Advanced Electronic Microsystems for Biomedical and Oilfield Instrumentation Applications

我提出的研究计划的目标是：(a)调查、设计、实施和测试用于生物医学和油田应用的创新电子微系统；(b)围绕它们开发知识产权；(c)尽快将它们商业化。我在未来5年的计划是研究、开发和测试两种这样的微系统：原位实验室辅助（ISLA），一种新型的“智能鞋底”设备，用于无痛、一次性的血液提取和分析，用于乳腺癌筛查；还有一种小型化、自校准、可移动的惯性微系统，用于非生产性油井横向钻井偏差的井下导航和无线通信。ISLA背后的想法是创新的，但也是现实的：在MEMS致动器和随意行走的联合帮助下，血液样本被提取出来后，它会被一个微型高强度超发光二极管立即在现场进行检测，并记录下产生的荧光。假设这些荧光数据将对乳腺癌的早期诊断非常有用。最近（2015）一项关于血液荧光光谱用于乳腺癌筛查的研究表明，该方法的灵敏度和特异性分别为80.4%和100%。使用一种微创的“智能鞋底”设备进行原位血液荧光检测，将极大地有利于加拿大妇女进行自我控制、自主的早期乳腺癌筛查。该项目有三个组成部分：(a)科学（模拟执行器和随意行走对足部不同区域皮肤渗透的联合作用，以及对血容量收集的估计）；(b)开发（“智能鞋底”原型设计和优化）；(c)实验室和人体测试。在用于井下石油勘探的惯性导航系统（INS）领域，我的想法是将我的研究小组新开发的钻孔对准（IDA）技术应用于现有非生产井的横向钻井偏差，同时提供完整的三维（3D）控制运动的INS胶囊，以便在这些偏差内的钻头运动的所有三个平面上最大限度地补偿误差。目标是将IDA设置小型化，以适应12x100 mm的外壳，其中微型电动机将提供受控的3D运动以进行误差补偿。还设想了基于中继的无线通信。该项目也有三个组成部分：(a)科学（建模和量化三维控制运动对三个导航平面中的导航误差减少的影响，并找到无线方式来传递信息）；(b)开发（原型设计和优化）；和(c)实验室和良好的基础测试。该项目将有利于加拿大的石油工业和环境，因为旧的非生产性油井将被重复使用，避免了新井的钻探。

The goals of my proposed research program are (a) to investigate, design, implement, and test innovative electronic microsystems for biomedical and oilfield applications; (b) develop intellectual property around them; and (c) commercialize them as soon as possible. My plan in the next 5 years is to research, develop and test two such microsystems, the In Situ Lab Aid (ISLA), a new "smart sole" device for painless, single-use blood extraction and analysis for breast cancer screening; and a miniaturized, self-calibrating, mobile inertial microsystem for downhole navigation and wireless communication in lateral drilling deviations from unproductive oil wells. The idea behind ISLA is innovative, but also realistic: after a blood sample is extracted with the combined aid of a MEMS actuator and casual walking, it is subjected to immediate interrogation in situ by a miniature high-intensity superluminescent light emitting diode and the resulting fluorescence is recorded. The hypothesis is that these fluorescence data will be extremely useful for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. A recent (2015) study on blood fluorescence spectroscopy for breast cancer screening revealed the sensitivity and specificity of this approach to be 80.4% and 100%, respectively. Having a minimally-invasive, "smart sole" device to perform blood fluorescence testing in situ will benefit immensely Canadian women in self-controlled, autonomous early breast cancer screening. The project has three components: (a) scientific (modeling the combined action of the actuator and casual walking on skin penetration in various areas of the foot, along with estimation of blood volume collection); (b) development ("smart sole" prototype design and optimization); and (c) laboratory and human testing. In the area of inertial navigation systems (INS) for downhole oil exploration, my idea is to apply the newly developed by my research group In-Drilling Allignment (IDA) technique for lateral drilling deviations from existing unproductive wells, while providing complete three-dimensional (3D) controlled motion of the INS capsule for maximal error compensation in all three planes of the drill bit motion inside these deviations. The goal is to miniaturize the IDA setup to fit in a 12x100 mm enclosure, in which a miniature electric motor will provide controlled 3D motion for error compensation. Relay-based wireless communication is also envisioned. This project has three components as well: (a) scientific (model and quantify the impact of 3D controlled motion on navigation error reduction in each of the three navigation planes and find wireless means to relay the information); (b) development (prototype design and optimization); and (c) laboratory and well-based testing. The project will benefit both the Canadian oil industry and the environment, since old unproductive oil wells will become reusable, avoiding new well drilling.