Microfluidic Photonic Integrated Circuits

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Photonics

Background:

• Traditional flow cytometry is expensive and complex, limiting its accessibility.
• Point-of-care diagnostics require portable, low-cost, and reliable analytical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated, inexpensive, and portable lab-on-a-chip flow cytometer.
• To enable high-throughput fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) in a compact system.

Main Methods:

• Integration of microfluidics, on-chip photonics (lenses, waveguides), and acoustics.
• Real-time signal detection, amplification, and closed-loop control using FPGA.
• Piezoelectric actuation for targeted sample sorting.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a lab-on-a-chip system with integrated microfluidics, photonics, and acoustics.
• Achieved high-throughput (1-10kHz), low-power (<1mW) operation for FACS.
• Developed a real-time, closed-loop control system for precise sample handling.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers a portable and inexpensive solution for flow cytometry.
• Potential for use as a point-of-care diagnostic device in resource-limited settings.
• Synergistic integration of microfluidics, photonics, and acoustics enables advanced on-chip analysis.