FLOW CONTROL NETWORKS FOR NANOSCALE BIOFLUIDICS

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DESCRIPTION (Verbatim from the Applicant's Abstract): This proposal describes a research and development plan for novel flow control technology for the manipulation of biological fluids at the micro- and nano-scales. The technology is based on new call microfluidic field-effect control, in which a gate voltage modulates flow velocity in an electroosmotic microchannel. Unlike other methods microchannel flow manipulation, such as direct electro-osmotic flow (EOF), the field effect technique allows independent flow control in fluidic networks consisting of interconnected channels. In effect, the technology will provide discrete, integrated pumping and valving in individual microchannels with volumetric control on the order of 10^-18 liters. The technology will provide flow control in micron and sub-micron scale channels, allowing fluid manipulation at the true nano-scale. In this work, we propose to develop a discrete nanoscale flow control module, which can be integrated into traditional plastic microfluidic systems. The result will be higher of functionality, complexity, and integration in a range of miniaturized bioanalytical tools, as well as implantable or wearable noninvasive sensing systems, which require biological fluid extraction or drug mixing/delivery. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The proposed integrated flow-control technology will have a wide range of application of miniature clinical and implantable bioanalysis tools which require flow control in complex interconnected microfluidic channels. The technology is aimed at the next generation of miniaturized bioanalytical systems, with higher levels of functionality and integration than currently available systems.