EAPSI: Algorithms for the Design Automation of Microfluidic Laboratories-on-a-chip

该奖项支持研究开发将用于微流控芯片实验室（LoC）设计自动化的算法。这些算法将被集成到一个大型工具中，用于创建用于制造这些设备的设计文件。微流控LoC能够以更高的精度进行微升规模的化学实验，无需人为干预。这项研究将与台湾新竹国立交通大学著名微流体设计自动化专家何宗义博士合作进行。该项目将有助于产生第一个能够创建用于制造微流体设备的设计文件的完整工具，同时也为希望在新兴的微流体领域工作的化学家，生物化学家和生物工程师提供了一个低门槛。微流体技术在这些领域的广泛应用将导致更快，更经济，更精确的化学实验，同时也解放了科学家。尽管用于集成电路（IC）设计的超大规模集成电路（VSLI）算法与用于微流体LoCs设计的算法之间存在相似之处，但在制造过程中存在几个关键区别，这使得直接使用VLSI设计算法是不可能的。相反，本研究使用VLSI设计算法作为开发新算法的基础，这些新算法可以满足微流体LoCs设计中所需的特定要求。这些算法将用于放置微流体组件，并在组件之间建立连接，以创建用于化学品流动和操作的微流体层。然后，这些算法将被集成到一个更大的框架中，该框架能够控制实验并为制造完整的微流体LoC生成必要的支持系统。这个NSF EAPSI奖是与台湾科技部合作资助的。

This award supports research to develop algorithms that will be used in the automation of the design of microfluidic laboratories-on-a-chip (LoC). These algorithms will be integrated into a large tool used to create design files for the fabrication of these devices. Microfluidic LoCs are able to perform chemistry experiments on the micro-liter scale with higher precision and no human intervention. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tsung-Yi Ho, a noted expert on microfluidic design automation, at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This project will help lead to the first full tool capable of creating design files for fabricating microfluidic devices while also presenting a low bar of entry to chemists, biochemists, and bioengineers hoping to work in the emerging field of microfluidics. The widespread use of microfluidics in these fields will lead to faster, more economical, and more precise chemical experiments, while also freeing up scientist?s time to work on designing experiments instead of running them.While there are similarities between very-large-scale integration (VSLI) algorithms used in the design of integrated circuits (IC) and those used in the design of microfluidic LoCs, there are several key distinctions in the manufacturing process that makes the direct use of VLSI design algorithms impossible. Instead this research uses VLSI design algorithms as a basis for the development of new algorithms that can meet the specific requirements needed in the design of microfluidic LoCs. These algorithms will be used to place microfluidic components and route the connections between the components to create a microfluidic layer for the flow and manipulation of chemicals. These algorithms will then be integrated into a larger framework capable of controlling the experiment and generating the necessary support systems for the fabrication of a full microfluidic LoC. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.