Enabling technologies featuring nanomaterials for portable and wearable polymeric microfluidic and electronic platforms

在可穿戴系统、功能纳米材料、3D打印、柔性微流体和商用聚合物微流体方面，每天都有新的令人兴奋的研究报告。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、运动表现、消费设备、智能环境、疾病诊断和个性化医疗的未来具有巨大的潜力。拟议的研究计划为通用微流控和电子平台(MEP)的开发提供了一种强大的创新方法，采用新的材料范例来系统地连接便携式和可穿戴系统的微流控、电子学、传感器和执行器。拟议的研究将侧重于开发创新的微流控和生物医学仪器，通过发明新的使能技术，促进集中和系统的方法，简化设计过程，并提供简单和具有成本效益的制造，以改善设备和系统性能。在接下来的5年里，拟议的研究将：1.扩大我们的功能纳米材料和微图案化技术工具包，包括基于热塑性塑料(TPS)和具有新功能的复合聚合物(CP)的技术。2.开发具有CPS和新材料范例的组合MEP，包括与工业相关的TPS和与纺织品兼容的聚合物，以实现创新的系统级平台性能。3.开发具有明确定义的功能和接口要求的平台、互连和设备封装的系统级工程构建块库，以促进跨多个学科的系统微仪器开发。拟议的方法将是开创性的，架起学术界和产业界的桥梁，并使用尖端技术为改进的平台开发提供实用解决方案。拟议的研究计划的主要优势是它有能力为正在进行的新的可穿戴和便携式MEP的开发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。作为拟议研究计划的一部分，学员将发展对高科技领域至关重要的技能，包括微流体、生物医学、可穿戴系统、先进材料、纳米技术和先进医疗保健。拟议的计划将培训加拿大在这些领域的下一代技术领导者，为未来在这些对加拿大至关重要的部门进行研究和开发提供所需的广度和深度。

New and exciting research into wearable systems, functional nanomaterials, 3D printing, flexible microfluidics, and commercial polymer microfluidics, is reported daily. 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, athletic performance, consumer devices, smart environments, disease diagnostics, and personalized medicine. The proposed research program offers a powerful and innovative approach to general-purpose microfluidic and electronic platform (MEP) development, employing new material paradigms to systematically interface microfluidics, electronics, sensors, and actuators for portable and wearable systems. The proposed research will focus on the development of innovative microfluidic and biomedical instrumentation through the invention of new enabling technologies that facilitate a concentrated and systematic approach, streamline the design process, and provide simple and cost-effective fabrication for improved device and system performance. Over the next 5 years, the proposed research will: 1.Expand our toolkit of functional nanomaterials and micropatterning techniques, including technologies based on thermoplastics (TPs) and composite polymers (CPs) with new functionality. 2.Develop combined MEPs featuring CPs and new material paradigms, including industrially-relevant TPs and textile-compatible polymers, to achieve innovative system-level platform performances. 3.Develop a library of system-level engineering building blocks of platforms, interconnects, and device packaging with well-defined functionality and interface requirements, to facilitate systematic microinstrument development across multiple disciplines. The proposed approach will be pioneering, bridging academia and industry and using cutting-edge technologies to offer practical solutions to improved platform development. The main strength of the proposed research program is its ability to provide essential and enabling technologies for on-going development of new wearable and portable MEPs, placing Canada at the forefront of sustainable development in these areas. As part of the proposed research program, trainees will develop skills vital to high technology sectors that include microfluidics, biomedicine, wearable systems, advanced materials, nanotechnology, and advanced health care. The proposed program will train Canada's next generation of technological leaders in these areas by providing both the breadth and depth required for future research and development across these multiple sectors of importance to Canada.