PFI TT: A Technology Platform to Enable Microsystems with a Wide Variety of Functions

PFI TT：一个使微系统具有多种功能的技术平台

• 批准号: 2044631
• 负责人: Angus Kingon
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: Brown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-07-15 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2044631&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; TT; Technology; Platform; Enable

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project lies in the creation of a new processing technology platform that allows the fabrication of microsystems for imaging, processing, and industrial applications. One example application is the ultrasound transducer array that may reduce the cost and improve the image resolution in medical ultrasonic imaging systems. The transducers of ultrasound imaging systems represent a current global market of $3 B. The new ultrasound transducers may help advance the trend towards increased capabilities for medical diagnostics at home, integrated with mobile devices to facilitate remote checkups and advanced personal health monitoring. The project will act as a rich training vehicle, covering multidisciplinary topics ranging from understanding fundamental properties of environmentally friendly piezoelectric materials and device structure and integration, to designing elements of medical imaging systems and ultrasonic transducers. In parallel, the project will provide training in technology entrepreneurship and commercialization for a post-doctoral researcher. The collaboration and personnel exchange with our industrial partners, particularly Xerox, will provide knowledge of commercial processing and market issues as well as useful insights for the academic team and students. Project activities will also promote the participation of women and under-represented minorities. The proposed project creates a new, low-cost, processing technology platform that allows for the fabrication of microsystems such as large arrays of high frequency ultrasound transducers for imaging, processing and industrial applications as well as miniaturized “chemical and biochemical reactors” with integrated pumps, valves and sensors. The robust new platforms provide capabilities between (and complementary to) silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and full scale engineered products. The project seeks to demonstrate two proofs of concept that involve arrays of piezoelectric transducers. One prototype addresses the need for improved transducers for medical ultrasound imaging - a diagnostic technique that is gaining favor due to its harmlessness and low-cost relative to other medical imaging techniques. The second prototype seeks to enable the development of acoustic tweezers to open up new applications in the control and processing of individual particles and streams of particles, relevant to holographic displays and additive manufacturing. The successful processing of the prototypes will enable the method to be used as a robust platform to manufacture a wider range of microsystems that integrate multiple sensing, actuation and fluidic functions.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.

这一创新技术转化伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力在于创建了一个新的处理技术平台，允许制造用于成像、处理和工业应用的微系统。一个示例应用是超声换能器阵列，其可以降低成本并提高医学超声成像系统中的图像分辨率。超声成像系统的换能器代表着目前30亿美元的全球市场。新的超声换能器可能有助于推动增强家庭医疗诊断能力的趋势，与移动设备集成，以促进远程检查和先进的个人健康监测。该项目将作为一个丰富的培训工具，涵盖多学科主题，从了解环境友好型压电材料的基本属性和器件结构与集成，到设计医学成像系统和超声波换能器的元件。同时，该项目将为博士后研究员提供技术创业和商业化方面的培训。与我们的工业合作伙伴，特别是施乐公司的合作和人员交流，将为学术团队和学生提供商业加工和市场问题的知识以及有用的见解。项目活动还将促进妇女和任职人数不足的少数群体的参与。拟议的项目创建了一个新的、低成本的处理技术平台，允许制造微系统，例如用于成像、处理和工业应用的大型高频超声换能器阵列，以及具有集成泵、阀门和传感器的微型“化学和生化反应器”。这些强大的新平台提供了介于硅基微电子机械系统(MEMS)技术和全尺寸工程产品之间(并与之互补)的能力。该项目试图证明两个概念的证明，涉及到压电换能器阵列。其中一个原型解决了对用于医学超声成像的改进换能器的需求--这是一种诊断技术，由于其无害和相对于其他医学成像技术的低成本而受到青睐。第二个原型试图使声波镊子的开发能够在与全息显示和添加剂制造相关的单个颗粒和粒子流的控制和处理中开辟新的应用。原型的成功加工将使该方法能够作为一个强大的平台来制造更广泛的微系统，这些微系统集成了多种传感、驱动和流体功能。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。