Understanding Elastomer/Stiff Material Interfaces in Fluidic Environments for Bioanalytical Microdevices

本项目是弹性体与坚硬材料(如玻璃和金属)之间界面稳定性的实验和理论研究相结合的研究。中心目标是确定在不同的流体环境中控制薄膜脱粘的关键参数(如附着能、压力和尺寸)。然后，结果将被用于识别几何形状和表面处理，以提高流体生物分析微设备的可靠性和性能。方法是创建由弹性体膜覆盖的微图案化通道：当不同的流体被注入通道中时，界面稳定性将被量化(使用光学和干涉测量)。这项研究将包括对执行DNA提取、扩增和检测的现有设备的接口进行表征。该计划产生的见解将通过使执行基因组和蛋白质组分析的生化操作的微型设备的开发成为可能，从而提供社会效益。控制界面稳定性的能力不仅可以提高设备的可靠性，还可以使用基于定制界面行为(而不是直接机械驱动)打开和关闭的被动功能来实现简化的流体流量控制。这一发展将促进科学发现(通过扩大微尺度的流体操作范围)和针对临床应用的便携式设备的有针对性的开发。该项目还与柔性“宏电子学”直接相关，例如，通过在柔性弹性体基板上沉积电子特征而创建的视频显示器。该项目将通过在本科实验室中放置研究设备来整合研究和教育，重点是设计、快速成型、材料特性、动力学和化学分离。

This project is a combined experimental and theoretical study of the stability of interfaces between elastomers and stiff materials (such as glass and metals). The central objective is to identify critical parameters (such as adhesion energy, pressures and dimensions) that control thin film debonding in the presence of different fluidic environments. The results will then be used to identify geometries and surface treatments that improve reliability and performance in fluidic bioanalytical microdevices. The approach is to create micropatterned channels that are capped by elastomer films: interface stability will then be quantified (using optical and interferometric measurements) as different fluids are injected into the channels. This study will include the characterization of interfaces in existing devices that perform DNA extraction, amplification and detection.The insights generated by this program will provide societal benefits by enabling the development microdevices that perform biochemical manipulations for genomic and proteomic analysis. The ability to control interface stability will not only improve device reliability, but also enable simplified fluidic flow control using passive features that open and close based on tailored interface behavior (as opposed to direct mechanical actuation). This development will facilitate both scientific discovery (by broadening the range of fluidic manipulations at the microscale) and the targeted development of portable devices for clinical applications. The project also bears direct relevance for flexible "macroelectronics", e.g. video displays that are created by depositing electronic features on flexible elastomer substrates. The project will integrate research and education by placing research devices in undergraduate laboratories focusing on design, rapid prototyping, material properties, dynamics and chemical separations.