Project description
Microfluidics-based diagnostics become a reality
Microfluidics manufacture miniaturised devices with channels that process tiny amounts of liquids. Advents in the field have enabled scientists to replicate lab processes in lab-on-chip (LOC) systems that offer greater cost efficiency and speed. The scope of the EU-funded PiLOC project is to address the complexity and cost of manufacturing LOC systems by integrating different components into polymer microfluidic chips. This approach can potentially reduce the manufacturing cost of LOC systems while maintaining their high performance. Importantly, it will pave the way towards the introduction of LOC systems in clinical diagnostics and practice.
Objective
Microfluidics technology has revolutionised key applications like drug development, stem cell research, microbiological analysis, medical diagnosis, personalised medicine and chemical biology, just to name but a few. The progress of microfluidics technology has opened a completely new market for Lab-On-Chip systems (LOC), which are miniaturised devices intended to replicate what happens in a real lab, drastically improving cost efficiency, parallelization, ergonomics, diagnostic speed and sensitivity. Considering that the largest majority of microfluidic chips is made of glass or silicon due to the mature manufacturing process and excellent optical properties, surface stability, solvent compatibility, one question is puzzling the LOC industry: how to deal with the increased complexity of systems required by the biotech industry? At Piemacs, a high tech startup company stemming from the pioneering research activities carried out at the EPFL’s Muralt’s lab, we propose a novel technology for the seamless integration of valves, pumps, injectors made with piezoelectric thin films onto polymer microfluidic chips, thus leading to the next generation low-cost and high performance LOC. This will allow monolithic fabrication of LOC using MEMS technology, benefiting from the advancements in MEMS manufacturing. This project will allow us to validate that the technological and business conditions exist to integrate piezoelectric thin films in polymers instead of glass, paving the way to a completely new and revolutionary application, which can potentially reduce the manufacturing cost of advanced microfluidic chips by two orders of magnitude, moving from hundreds of €/chip of most advanced Si-glass chips to few € of fully integrated polymer chips. This would further boost the adoption of LOC devices in research and clinical practice, also favouring the roll-out in regions of the world where fast and reliable microfluidic diagnostic tests are still not economically viable.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsmicrofluidics
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesmicrotechnologylab on a chip
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectrics
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA-LSP - Coordination and support action Lump sumCoordinator
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland