Integrated BioMEMS based on commercial microelectronics fabrication processes

该NSERC战略项目提案由DALSA半导体公司（Bromont， QC）和Sherbrooke大学（UoS）和Alberta大学（UoA）的电气和计算机工程系（ECE）提出，旨在开发高度集成的基于微芯片的系统，用于执行医疗保健和生命科学诊断。在开发这种基于微流体的分析系统方面已经做了很多工作，这些系统被称为微整体分析系统（uTAS）、“芯片实验室”或生物机械系统。然而，到目前为止，大多数工作通常依赖于广泛的（和昂贵的）外部仪器，相对较少的功能直接集成到芯片本身。本提案的目标是将现有的外部仪器小型化，并将其直接集成到微流控芯片上，以生产一个单芯片BioMEMS独立的生命科学诊断平台。这样做有很多好处，最显著的是通过降低成本和便携性，使这种诊断系统更容易为卫生保健提供者、研究人员和公众所利用。从商业角度来看，DALSA半导体和UofA/UdeS之间的战略合作伙伴关系将转化为DALSA半导体具有全球竞争力的技术，并进一步有助于使加拿大成为世界舞台上该领域的主要参与者。

This NSERC Strategic project proposal by DALSA Semiconductor (Bromont, QC) and the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Universities of Sherbrooke (UoS) and Alberta (UoA) aims at developing highly integrated microchip-based systems for performing health care and life science diagnostics. Much work has been done in developing such microfluidics-based analysis system, variously termed micro-total-analysis-systems (uTAS), "lab on a chip", or BioMEMS systems. To date, however, most efforts have typically relied upon extensive (and expensive) external instrumentation, with comparatively little functionality integrated directly onto the chip itself. The goal of the present proposal is to miniaturize existing external instrumentation and integrate it directly onto a microfluidic chip, in order to produce a single chip BioMEMS standalone life sciences diagnostic platform. Doing so has many benefits, most notably making such diagnostic systems more accessible to health care providers, researchers and the public through reduced cost and portability. From a commercial standpoint, this strategic partnership between DALSA Semiconductor and UofA/UdeS will translate into globally competitive technologies at DALSA Semiconductor and further contribute to making Canada a major player in this area on the world stage.