Venugopal M, Arya SK, Chornokur G
… +1 more, Bhansali S
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2011 Dec · PMID 22163154
·
Full text
This study describes the functioning of a novel sensor to measure cortisol concentration in the interstitial fluid (ISF) of a human subject. ISF is extracted by means of vacuum pressure from micropores created on the str...This study describes the functioning of a novel sensor to measure cortisol concentration in the interstitial fluid (ISF) of a human subject. ISF is extracted by means of vacuum pressure from micropores created on the stratum corneum layer of the skin. The pores are produced by focusing a near infrared laser on a layer of black dye material attached to the skin. The pores are viable for approximately three days after skin poration. Cortisol measurements are based on electrochemical impedance (EIS) technique. Gold microelectrode arrays functionalized with Dithiobis (succinimidyl propionate) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) have been used to fabricate an ultrasensitive, disposable, electrochemical cortisol immunosensor. The biosensor was successfully used for in-vitro measurement of cortisol in ISF. Tests in a laboratory setup show that the sensor exhibits a linear response to cortisol concentrations in the range 1 pm to 100 nM. A small pilot clinical study showed that in-vitro immunosensor readings, when compared with commercial evaluation using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) method, correlated well with cortisol levels in saliva and ISF. Further, circadian rhythm could be established between the subject's ISF and the saliva samples collected over 24 hours time-period. Cortisol levels in ISF were found reliably higher than in saliva. This Research establishes the feasibility of using impedance based biosensor architecture for a disposable, wearable cortisol detector. The projected commercial in-vivo real-time cortisol sensor device, besides being minimally invasive, will allow continuous ISF harvesting and cortisol monitoring over 24 hours even when the subject is asleep. Forthcoming, this sensor could be interfaced to a wireless health monitoring system that could transfer sensor data over existing wide-area networks such as the internet and a cellular phone network to enable real-time remote monitoring of subjects.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2011 Feb · PMID 21516230
·
Full text
Current methods of optimizing electroosmotic (EO) pump performance include reducing pore diameter and reducing ionic strength of the pumped electrolyte. However, these approaches each increase the fraction of total ionic...Current methods of optimizing electroosmotic (EO) pump performance include reducing pore diameter and reducing ionic strength of the pumped electrolyte. However, these approaches each increase the fraction of total ionic current carried by diffuse electric double layer (EDL) counterions. When this fraction becomes significant, concentration polarization (CP) effects become important, and traditional EO pump models are no longer valid. We here report on the first simultaneous concentration field measurements, pH visualizations, flow rate, and voltage measurements on such systems. Together, these measurements elucidate key parameters affecting EO pump performance in the CP dominated regime. Concentration field visualizations show propagating CP enrichment and depletion fronts sourced by our pump substrate and traveling at order mm/min velocities through millimeter-scale channels connected serially to our pump. The observed propagation in millimeter-scale channels is not explained by current propagating CP models. Additionally, visualizations show that CP fronts are sourced by and propagate from the electrodes of our system, and then interact with the EO pump-generated CP zones. With pH visualizations, we directly detect that electrolyte properties vary sharply across the anode enrichment front interface. Our observations lead us to hypothesize possible mechanisms for the propagation of both pump- and electrode-sourced CP zones. Lastly, our experiments show the dynamics associated with the interaction of electrode and membrane CP fronts, and we describe the effect of these phenomena on EO pump flow rates and applied voltages under galvanostatic conditions.
Bhandari R, Negi S, Rieth L
… +1 more, Solzbacher F
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2010 Jul · PMID 20706618
·
Full text
Microsystem technology is well suited to batch fabricate microelectrode arrays, such as the Utah electrode array (UEA), intended for recording and stimulating neural tissue. Fabrication of the UEA is primarily based on t...Microsystem technology is well suited to batch fabricate microelectrode arrays, such as the Utah electrode array (UEA), intended for recording and stimulating neural tissue. Fabrication of the UEA is primarily based on the use of dicing and wet etching to achieve high aspect ratio (15:1) penetrating electrodes. An important step in the array fabrication is the etching of electrodes to produce needle-shape electrodes with sharp tips. Traditional etching processes are performed on a single array, and the etching conditions are not optimized. As a result, the process leads to variable geometries of electrodes within an array. Furthermore, the process is not only time consuming but also labor-intensive. This report presents a wafer-scale etching method for the UEA. The method offers several advantages, such as substantial reduction in the processing time, higher throughput and lower cost. More importantly, the method increases the geometrical uniformity from electrode to electrode within an array (1.5 ± 0.5 % non-uniformity), and from array to array within a wafer (2 ± 0.3 % non-uniformity). Also, the etching rate of silicon columns, produced by dicing, are studied as a function of temperature, etching time and stirring rate in a nitric acid rich HF-HNO(3) solution. These parameters were found to be related to the etching rates over the ranges studied and more-importantly affect the uniformity of the etched silicon columns. An optimum etching condition was established to achieve uniform shape electrode arrays on wafer-scale.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2010 Jun · PMID 20657810
·
Full text
