Passive Flow Control for Integrated Genomic Analysis Microchips

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目标是开发一种用于微流体装置的被动流量控制范例，这将减少对外部（片外）硬件的需求，并促进可广泛分布的手持式生物分析装置的开发。所提出的用于流动控制的方法与现有的微流体分析系统（特别是微流体集成基因组分析芯片）兼容，并且代表了朝着用于即时检测的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，同时开发可用于代替通道交叉点处主动阀的被动可变形功能。中心假设是，通过改变单个致动器的时间依赖性激励，通过嵌入可变形的被动特征来调节不同分支的动态响应，可以将流引导到微流体网络的不同分支中。这些特性（用作流体电感器、电容器和二极管）显著降低了驱动要求，从而实现了避免片外压力源和开关损耗的新驱动策略。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与非常少的阀门。芯片上的流量控制将大大降低其成本并增加其便携性，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乳房肿瘤切除术的外科医生。我们提出了一个综合的研究，明确确定保持分析功能的流动条件，同时开发被动功能和流体网络，以实现这些条件。 公共卫生相关性：微流体设备提供了一种有前途的途径，以创造新型的廉价，高度便携的工具，用于快速的护理点诊断。这种设备可以将快速基因组分析直接交给在偏远地区监测流行病爆发的医生或需要快速活检的外科医生。我们建议开发一种新的方法来控制微流体设备中的流体流动，减少或消除对芯片外硬件的需求，促进手持式诊断工具的开发。微流体集成基因组分析微芯片将用于量化维持分析功能所需的流动特性，同时优化导致可接受流动条件的被动可变形特征。虽然在此展示了病原体检测，但集成微流体装置中简单但有效的流动控制通常广泛应用于诊断。

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.