CMOS circuits for lab-on-chip analyte detection

该NSERC发现补助金检查CMOS电路和CMOS兼容设备，以提高用于芯片实验室诊断应用的荧光标记分子的光学检测灵敏度。 大多数芯片实验室的工作，也称为微全分析系统或BioMEMS，在微流体芯片上没有仪器，需要大量的光学，高压和电子仪器在工作台上，支持芯片-这种方法可以被称为实验室芯片。 与DALSA Semiconducteur（Bromont QC）合作，我们已经建立了集成的微电子-微流体系统，包括仪器，降低了系统成本，并将潜在的系统大小降低到USB存储器密钥的大小。 在这项提案中，我们正在寻找更长远的目标来构建电路，以提高这些CMOS-BioMEMS的灵敏度并提高检测极限。 方法将包括降低噪声和偏移、CMOS雪崩光电二极管和荧光寿命（用于测量激发光去除后衰减荧光的脉冲激发光源）的新变化。 其中一些工作也可以应用于低光图像传感器。 可以说，集成微电子-微流体芯片的最佳装备制造目前位于加拿大。 我们相信，从长远来看，我们可以帮助加拿大制造商在未来的BioMEMS世界市场中占据重要地位。

This NSERC Discovery Grant examines CMOS circuits and CMOS-compatible devices to enhance the sensitivity of optical detection of fluorescently labeled molecules as used in Lab-on-Chip diagnostic applications. Most Lab-on-Chip work, alternatively named micro-total-analysis-systems or BioMEMS, puts no instrumentation on the microfluidic chip and requires extensive optical, high voltage and electronic instrumentation on the bench, supporting the chip - this approach could instead be called chip-in-a-lab. With DALSA Semiconducteur (Bromont QC), we have built integrated microelectronic-microfluidic systems that include the instrumentation, reducing system cost and the potential system size to that of a USB memory key. In this proposal, we are looking longer term to build circuits to increase the sensitivity of these CMOS-BioMEMS and improve the limit of detection. Approaches will include new variations on noise and offset reductions, CMOS avalanche photodiodes and fluorescence lifetime (pulsed excitation light source for measuring the decaying fluorescence after excitation light is removed). Some of this work could also be applicable to low light image sensors. Arguably, the best equipped manufacturing for integrated microelectronic-microfluidic chips is presently located in Canada. We believe that in the long term we can help secure a significant portion of the future world market of BioMEMS for Canadian manufacturers.