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In this work, a smart passive microfluidic control system for microflow management has been designed and implemented using the "Structurally Programmable Microfluidic Systems" (sPROMs) technology. An innovative fixed-volume metering microdispenser based on sPROMs technology has been proposed and developed for highly accurate and precise dispensing in the nanoliter regime. The primary research task associated with microdispenser development is a detailed study of passive microfluidics. Various passive valve configurations were developed using simulation and experimental tools. Fluidic parameters such as dynamic contact angle were also investigated to optimize the microdispenser performance. In addition, relevant plastic micromachining techniques such as fusion bonding and plasma surface modification were developed to implement sPROMs on plastic substrates. The use of sPROMs technology allows for the development of versatile passive microfluidic manipulation systems. This is demonstrated by integrating the microdispenser and microfluidic multiplexer, where the dispensed liquid volume can be further sub-divided into equal or unequal volumes and these fluid fractions can be delivered to their intended destinations either sequentially or simultaneously. An off-chip dispenser array and microfluidic systems for disposable biochips have also been developed as applications for this technology. The off-chip dispenser, based on the same high-accuracy dispensing principles, is suitable for massively parallel dispensing, using very few actuation sources as compared to the number of dispensing channels. The sPROMs technology has also been applied for the development of a disposable, smart plastic Lab-on-a-Chip, which has the sampling and analysis capabilities of blood. Most of the liquid handling on the biochip is based on the principles of sPROMs. In summary, a novel sPROMs technology has been proposed and realized for smart control of liquid position in a Lab-on-a-Chip. Then, a novel microdispenser using the sPROMs technology has been designed, fabricated and successfully characterized. This technology is well-suited to dispensing of ultra-small fluid volumes with very high accuracy. The dispensed liquid volume can then be further manipulated using microfluidic multiplexers allowing for great flexibility in microfluidic design. An array of off-chip dispensers and a low-cost, disposable biochip have been successfully developed and characterized to demonstrate practical applications of sPROMs technology. |
