STTR Phase I: MSM uPump: Precision Dosing for Laboratory Research

这个小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将通过开发利用磁形状记忆(MSM)机制的高精度微泵来实现生物分子研究。MSM机构通过MSM合金将磁能转化为机械功。MSM材料取代了其他微泵技术中的许多机械部件，可以精确地操纵许多研究人员处理的非常小的液体体积，如生物分子物理学家和电神经生理学家。精确的微量剂量将通过减少试剂消耗量和提高实验的效力和效率来降低此类研究的成本。该项目将为机构研究市场开发实验室仪器，稍后将扩大到近30亿美元的微流控设备市场。它将进一步开发MSM技术，这将转化为包括医疗保健在内的多个市场。更广泛的影响范围从通过护理点诊断改进个性化药物，到通过加强药物研究开发更有效的药物，例如在癌症治疗中。该项目的智力优势集中在提高MSM微泵的泵送分辨率，用于实验室研究的精确微量剂量。这种泵的设计是仿生的，工作原理类似于哺乳动物吞咽的方式。通过施加磁场，MSM材料中产生蠕动运动，可用于重复泵送精确量的液体。这项技术具有独特的特点组合，包括(1)非接触式磁致动，(2)没有机械部件，(3)将泵机构和阀组合成单一元件，(4)流动方向可逆性，(5)即使在高背压下也可操作，(6)适用于气体和粘性液体，以及(7)小体积时的高精度。减小MSM磁力换能器的尺寸将提高抽运分辨率。由于较小的MSM换能器的表面积与体积比较大，因此必须更精细地控制表面应力。这项工作的一个关键成果将是开发表面处理方法，以提高磁机械疲劳寿命和设备的性能。通过系统的实验，该项目将建立MSM换能器的基本工艺-结构-性能-性能关系，并将展示用于生物分子研究的原型装置。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will enable biomolecular research by developing a high precision micropump utilizing a magnetic shape memory (MSM) mechanism. The MSM mechanism translates magnetic energy into mechanical work through an MSM alloy. The MSM material replaces many of the mechanical parts found in other micropump technologies and can precisely manipulate the very small fluid volumes handled by many researchers, such as biomolecular physicists and electro-neurophysiologists. Precision micro-dosing will decrease the costs of such research by decreasing the volume of reagents consumed and by increasing the efficacy and efficiency of experiments. This project will develop laboratory instrumentation for the institutional research market and will later expand to enter the nearly $3 billion microfluidic devices market. It will further develop MSM technology that will translate to multiple markets including healthcare. The broader impacts range from improvements in personalized medicine through point-of-care diagnostics, to the development of more efficient drugs, for example in cancer treatment, through enhanced pharmaceutical research.The intellectual merit of this project focuses on increasing the pumping resolution of the MSM micropump for precision micro-dosing for laboratory research. The pump design is biomimetic and works similarly to how mammals swallow. By applying a magnetic field, a peristaltic motion is generated in the MSM material which can be used to repeatedly pump precise quantities of fluid. This technology boasts a unique combination of features including (1) contact-free magnetic actuation, (2) no mechanical parts, (3) combination of the pumping mechanism and valve into a single element, (4) reversibility of the flow direction, (5) operation even with a high back pressure, (6) applicability to gases and viscous liquids, and (7) high precision at small volumes. Reducing the size of the MSM magneto-mechanical transducer will increase the pumping resolution. Since the surface-area-to-volume ratio is larger for smaller MSM transducers, surface stresses must be controlled more delicately. One key outcome of this work will be the development of surface treatment methods to improve magneto-mechanical fatigue life and the performance of the device. Through systematic experiments, this project will establish fundamental processing-structure-properties-performance relationships for MSM transducers, and will also demonstrate prototype devices for biomolecular research.