Enabling technologies featuring nanomaterials for portable and wearable polymeric microfluidic and electronic platforms

每天都有关于可穿戴系统、功能纳米材料、3D 打印、柔性微流体和商业聚合物微流体的令人兴奋的新研究报道。然而，尽管这些研究领域的融合对于医疗保健、工人安全、运动表现、消费设备、智能环境、疾病诊断和个性化医疗的未来具有巨大潜力，但这些研究大部分都是针对每个领域的。拟议的研究计划为通用微流体和电子平台（MEP）开发提供了一种强大且创新的方法，采用新材料范式系统地连接便携式和可穿戴系统的微流体、电子器件、传感器和执行器。 拟议的研究将侧重于通过发明新的使能技术来开发创新的微流体和生物医学仪器，这些技术促进集中和系统的方法，简化设计过程，并提供简单且具有成本效益的制造，以提高设备和系统性能。在未来5年中，拟议的研究将： 1.扩展我们的功能纳米材料和微图案技术工具包，包括基于具有新功能的热塑性塑料（TP）和复合聚合物（CP）的技术。 2.开发以CP和新材料范例为特色的组合MEP，包括工业相关的TP和纺织品相容聚合物，以实现创新的系统级平台性能。 3.开发具有明确功能和接口要求的平台、互连和设备封装的系统级工程构建块库，以促进跨多个学科的系统性微型仪器开发。 所提出的方法将具有开创性，将学术界和工业界联系起来，并利用尖端技术为改进平台开发提供实用的解决方案。拟议研究计划的主要优势在于其能够为新型可穿戴和便携式 MEP 的持续开发提供必要的支持技术，使加拿大处于这些领域可持续发展的前沿。作为拟议研究计划的一部分，学员将培养对高科技领域至关重要的技能，包括微流体、生物医学、可穿戴系统、先进材料、纳米技术和先进医疗保健。拟议的计划将通过提供对加拿大重要的多个部门的未来研究和开发所需的广度和深度，来培训加拿大在这些领域的下一代技术领导者。

New and exciting research into wearable systems, functional nanomaterials, 3D printing, flexible microfluidics, and commercial polymer microfluidics, is reported daily. However, much of this research is specific to each field, despite the enormous potential that the convergence of these research areas has for the future of health care, worker safety, athletic performance, consumer devices, smart environments, disease diagnostics, and personalized medicine. The proposed research program offers a powerful and innovative approach to general-purpose microfluidic and electronic platform (MEP) development, employing new material paradigms to systematically interface microfluidics, electronics, sensors, and actuators for portable and wearable systems. The proposed research will focus on the development of innovative microfluidic and biomedical instrumentation through the invention of new enabling technologies that facilitate a concentrated and systematic approach, streamline the design process, and provide simple and cost-effective fabrication for improved device and system performance. Over the next 5 years, the proposed research will: 1.Expand our toolkit of functional nanomaterials and micropatterning techniques, including technologies based on thermoplastics (TPs) and composite polymers (CPs) with new functionality. 2.Develop combined MEPs featuring CPs and new material paradigms, including industrially-relevant TPs and textile-compatible polymers, to achieve innovative system-level platform performances. 3.Develop a library of system-level engineering building blocks of platforms, interconnects, and device packaging with well-defined functionality and interface requirements, to facilitate systematic microinstrument development across multiple disciplines. The proposed approach will be pioneering, bridging academia and industry and using cutting-edge technologies to offer practical solutions to improved platform development. The main strength of the proposed research program is its ability to provide essential and enabling technologies for on-going development of new wearable and portable MEPs, placing Canada at the forefront of sustainable development in these areas. As part of the proposed research program, trainees will develop skills vital to high technology sectors that include microfluidics, biomedicine, wearable systems, advanced materials, nanotechnology, and advanced health care. The proposed program will train Canada's next generation of technological leaders in these areas by providing both the breadth and depth required for future research and development across these multiple sectors of importance to Canada.