CPS: Small: System support for generally programmable digital microfluidic biochip devices

本研究的目的是开发一个原型可编程微流控芯片实验室，以在线方式同时执行分析（化学算法）。化学家使用基于文本的语言指定化验（化学算法）。分析结果实时到达设备，在附加的微控制器上运行的操作系统/虚拟机对其进行解释。该方法是为芯片实验室开发一个软件模拟基础设施，并在其上构建操作系统/虚拟机。这项活动的智力价值是由于没有类型的运行时支持系统尚未提出的微流体装置的事实。本课题需要解决的关键问题包括：无死锁的确定性和自适应路由算法；液滴在系统中路由的实时约束；输送洗涤液滴去污；安排设备上的分析操作；交通拥堵评价;以及故障诊断和恢复。就更广泛的影响而言，芯片实验室技术的进步将改善全世界的公共卫生，并导致临床诊断和医学方面的重大进步。芯片实验室可从安捷伦科技等成熟公司以及Advanced Liquid Logic、Silicon Biosystems和Ayanda Biosystems等初创公司进行商用；因此，这项研究的经济影响是巨大的。加州大学河滨分校是一所少数族裔服务机构。PI致力于在本科和研究生教育中引入芯片实验室技术，并将尽一切努力在研究生和本科阶段招募代表性不足的少数民族（包括妇女）参与该项目。

The objective of this research is to develop a prototype programmable microfluidic laboratory-on-chip that concurrently executes assays (chemical algorithms) in an on-line fashion. A chemist specifies an assay (chemical algorithm) using a text-based language. Assays arrive at the device in real-time and an operating system/virtual machine running on an attached microcontroller interprets them. The approach is to develop a software simulation infrastructure for the laboratory-on-chip and to build the operating system/virtual machine on top of it. The intellectual merit of this activity is due to the fact that no type of runtime support system has yet been proposed for microfluidic devices. The key challenges to be solved in this project include: deadlock-free deterministic and adaptive routing algorithms; real-time constraints for routing droplets in the system; routing wash droplets for decontamination; scheduling assay operations on the devices; congestion estimation; and fault diagnosis and recovery. In terms of broader impact, advances in laboratory-on-chip technology will improve public health worldwide and lead to significant advances in clinical diagnostics and medicine. Laboratory-on-chips are commercially available from established companies such as Agilent Technologies as well as startup companies such as Advanced Liquid Logic, Silicon Biosystems, and Ayanda Biosystems; thus, the economic impact of this research is tremendous. The University of California, Riverside is a Minority-Serving Institution. The PI is committed to the introduction of laboratory-on-chip technology in both undergraduate and graduate education and will make every possible effort to recruit underrepresented minorities (including women) at the graduate and undergraduate level to work on the project.