Optically enabled micro-total analysis systems

微总量分析系统或芯片上的实验室需要能够执行微型流体装置关键任务的执行器；其中包括泵送、分选、混合和分析。光学技术固有的非侵入性，加上它们的可扩展性，意味着它们非常适合执行这些任务。在这个提议的工作中，我将在我的主要驱动中，开发一系列这样的光学微流体执行器。这些装置中的第一个将是全光学微流体分选技术。这项技术将允许生物或其他物质的分类或分级标准，包括，大小，形状和内部密度。我工作的第二个推动方向是开发适合芯片实验室的光学识别技术，主要基于使用光学分选技术来识别低发生率的物种，如人类血液中的非转移性癌细胞。在提议的工作的第三项活动中，我将开发一种光学驱动的微流体泵，能够以受控的方式泵送小体积的分析物。我将采用分选和泵送技术来获得微流体混合。与所有这些方法并行，我将开发适合所使用的光学技术的微流体室；最终目标是将我的两种或两种以上的新型微流体技术集成到一个设备中。

A micro-total analysis system, or a lab-on-a-chip, needs actuators capable of performing the key tasks of a miniature fluidic device; which include pumping, sorting, mixing and analysis. The inherent non-invasive nature of optical techniques, combined with their scalability, mean that they are ideally suited to performing these tasks. In this proposed body of work, I will in my primary drive, develop a range of such optically enabled microfluidic actuators. The first of these devices will be an all optical microfluidic sorting technique. This technique will allow biological or other matter to be sorted or fractionated by criteria that include, size, shape and internal density. A second push of my work will be towards the development of optical identification techniques suited to a lab-on-chip, base primarily on the use of the optical sorting technique to identify lowoccurrence species such as non-metastatic cancer cells in human blood. In third activity in the proposed work I will the develop an optically driven microfluidic pump capable of pumping small volumes of analyte in a controlled manner. I will adapt the sorting and pumping technologies to get microfluidic mixing. In parallel to all these approaches I will be developing microfluidic chambers, suited to the optical techniques being used; the end goal of which is to integrate two or more of my novel microfluidic techniques into a single device.