Optofluidic lab-on-a-chip devices

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The goal of this project is to develop novel fabrication and simulation methods for advanced, multifunctional lab-on-chip devices with imbedded optics, or "opto-biochips" and intelligent diagnostic instruments that will use them. The inherent advantage to putting optical distribution inside biochips is that portable, multi-functional analysis instruments that depend on optical analysis cannot be realized with traditional external bulk optical systems. The short-term goal is to develop micro-engineering techniques for the fabrication of advanced, yet inexpensive, opto-biochips that can be applied to a wide range of commercial applications; for example, pathogen detection in drinking water, nutritional analysis of foods or the extraction of rare cells from blood. The challenge is to combine optical AND fluidic functionality in the same multi-level device. Recent work in our lab has demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate thin light- and fluid-guiding channels in thin, replicated layers sandwiched between structural and optical cladding layers. The next steps will be adding optical routing (external coupling, mirrors, lenses, etc.) and fluid control (pumping, valves, switching) into the opto-fluidic layer. The novel aspect of our future work will be the development of multifunctional chips in which the optical signals travel in a different plane from the fluid channels. This allows many channels to operate simultaneously with fewer light sources. Successful development of these features will lead to the availability of inexpensive but highly functional lab-on-a-chip devices.