Microfluidic Technologies

微流控设备用于各种高精度生物科学应用和辅助技术，在微尺度上利用流体及其特性，实现了提供比传统技术更低成本、更快速度、更高性能和更便携选择的微型化平台。拟议的加拿大微流体技术研究教席将推动该学科的两个子领域--液滴微流体(DM，主题一)和空气微流体(AM，主题二)--的突破，对不同的应用领域产生变革性的影响。Theme I Research将推出第一个模块化DM平台，为生物学家、化学家和材料科学家等非专家用户自信地组装特定应用的定制系统提供真正的支持。在基础研究和应用创新之间架起桥梁，将开发用于液滴识别的新的光学和电学方法，并将促进关于液滴和系统动力学行为的新知识。集成在即插即用组件中的功能模块将推动药物发现、疾病诊断和新材料合成应用的进步。主题2将在软机器人可穿戴辅助技术方面产生类似的变革性影响，这是一个支持中风、脊柱损伤和截肢等运动障碍康复的新兴领域。紧凑、轻巧和高效的气动技术通过对靠近身体的软气球执行器(气囊，可以通过控制气流进行充气和放气)进行加压来提供间歇性压缩，从而提供定制的康复治疗。在当前系统在有效性和耐磨性之间进行功能权衡的情况下，AM将设计由通道网络控制的软执行器和片上阀门，以改进负担得起、有效、真正可穿戴的软机器人辅助系统。这两个研究主题将在整个开发过程中涉及最终用户(例如主题I的生物化学家和材料科学家以及主题II的医生、截肢患者、假肢设计师)，以确保拟议的研究计划不仅将促进基础知识，还将解决该领域面临的实际问题。最终，该计划的目标是改善加拿大人的生活，无论是通过负担得起的药物、早期疾病诊断，还是通过可穿戴系统进行居家治疗。

Microfluidic devices, which are used in a variety of high-precision biological science applications and assistive technologies, exploit fluids and their properties at the microscale, enabling miniaturized platforms that offer lower cost, faster pace, higher performance, and more portable options than traditional technologies. The proposed Canada Research Chair in Microfluidic Technologies will advance breakthroughs in two sub-fields of the discipline, droplet microfluidics (DM, Theme I) and air microfluidics (AM, Theme II), offering transformative impacts on distinct application areas. Theme I research will deliver the first modular DM platform, a true enabler for non-expert users such as biologists, chemists and material scientists to confidently assemble customized systems for specific applications. Bridging fundamental studies with applied innovation, novel optical and electrical methods for droplet identification will be developed and new knowledge on droplet and system dynamic behaviour will be advanced. Integrated within a plug-and-play assembly, functional modules will drive progress in drug discovery, disease diagnosis and new materials synthesis applications. Theme 2 will deliver similarly transformative impacts in soft robotic wearable assistive technologies, an emerging field supporting rehabilitation from movement disorders including stroke, spinal injury, and limb amputation. Compact, light, and efficient pneumatic technologies provide intermittent compression by pressurizing soft balloon actuators (air pocket that can be inflated and deflated by controlling the air flow to them) close to the body, providing customized therapy for recovery. Where current systems have functional trade-offs between effectiveness and wearability, AM will design soft actuators controlled with a channel network and on-chip valves to advance affordable, effective, truly wearable soft robotic assistive systems. Both themes of research will involve end-users (e.g. biochemists and material scientists for Theme I and physicians, limb amputees, prosthesis designers for Theme II) throughout development to ensure the proposed research programs will not only advance fundamental knowledge, but also address practical problems facing the field. Ultimately, the program aims to improve the lives of Canadians whether through affordable medicine, early disease diagnosis, or wearable systems for stay-home therapeutic treatment.