PFI TT: A Technology Platform to Enable Microsystems with a Wide Variety of Functions

这个创新伙伴关系-技术转化（PFI-TT）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于创建一个新的处理技术平台，允许制造用于成像、处理和工业应用的微系统。在医用超声成像系统中，超声换能器阵列可以降低成本并提高图像分辨率，这是一个应用实例。超声成像系统的换能器代表了目前30亿美元的全球市场，新型超声换能器可能有助于推动家庭医疗诊断能力的提高，与移动设备集成，以促进远程检查和先进的个人健康监测。该项目将作为一个丰富的培训工具，涵盖多学科主题，从了解环保压电材料的基本特性和器件结构与集成，到设计医学成像系统和超声波换能器的元素。同时，该项目将为一名博士后研究员提供技术创业和商业化方面的培训。与我们的工业合作伙伴，特别是施乐的合作和人员交流，将为学术团队和学生提供商业处理和市场问题的知识以及有用的见解。项目活动还将促进妇女和代表性不足的少数民族的参与。拟议的项目创建了一个新的、低成本的加工技术平台，允许制造微系统，如用于成像、加工和工业应用的大型高频超声换能器阵列，以及集成泵、阀和传感器的小型化“化学和生化反应器”。强大的新平台提供了硅基微机电系统（MEMS）技术和全尺寸工程产品之间的功能（并补充）。该项目旨在展示涉及压电换能器阵列的两个概念证明。一个原型解决了医学超声成像的改进换能器的需求，这种诊断技术由于其无害和相对于其他医学成像技术的低成本而受到青睐。第二个原型旨在使声学镊子的发展能够在与全息显示和增材制造相关的单个粒子和粒子流的控制和处理方面开辟新的应用。原型的成功处理将使该方法成为一个强大的平台，用于制造更广泛的集成多种传感、驱动和流体功能的微系统。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project lies in the creation of a new processing technology platform that allows the fabrication of microsystems for imaging, processing, and industrial applications. One example application is the ultrasound transducer array that may reduce the cost and improve the image resolution in medical ultrasonic imaging systems. The transducers of ultrasound imaging systems represent a current global market of $3 B. The new ultrasound transducers may help advance the trend towards increased capabilities for medical diagnostics at home, integrated with mobile devices to facilitate remote checkups and advanced personal health monitoring. The project will act as a rich training vehicle, covering multidisciplinary topics ranging from understanding fundamental properties of environmentally friendly piezoelectric materials and device structure and integration, to designing elements of medical imaging systems and ultrasonic transducers. In parallel, the project will provide training in technology entrepreneurship and commercialization for a post-doctoral researcher. The collaboration and personnel exchange with our industrial partners, particularly Xerox, will provide knowledge of commercial processing and market issues as well as useful insights for the academic team and students. Project activities will also promote the participation of women and under-represented minorities. The proposed project creates a new, low-cost, processing technology platform that allows for the fabrication of microsystems such as large arrays of high frequency ultrasound transducers for imaging, processing and industrial applications as well as miniaturized “chemical and biochemical reactors” with integrated pumps, valves and sensors. The robust new platforms provide capabilities between (and complementary to) silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and full scale engineered products. The project seeks to demonstrate two proofs of concept that involve arrays of piezoelectric transducers. One prototype addresses the need for improved transducers for medical ultrasound imaging - a diagnostic technique that is gaining favor due to its harmlessness and low-cost relative to other medical imaging techniques. The second prototype seeks to enable the development of acoustic tweezers to open up new applications in the control and processing of individual particles and streams of particles, relevant to holographic displays and additive manufacturing. The successful processing of the prototypes will enable the method to be used as a robust platform to manufacture a wider range of microsystems that integrate multiple sensing, actuation and fluidic functions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.