Collaborative Research: Guided Electrowetting for Agile Channel Formation in Reconfigurable Lab-on-a-Chip

本研究的目标是协同创建一个集成和混合的芯片实验室平台，该平台按需进行电子配置，并在没有电源的情况下保持其编程配置。 单个芯片可以访问大量的微流体功能库。 该方法是平衡三维电润湿和杨拉普拉斯力，使紧急控制微通道的形成和流体传输可以实现。 其智力上的优点是将为电流体学开发新的科学模型。 一个简单的图形化编程的芯片实验室将被创建，连续通道微流体和数字电润湿传输领域将被统一。 此外，芯片实验室社区将能够利用液晶显示器制造和4位计算机接口的庞大基础设施，部署高度经济实惠和灵活的芯片实验室产品，以快速进行化学和生物发现。 更广泛的影响包括将该项目与NSF赞助的微流体课程开发相结合，激励本科生通过辛辛那提大学攻读高级STEM学位？的研究合作计划，并继续参与NSF REU和RET计划。该项目的重要性源于对芯片实验室的需求，以实现广泛降低医疗保健成本的承诺，并提供远程访问患者诊断或环境测试。 例如，诊所可以在几乎没有实验室支持的情况下进行免疫测定和核酸测定等诊断测试。 这种灵活的芯片实验室模块将允许用户自定义访问实验室任务，所有这些都包含在一个便携式模块中，该模块可以像iPhone一样简单。(243字）

The objective of this research is to collaboratively create an integrated and hybrid lab-on-chip platform that is electronically configured on-demand and maintains its programmed configuration without electrical power. A single chip can access a vast library of microfluidic functions. The approach is balancing 3-D electrowetting and Young-Laplace forces, such that emergent control in microchannel formation and fluid transport can be realized. The intellectual merit is that new scientific models will be developed for electrofluidics. A simple graphical programming of lab-on-chip will be created, and the fields of continuous channel microfluidics and digital electrowetting transport will be united. Furthermore, the lab-on-chip community will be able to leverage the enormous infrastructure for liquid crystal display manufacturing and 4-bit computer interfacing, to deploy highly affordable and agile lab-on-chip products for rapid chemical and biological discovery. Broader impacts include integration of this project with NSF sponsored microfluidics course development, inspiring undergraduates to pursue advanced STEM degrees through the University of Cincinnati?s research co-op program, and continued involvement with NSF REU and RET programs. The significance of this proposed project stems from the need for lab-on-chip to full-fill promises to broadly reduce health-care costs, and provide remote access to patient diagnostics or environmental testing. For example, clinics could perform diagnostic tests such as immunoassays and nucleic acid assays with little laboratory support. Such agile lab-on-chip modules would allow user-defined access to laboratory tasks, all contained in a portable module that could have ergonomics as simple as an i-Phone.(243 words)