SBIR Phase I: Rapid Design and Prototyping System for Lab-On-Chip Devices

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业影响是，通过启用新的芯片实验室技术，降低医疗保健行业解决方案的成本并提高解决方案的准确性，包括护理点诊断、治疗和药物开发。这些技术依赖于微流控设备，即可以自动高效地对微量液体样本进行科学实验的小型塑料部件。通过允许获得由于成本和资源问题而无法获得的检测，护理点设备可以对服务不足的社区产生特别深远的影响。拟议的系统将减少开发应对这些挑战的技术所需的时间和费用。该SBIR第一阶段项目通过三项主要技术创新提高了芯片实验室的开发速度：1)用于设计微流控部件的微流体特征库；2)快速制造微流控模具的工具系统；以及3)芯片实验室设备与外部世界连接的宏微接口。拟议的项目将创建一个自动化系统，快速可靠地连接微流控设备，提高可靠性和易用性。性能目标是一个完整的芯片上实验室原型系统，在不到一周的时间内提供功能齐全的设备。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to reduce cost and increase accuracy of solutions for the healthcare industry, including point-of-care diagnostics, therapeutics, and drug development, by enabling new lab-on-chip technologies. These technologies rely on microfluidic devices, small plastic parts that automatically and efficiently conduct scientific experiments with tiny volumes of liquid samples. Point-of-care devices can have a particularly profound impact on underserved communities by allowing access to testing otherwise unavailable due to cost and resource issues. The proposed system will decrease the time and expense required to develop technologies addressing these challenges. This SBIR Phase I project addresses the speed of lab-on-chip development through three main technical innovations: 1) A library of microfluidic features for design of microfluidic parts; 2) A rapid tooling system rapidly producing microfluidic molds; and 3) The macro-to-micro interface where lab-on-chip devices connect to the outside world. The proposed project will create an automated system to quickly and reliably connectorize microfluidic devices, increasing reliability and ease of use. The performance goal is a complete lab-on-chip prototyping system providing fully functional devices in less than a week.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.