CPS:Medium:Hardware/Software Co-Design for the Life Sciences: Towards a Programmable and Reconfigurable Lab-on-Chip

本课题将数字微流控技术与薄膜光电探测器及控制软件相结合，利用荧光技术实现DNA靶标传感。这种网络物理愿景是通过物理组件之间的紧密耦合来实现的？微流控平台、小型化传感器和网络组件？用于控制、决策和适应的软件。这种水平的集成，决策和可控制的可重构性是使用数字微流控生物芯片进行临床诊断的重要一步。正在研究的课题包括：(i)硅基数字微流体和光学传感器的集成；（ii）软件控制下的闭环运行和运行时优化；（iii）决策树架构、自适应重构和错误恢复。正在研制一套完整的带有检测位点的芯片核酸鉴定试验台。网络物理系统集成将改变生物芯片的使用，就像编译器和操作系统彻底改变了计算，设计自动化彻底改变了芯片设计一样。对社会的好处包括改变个性化医疗、家庭诊断和便携式诊断的潜力。数字微流体、光学传感和软件控制的集成有可能创造出任何人都可以使用的系统，无论其样品制备技能如何。一个例子是鉴定与细菌性血液感染（败血症）相关的细菌DNA，如果不及早诊断，就会导致死亡（这是美国十大死亡原因之一）。学生们正在接受高级设计课程的培训，以理解设计

This project integrates digital microfluidics with thin-film photodetectors and control software to realize DNA target sensing using fluorescence. This cyberphysical vision is being realized through tight coupling between physical components?the microfluidic platform and miniaturized sensors, and cyber components?software for control, decision-making, and adaptation. Such a level of integration, decision, and controlled reconfigurability is a significant step forward in clinical diagnostics using digital microfluidic biochips. Topics being investigated include: (i) silicon-based digital microfluidics and integration of optical sensors; (ii) closed-loop operation and run-time optimization under software control; (iii) decision-tree architectures, adaptive reconfiguration, and error recovery. A complete testbed is being developed for nucleic acid identification on a fabricated chip with detection sites.Cyberphysical system integration will transform biochip use, in the same way as compilers and operating systems revolutionized computing, and design automation revolutionized chip design. Benefits to society include the potential to transform personalized medicine, home diagnostics, and portable diagnostics. Integration of digital microfluidics, optical sensing, and software control has the potential to create systems that can be used by any person, regardless of sample preparation skill. One example is the identification of bacterial DNA associated with bacterial blood infection (sepsis), which results in death if not diagnosed early (this is in the top 10 causes of death in the US). Students are being trained through a Senior Design course to understand the design