Micro-Fabricated Complete Blood Counter

描述(申请人提供)：这项SBIR研究工作旨在开发和测试一种新型的血液分析系统，该系统利用MEMS制造的芯片和多个射频电阻抗询问信号来区分细胞类型。我们对该项目的长期目标可以概括为三个：1)为医生办公室开发利用一次性MEMS微流控芯片的廉价CBC分析系统；2)使电子硬件微型化，并利用相同的核心技术开发高度便携的CBC分析仪；3)扩展基本技术(通过集成更多的细胞检测方法)，以增强系统的能力、性能和可靠性。作为拟议的长期工作的一部分，我们将制造、表征第一代MEMS MU-CBC分析仪并将其商业化。为了实现这一点，目前的SBIR建议通过将一次性的微型制造的检测器结合到相对便宜的台式分析系统中来解决电导和阻抗基本单元计数技术的小型化。三个目标中的第一个将集中于设计和微制造下一代MEMS流量芯片，适用于使用射频阻抗测量进行概念验证细胞计数研究。第二个目标将以开发所需的微流体为目标，以适合细胞单列询问的流速驱动血液通过微通道。目标三将侧重于更多的概念验证研究，以证明该技术用作血液学分析仪的可行性。今后的工作将以本提案的结果为基础，以相同的微流控细胞计数芯片为基础，创建现场便携式MU-CBC分析仪。我们预计，这些MU-EL系统最终将导致高度便携系统的开发和商业化，这些系统能够极大地提高血液测试的易用性(和可用性)(4-6年)。例如，这些系统将实现对远程艾滋病毒患者的现场测试、对即将到来的急诊室患者的快速测试以及自我管理的家庭血液测试。这些未来的多探测器系统将变得与最先进的血液分析仪(6-10年)在成本和性能上具有极大的竞争力。据我们所知，没有其他商业努力来开发基于MEMS技术的血细胞计数仪器。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This SBIR research effort is aimed at the development and testing of a novel system for blood analysis that utilizes MEMS fabricated chips and multiple, radio-frequency electric impedance interrogation signals to differentiate cell types. Our long-term goals for the project can be summarized as three: 1) develop an inexpensive CBC analysis system utilizing disposable MEMS-based micro-fluidic chips for physician's offices, 2) miniaturize the electronic hardware and develop a highly portable CBC analyzer utilizing the same core technologies and 3) expand on the basic technologies (by integrating additional cell detection methods) to enhance system capabilities, performance and reliability. As part of the proposed long-term effort, we will fabricate, characterize and commercialize the first generation MEMS mu-CBC Analyzer. To achieve this, the present SBIR proposal addresses miniaturization of the conductance and impedance base cell counting techniques by incorporating disposable, micro-fabricated detectors into relatively inexpensive bench-top analysis systems. The first of three aims will concentrate on designing and micro-fabricating the next generation MEMS flow-chips suitable for proof-of-concept cell counting studies using radio-frequency impedance measurements. The second aim will target the development for the micro-fluidics required to drive the blood through the micro-channel at a flow-rate suitable for single file interrogation of cells. Aim three will focus on additional proof-of-concept studies to demonstrate feasibility of this technology to function as a hematology analyzer. Future work will build upon the results of the present proposal to create a field portable mu-CBC Analyzer based on the same micro-fluidic cell counting chip. We envision these mu-El systems will eventually lead to the development and commercialization of highly portable systems capable of drastically improving the ease (and availability) of administering blood tests (4-6 years). For example, these systems will enable field tests for remote patients with HIV, rapid testing for incoming emergency room patients, and self-administered home blood testing. These future multiple-detector systems will become extremely cost and performance competitive with the state-of-the-art hematology analyzers (6-10 years). To our knowledge, there are no other commercial efforts to develop blood cell counting instrumentation using MEMS-based technology.