Integrated Sensing: Cell Clinics on a Chip

0225489Smela PI将开发用于单细胞捕获和表征的集成微结构和电路。 这些“诊所”中的每一个都将由一个细胞大小的腔体或微型小瓶和一个盖子组成。 盖子可以通过铰链打开和关闭，铰链由聚吡咯微致动器构成，将刚性板连接到基底上。 这些诊所将在传统的体硅以及超薄蓝宝石硅（SOS）衬底上制造。 微结构与CMOS电子器件的集成允许将传感器、检测和刺激电路集成在一起，而SOS提供了一个透明的基底，允许对腔室内的细胞活性进行光学测量。 传感模式将针对特定应用进行定制，包括：阻抗测量，细胞外记录和电活性细胞的刺激，光学测量，以及在室内使用微型针的电流或电压灯测量。 潜在的应用是多方面的，从具体机制的详细生理学研究到生态学或发育生物学的全细胞研究，从收集浓缩的细胞分泌物到测定细胞特性的统计学研究。

0225489SmelaThe PIs will develop integrated microstructures and circuitry for single cellcapture and characterization. Each of these "clinics" will consist of acell-sized cavity, or microvial, and a lid. The lid can be opened andclosed by hinges constructed from polypyrrole microactuators which linkrigid plates to the substrate. These clinics will be fabricated onconventional bulk silicon as well as on ultra-thin silicon-on-sapphire(SOS) substrates. Integration of the microstructures with CMOSelectronics allows integrating sensors, detection, and stimulationcircuitry together, while SOS provides a transparent substrate whichallows optical measurements of cell activity within the chamber. Sensingmodalities will be tailored for specific applications and include:impedance measurements, extracellular recording and stimulation ofelectrically active cells, optical measurements, and current or voltageclamp measurements using microfabricated needles within the chamber. The potential applications are numerous, spanning a spectrum from detailedphysiological studies of specific mechanisms to whole cell studies ofecology or developmental biology to collecting concentrated cellsecretions to statistical studies of assayed cell properties.