Nano Liter Scale Blood Sampling and Analysis System

70156 Neonatal medicine continues to make rapid progress. Babies born at 26 weeks of gestation now have a better than even chance of survival, a remarkable improvement compared to even a decade ago. While the intensive care of sick newborns has improved, the pain and potentially adverse physiological effects from intrusive medical procedures has prompted the need for a miniaturized medical instrument for nano-scale blood sampling and analysis. This project will fabricate a silicon-based Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) hand-held meter with optoelectronic functions for performing blood sampling and analysis for neonates. In Phase I, silicon nano-sampling disposables will be fabricated along with an optoelectronic prototype instrument. Hemoglobin assays will be performed in the silicon disposable, and system performance will be evaluated by calculating the coefficient of variance and the correlation coefficient versus and comparing these to assays from an established commercial hemoglobin measuring instrument. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A silicon based MEMS system would be capable of testing for multiple analytes with a few hundred nanoliters of blood sample, providing a painless blood sampling and analysis system for neonatal testing.