佳操作温度之间的最小距离，同时确保所需的最佳估计精度。最小的微球距离可以实现高填料，最佳温度可以降低成本。研究人员使用微流控方法实现位置控制微阵列；特别是，他们使用流体动力学捕获机制和片上微阀和泵来放置微球。长期目标是将该设备与图像传感器，电子器件和光流体成像集成在一起，以构建完整的芯片实验室系统。

This research involves design and building of a three-dimensional (3D) microarray device, with position-controlled microspheres, to perform simultaneous, efficient, and accurate screening of complementary DNAs, RNAs, and protein receptors on a single platform. This new device is portable, self-contained, automatic, and cost effective. Applications of this device include medical screening, drug discovery, and gene sequencing. In particular, it performs inexpensive disease diagnosis and provide insight into the molecular basis in different patients.In existing 3D microarrays, microspheres are placed randomly within a substrate. This random placement of the microspheres makes their packing inefficient and their data processing complex. To overcome these drawbacks, the investigators design and build new microarrays with position-controlled microspheres. They analyze the statistical accuracy in estimating the target concentrations by computing performance bounds, and apply the results to select the minimal distance between the microspheres and the best operating temperature, while ensuring desired optimal estimation accuracy. The minimal microsphere distance enables high packing, and the optimal temperature reduces the cost. The investigators implement the position-controlled microarray using a microfluidic approach; particularly, they emplace the microspheres using a hydrodynamic trapping mechanism and using on-chip microvalves and pumps. The long-term goal is to integrate this device with image sensors, electronics, and optofluidic imaging to build a complete lab-on-a-chip system.