Microinstrumentation featuring flexible polymers: from discrete devices to full electronic and microfluidic systems

我的研究计划专注于为下一代微传感器、微流体系统和微电子机械系统(MEMS)开发创新的微制造和使能技术。通过发现资助计划，我的实验室(微仪器实验室，UIL)通过集中和系统的方法开创了基本的使能技术。这些使能技术包括先进的微流体流动控制；微图案化功能性电子和磁性复合聚合物(CP)的开发；有助于集成的、芯片到芯片和芯片到世界的微流体互联的技术；以及灵活的微流体和可穿戴的基于纺织品的生物传感器设备级技术。**我研究的长期目标是建立一个具有明确功能和接口要求的互连和微流控、微传感器、电子和光学元件库，以促进新微流控仪器的开发。我计划将CPS集成到刚性和柔性衬底上的微流控系统中，包括商用微流控聚合物和纺织品，以实现由这些功能材料实现的创新系统性能。这项研究的应用将是为包括但不限于：医疗保健、运动表现、危险环境暴露、免疫学、食品包装、生物细胞研究和疾病诊断在内的应用创造“技术有趣和与社会相关的”微流控仪器。在计划期间培训的HQP将成为加拿大在这些领域的下一代技术领导者。**在未来五年，拟议的研究计划将集中于以下目标：*1.在柔性聚合物和纺织平台上开发包括电源和具有C-CP/M-CP结构的设备的微流体和电子框架(MEF)。*2.建立一个系统级工程积木的库，包括平台、互连、将M-CP与微流控热塑性聚合物(TPS)相结合的方法的开发，为这些与工业相关的材料平台提供新的微流控驱动机制。*4.MEF结合与可穿戴监测相关的示例设备的演示。**在可穿戴电子设备、功能纳米复合聚合物、柔性微流体和商用聚合物微流体方面的新的令人兴奋的研究每天都有报道。然而，这项研究的大部分是针对每个领域的，尽管这些研究领域的融合对医疗保健、工人安全、食品安全、消费设备和商业微流体的未来具有巨大的潜力。拟议的研究计划提供了一种强大的通用框架的新的创新方法，以系统地将基于CP的微流体和电子设备同时连接到柔性聚合物、纺织或工业聚合物平台上。这种方法为工业提供了实用的解决方案，这些领域包括工人安全；运动服装的紫外线指数、心脏和乳糖监测；以及血糖监测。稀土M-CP致动器与商用微流体的集成将是开创性的，提供高偏转、低功率的致动器，以提高便携性。拟议的研究计划的优势在于，它能够提供技术框架，不仅开发一种仪器，而且为持续开发新的可穿戴和便携式微流体提供必要的使能技术，使加拿大处于这些领域可持续发展的前沿。

My research program focuses on the development of innovative microfabrication and enabling technologies for next generation microsensors, microfluidic systems, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Through the Discovery Grant program, my lab (Microinstrumentation Lab, uiL) has pioneered essential enabling technologies through a concentrated and systematic approach. These enabling technologies have included advanced microfluidic flow control; development of micropatterned functional electronic and magnetic composite polymers (CPs); technologies to aid in integrated, chip-to-chip and chip-to-world microfluidic interconnect; and flexible microfluidic and wearable textile-based biosensor device-level technologies. **The long-term goals of my research are to establish a comprehensive library of interconnects and microfluidic, microsensor, electronic, and optical components with well-defined functionality and interface requirements to facilitate development of new microfluidic instruments. I plan to integrate CPs into microfluidic systems on rigid and flexible substrates, including commercial microfluidic polymers and textiles, to achieve innovative system performance enabled by these functional materials. The applications of this research will be the creation of "technically fun and socially relevant" microfluidic instrumentation for applications including but not limited to: health care, athletic performance, hazardous environment exposure, immunology, food packaging, biological cell studies, and disease diagnostics. HQP trained during the duration of the program will become Canada's next generation of technological leaders in these sectors.**Over the next five years, the proposed research program will focus on the following objectives:*1. Development of a combined microfluidic and electronic framework (MEF), including power sources and devices with C-CP/M-CP structures, on flexible polymer and textile platforms.*2. Establishment of a library of system-level engineering building blocks of platforms, interconnects, and device packaging to facilitate systematic microinstrument development.*3. Development of methods to combine M-CPs with microfluidic thermoplastic polymers (TPs) to provide new microfluidic actuation mechanisms for these industrially-relevant material platforms.*4. Demonstration of the MEF for combining example devices relevant to wearable monitoring.**New and exciting research into wearable electronics, functional nanocomposite polymers, flexible microfluidics, and commercial polymer microfluidics is reported on a daily basis. However, much of this research is specific to each field, despite the enormous potential that the convergence of these research areas has for the future of health care, worker safety, food safety, consumer devices, and commercial microfluidics. The proposed research program offers a new and innovative approach of powerful, general-purpose frameworks to systematically interface CP-based, microfluidic, and electronic devices simultaneously on flexible polymer, textile, or industrial polymer platforms. Such an approach offers practical solutions for industry in areas such as worker safety; UV-index, heart, and lactose monitoring for athletic clothing; and glucose monitoring. The integration of rare-earth M-CP actuators with commercial microfluidics will be pioneering, offering high-deflection, low-power actuators for increased portability. The strength of the proposed research program is its ability to provide technological frameworks to develop not just one instrument, but to provide essential, enabling technologies for on-going development of new wearable and portable microfluidics, placing Canada at the forefront of sustainable development in these areas.