SBIR Phase I: Nanostructures for Controlled Fluid Transport

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a novel method of pumping and controlling fluid flow within microfluidic devices via surface nanostructures consisting of self-assembled monolayers containing covalently bound electrochemically active species. By controlling the surface energy (surface wettability) within the flow channels, fluid can be made to flow to the desired location within the device. Application of a low voltage (<2 volts) switches the surface between hydrophilic and hydrophobic states. At this low voltage, silicon can be used to make the microdevices, in contrast to electro-osmotic pumping which requires glass, quartz, or plastic devices. Silicon is highly advantageous because unique ultraprecise low cost manufacturing methods have been developed by the electronics industry for silicon, which will lead to cost-effective manufacturing of the microfluidic device. Commercially, the compact integrated sensor devices emerging from this work will have widespread commercial use in clinical medicine, drug discovery, genetic testing and research, environmental monitoring, and military and antiterrorism security (monitoring pathogens, toxins, and nerve agents). In particular, these enhanced microfluidics can be combined with the unique silicon microneedle devices developed for painless one step diabetic glucose self-testing, relevant to minority populations in which diabetes is very prevalent. Additionally, the ease of use of biodiagnostic products made possible by this new technology will benefit long-term diabetics handicapped by poor eyesight and limited hand-eye coordination, because performance of a test is completely automatic requiring no transfer of blood from a fingerstick or armstick to a test strip (required in all current products).