Electrowetting-enhanced sustainable liquid films for collection of viable airborne pathogens

环境实时监测系统通常用于关键空间，可以提供早期（感染前）预警，以对抗传染病的传播。不幸的是，这种资产在疾病传播控制武器库中严重缺失，COVID-19危机是一个强烈而痛苦的提醒。尽管微流控技术蓬勃发展，但目前还没有真正实时识别空气传播病原体的系统，使这种感染传播监测工具成为可能。生物气溶胶的实时监测需要两个基本要素：连续的时间分辨收集；并集成快速分析检测。大多数使用的收集技术在很大程度上不能满足这些要求，其中令人震惊的是缺乏对收集技术与下游检测技术的在线集成的考虑。为了弥合这一鸿沟，我们引入了一种新的收集方法，使用集成微流体技术（电润湿）将小体积液体膜作为收集介质来控制膜的稳定性，并允许将收集的物质连续提取成“时间分辨”的可检测样品。通过使用超亲水表面，可以产生表面积极大的液体膜，从而使极有效的收集到极小的体积中。此外，使用液体薄膜作为收集介质将改善生物气溶胶最脆弱成分的特性保存。该项目的目的是提供一套新的工具，通过提出一种新的方法，将时间分辨的连续气溶胶收集到电润湿- dmf控制的液体膜中，从而弥补当前生物气溶胶收集技术与实际实时监测之间的差距。关键目标与这些基本技术的实现和集成密切相关。该研究计划旨在调查和验证项目的关键概念和目标，其中包括：-通过调查表面改性过程和流体特性，创建局部液体低体积/表面比（即高扩散）的液体膜；-利用表面特性的微流体液滴分配器的制造；-用于流量控制和样品供应的DMF装置的设计和制造；-集成微流体控制的可持续液体膜的气溶胶收集原型的设计和制造；-展示持续收集和检测气溶胶的能力；-拟议创新的迅速覆盖、有效传播和促进影响。拟议的项目是非常高的风险，有许多审讯和挑战，将不得不回答。制作这些电影的最佳方法是什么？材料收集到这些薄膜中是可能的吗？如何将这些技术集成在一起以实现期望的性能？所有这些都必须得到证明。挑战是巨大的，但如果成功的话，回报可能是巨大的，因为这是一种对抗空气传播疾病的新武器。在当前的大流行中，毫无疑问，这些疾病代表着巨大的社会经济成本。一种新的生物气溶胶收集方法，结合了高浓度率、时间分辨采样和下游连接，将成为开发实际连续监测系统所需的重大技术突破。这种能够实时识别空气传播病原体的工具，将是早期发现疾病的强大资产。实时监控系统应用于细网格网络，获取实时数据，为高精度机载传输模型服务。在机场、教室或医院等关键地点，它们将提供早期感染前预警，以便快速做出反应，阻碍甚至阻止疾病的传播途径。

Routinely employed in critical spaces, environmental real-time monitoring systems could offer early (pre-infection) warning to fight the spread of transmissible diseases. Such asset is unfortunately critically missing in the disease spread control arsenal, of which, the COVID-19 crisis is a strong and bitter reminder. Despite the booming of microfluidic techniques, there are currently no systems for true real-time identification of airborne pathogens that would make such an infection transmission monitoring tool possible.Real-time monitoring of bioaerosol requires two fundamental elements: continuous time-resolved collection; and integrated rapid analysis and detection. Requirements that are largely unmet by the most used collection techniques and among them an alarming lack of consideration for in-line integration of the collection technology with the downstream detection one. To bridge this gulf, we introduce a novel collection approach involving a low-volume liquid film as collection medium using integrated microfluidic technology (electrowetting) to control the film stability and allow for continuous extraction of collected material into 'time-resolved' detectable sample. By employing superhydrophilic surfaces, liquid films of immensely large surface area can be created, allowing extremely efficient collection into minuscule volumes. In addition, using liquid films as a collection medium will improve the preservation of the properties of bioaerosols' most fragile constituents.The aim of the project is to provide a new set of tools to bridge the gap separating current bioaerosol collection techniques from actual real-time monitoring by proposing a novel method for time-resolved continuous aerosol collection into liquid film sustained and controlled by electrowetting-DMF. The key objectives are closely related to the realisation and integrations of these basic technologies. The research plan is designed to investigate and validate the key concepts and objectives of the project, which include: - The creation of localised liquid low volume/surface ratio (i.e. high spread) liquid film through the investigation of surface modification processes and fluid property; - The fabrication of a microfluidic droplet dispenser exploiting surface properties; - The design and fabrication of a DMF device for flow control and sample supply; - The design and manufacture of an aerosol collection prototype integrating the microfluidics-controlled sustainable liquid film; - The demonstration of continuous aerosol collection and detection capability; - The rapid reach, efficient dissemination and impact facilitation of the proposed innovation.The proposed project is very high risk with numerous interrogation and challenges that will have to be answered. What is the best way to make the proposed films? Is material collection into those film at all possible? How can the technologies be integrated together to achieve the desired performances? All of this will have to be proven. The challenge is high but the reward in case of success is potentially huge with a new weapon against airborne transmissible diseases. Amid the current pandemics, there is no arguing such diseases represent an enormous socioeconomic cost. A new bioaerosol collection method that combines high concentration rate, time-resolved sampling and downstream connectivity would make the major technological breakthrough required to develop an actual continuous monitoring system. Such tool, enabling real-time identification of airborne pathogens, would be a formidable asset in early detection of diseases. Used in finely meshed network, real time monitoring systems would acquire real-time data to serve high accuracy airborne transmission model. In critical location, such as airports, classrooms or hospitals, they would offer early pre-infection warning allowing rapid respond to hinder or even stop the disease transmission route.