Microfluidic Technologies

微流体装置用于各种高精度生物科学应用和辅助技术，利用流体及其在微观尺度上的特性，使小型化平台能够提供比传统技术更低的成本，更快的速度，更高的性能和更便携的选择。拟议中的加拿大微流控技术研究主席将推动该学科的两个子领域的突破，液滴微流控（DM，主题1）和空气微流控（AM，主题2），对不同的应用领域产生变革性影响。Theme I研究将提供首个模块化DM平台，为生物学家、化学家和材料科学家等非专业用户提供真正的支持，使他们能够自信地为特定应用组装定制系统。将基础研究与应用创新相结合，将开发用于液滴识别的新型光学和电学方法，并将推进有关液滴和系统动态行为的新知识。集成在即插即用组件中的功能模块将推动药物发现，疾病诊断和新材料合成应用的进步。主题2将在软机器人可穿戴辅助技术方面带来类似的变革性影响，这是一个新兴领域，支持中风、脊髓损伤和肢体截肢等运动障碍的康复。紧凑、轻便、高效的气动技术通过向靠近身体的软气球致动器（可通过控制空气流量来充气和放气的气囊）加压，提供间歇性压缩，为恢复提供定制治疗。目前的系统需要在有效性和可穿戴性之间进行功能权衡，AM将设计由通道网络和片上阀门控制的软执行器，以推进经济、有效、真正可穿戴的软机器人辅助系统。这两个研究主题将涉及最终用户（例如，主题I的生物化学家和材料科学家以及主题II的医生，截肢者，假肢设计师）在整个开发过程中，以确保拟议的研究计划不仅将推进基础知识，而且还将解决该领域面临的实际问题。最终，该项目旨在通过负担得起的药物、早期疾病诊断或可穿戴系统来改善加拿大人的生活。

Microfluidic devices, which are used in a variety of high-precision biological science applications and assistive technologies, exploit fluids and their properties at the microscale, enabling miniaturized platforms that offer lower cost, faster pace, higher performance, and more portable options than traditional technologies. The proposed Canada Research Chair in Microfluidic Technologies will advance breakthroughs in two sub-fields of the discipline, droplet microfluidics (DM, Theme I) and air microfluidics (AM, Theme II), offering transformative impacts on distinct application areas. Theme I research will deliver the first modular DM platform, a true enabler for non-expert users such as biologists, chemists and material scientists to confidently assemble customized systems for specific applications. Bridging fundamental studies with applied innovation, novel optical and electrical methods for droplet identification will be developed and new knowledge on droplet and system dynamic behaviour will be advanced. Integrated within a plug-and-play assembly, functional modules will drive progress in drug discovery, disease diagnosis and new materials synthesis applications. Theme 2 will deliver similarly transformative impacts in soft robotic wearable assistive technologies, an emerging field supporting rehabilitation from movement disorders including stroke, spinal injury, and limb amputation. Compact, light, and efficient pneumatic technologies provide intermittent compression by pressurizing soft balloon actuators (air pocket that can be inflated and deflated by controlling the air flow to them) close to the body, providing customized therapy for recovery. Where current systems have functional trade-offs between effectiveness and wearability, AM will design soft actuators controlled with a channel network and on-chip valves to advance affordable, effective, truly wearable soft robotic assistive systems. Both themes of research will involve end-users (e.g. biochemists and material scientists for Theme I and physicians, limb amputees, prosthesis designers for Theme II) throughout development to ensure the proposed research programs will not only advance fundamental knowledge, but also address practical problems facing the field. Ultimately, the program aims to improve the lives of Canadians whether through affordable medicine, early disease diagnosis, or wearable systems for stay-home therapeutic treatment.