Passive Flow Control for Integrated Genomic Analysis Microchips

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标是为微流体设备开发一种被动流量控制范例，这将减少对外部（芯片外）硬件的需求，并促进广泛分布的手持式生物分析设备的发展。所提出的流量控制方法与现有的微流控分析系统（特别是微流控集成基因组分析芯片）兼容，并且代表了向护理点测试仪器小型化迈出的重要一步。拟议的研究将量化机械性能要求，以确保经过验证的基因组分析微芯片的生物分析功能，同时开发可用于替代通道交叉处主动阀的被动变形特征。中心假设是，通过改变单个执行器的时间相关激励，通过嵌入可变形的被动特征来调节不同分支的动态响应，可以将流动引导到微流控网络的不同分支。这些特性（作为流体电感、电容器和二极管）显著降低了驱动要求，从而实现了新的驱动策略，避免了片外压力源和开关螺线管。所提出的方法特别适合于基因组分析微芯片，它只需要几个流体域和很少的阀门。芯片上的流量控制将大大降低其成本，提高其便携性，最终将基因组分析直接交给监测流行病爆发的医生或进行肿瘤切除术的外科医生。我们建议进行一项综合研究，明确确定维持分析功能的流动条件，同时开发被动特征和流体网络来实现这些条件。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop a passive flow control paradigm for microfluidic devices, which will reduce the need for external (off-chip) hardware and facilitate the development of widely distributable hand-held bioanalytical devices. The proposed approach for flow control is compatible with existing microfluidic analytical systems (in particular, microfluidic integrated genomic analysis chips), and represents a significant step towards miniaturization of instrumentation for point-of-care testing. The proposed study will quantify the mechanical performance requirements that ensure bioanalytical functionality of a proven genomic analysis microchip, while simultaneously developing passive deformable features that can be used in lieu of active valves at channel intersections. The central hypothesis is that flow can be directed into different branches of a microfluidic network by changing the time-dependent excitation of a single actuator, by embedding deformable passive features modulate the dynamic responses of the different branches. These features (which act as fluidic inductors, capacitors and diodes) significantly reduce actuation requirements - thus enabling new actuation strategies that avoid off-chip pressure sources and switching solenoids. The proposed approach is particularly well suited to genomic analysis microchips, which require only several fluidic domains with very few valves. On-chip flow control would dramatically decrease their cost and increase their portability, ultimately placing genomic analysis directly in the hands of physicians who monitor epidemic outbreaks or surgeons conducting lumpectomies. We propose an integrated study that explicitly determines flow conditions that maintain analytical functionality, while simultaneously developing passive features and fluidic networks to achieve these conditions. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Microfluidic devices offer a promising pathway to create new types of inexpensive, highly portable tools for rapid point-of-care diagnostics. Such devices could place rapid genomic analysis directly in the hands of physicians who monitor epidemic outbreaks in remote locations, or surgeons needing rapid biopsies. We propose to develop a new approach to control fluid flow in microfluidic devices that reduces or eliminates the need for off-chip hardware, facilitating the development of hand-held diagnostic tools. A microfluidic integrated genomic analysis microchip will be used to quantify the required flow characteristics that maintain analytic functionality, while simultaneously optimizing passive deformable features that lead to acceptable flow conditions. While demonstrated here for pathogen detection, simple but effective flow control in integrated microfluidic devices has widespread application to diagnostics in general.