Hydrogels have been demonstrated to swell in response to a number of external stimuli including pH, CO(2), glucose, and ionic strength making them useful for detection of metabolic analytes. To measure hydrogel swelling...Hydrogels have been demonstrated to swell in response to a number of external stimuli including pH, CO(2), glucose, and ionic strength making them useful for detection of metabolic analytes. To measure hydrogel swelling pressure, we have fabricated and tested novel perforated diaphragm piezoresistive pressure sensor arrays that couple the pressure sensing diaphragm with a perforated semi-permeable membrane. The 2×2 arrays measure approximately 3 × 5 mm(2) and consist of four square sensing diaphragms with widths of 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 mm used to measure full scale pressures of 50, 25, and 5 kPa, respectively. An optimized geometry of micro pores was etched in silicon diaphragm to allow analyte diffusion into the sensor cavity where the hydrogel material is located. The 14-step front side wafer process was carried out by a commercial foundry service (MSF, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany) and diaphragm pores were created using combination of potassium hydroxide (KOH) etching and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE).Sensor characterization was performed (without the use of hydrogels) using a custom bulge testing apparatus that simultaneously measured deflection, pressure, and electrical output. Test results are used to quantify the sensor sensitivity and demonstrate proof-of-concept. Simulations showed that the sensitivity was slightly improved for the perforated diaphragm designs while empirical electrical characterization showed that the perforated diaphragm sensors were slightly less sensitive than solid diaphragm sensors. This discrepancy is believed to be due to the influence of compressive stress found within passivation layers and poor etching uniformity. The new perforated diaphragm sensors were fully functional with sensitivities ranging from 23 to 252 μV/V-kPa (FSO= 5 to 80mV), and show a higher nonlinearity at elevated pressures than identical sensors with solid diaphragms. Sensors (1.5×1.5 mm(2)) with perforated diaphragms (pores=40 μm) have a nonlinearity of approximately 10% while for the identical solid diaphragm sensor it was roughly 3 % over the entire 200 kPa range. This is the first time piezoresistive pressure sensors with integrated diffusion pores for detection of hydrogel swelling pressure have been fabricated and tested.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2010 May · PMID 24672145
·
Full text
We present a design for a miniature self-priming peristaltic pump actuated with a single linear actuator, and which can be manufactured using conventional materials and methods. The pump is tolerant of bubbles and partic...We present a design for a miniature self-priming peristaltic pump actuated with a single linear actuator, and which can be manufactured using conventional materials and methods. The pump is tolerant of bubbles and particles and can pump liquids, foams, and gases. We explore designs actuated by a motor (in depth) and a shape memory alloy (briefly); and briefly present a manually actuated version. The pump consists of a Delrin acetal plastic body with two integrated valves, a flexible silicone tube, and an actuator. Pumping is achieved as the forward motion of the actuator first closes the upstream valve, and then compresses a section of the tube. The increased internal pressure opens a downstream burst valve to expel the fluid. Reduced pressure in the pump tube allows the downstream valve to close, and removal of actuator force allows the upstream valve and pump tube to open, refilling the pump. The motor actuated design offers a linear dependence of flow rate on voltage in the range of 1.75-3 V. Flow rate decreases from 780 μl/min with increasing back pressure up to the maximum back pressure of 48 kPa. At 3 V and minimum back pressure, the pump consumes 90 mW. The shape memory alloy actuated design offers a 5-fold size and 4-fold weight reduction over the motor design, higher maximum back pressure, and substantial insensitivity of flow rate to back pressure at the cost of lower power efficiency and flow rate. The manually actuated version is simpler and appropriate for applications unconstrained by actuation distance.
Tan UX, Latt WT, Widjaja F
… +3 more, Shee CY, Riviere CN, Ang WT
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2009 Mar · PMID 20161217
·
Full text
With the increasing popularity of actuators involving smart materials like piezoelectric, control of such materials becomes important. The existence of the inherent hysteretic behavior hinders the tracking accuracy of th...With the increasing popularity of actuators involving smart materials like piezoelectric, control of such materials becomes important. The existence of the inherent hysteretic behavior hinders the tracking accuracy of the actuators. To make matters worse, the hysteretic behavior changes with rate. One of the suggested ways is to have a feedforward controller to linearize the relationship between the input and output. Thus, the hysteretic behavior of the actuator must first be modeled by sensing the relationship between the input voltage and output displacement. Unfortunately, the hysteretic behavior is dependent on individual actuator and also environmental conditions like temperature. It is troublesome and costly to model the hysteresis regularly. In addition, the hysteretic behavior of the actuators also changes with age. Most literature model the actuator using a cascade of rate-independent hysteresis operators and a dynamical system. However, the inertial dynamics of the structure is not the only contributing factor. A complete model will be complex. Thus, based on the studies done on the phenomenological hysteretic behavior with rate, this paper proposes an adaptive rate-dependent feedforward controller with Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PI) hysteresis operators for piezoelectric actuators. This adaptive controller is achieved by adapting the coefficients to manipulate the weights of the play operators. Actual experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the adaptive controller. The main contribution of this paper is its ability to perform tracking control of non-periodic motion and is illustrated with the tracking control ability of a couple of different non-periodic waveforms which were created by passing random numbers through a low pass filter with a cutoff frequency of 20Hz.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2009 Dec · PMID 21379404
·
Full text
A tetrode is a bundle of four microwires that can record from multiple neurons simultaneously in the brain of a freely moving animal. Tetrodes are usually electroplated to reduce impedances from 2-3 MΩ to 200-500 kΩ (mea...A tetrode is a bundle of four microwires that can record from multiple neurons simultaneously in the brain of a freely moving animal. Tetrodes are usually electroplated to reduce impedances from 2-3 MΩ to 200-500 kΩ (measured at 1 kHz), which increases the signal-to-noise ratio and allows for the recording of small amplitude signals. Tetrodes with even lower impedances could improve neural recordings but cannot be made using standard electroplating methods without shorting. We were able to electroplate tetrodes to 30-70 kΩ by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) or multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) solutions to a commercial gold-plating solution. The MWCNTs and PEG acted as inhibitors in the electroplating process and created large-surface-area, low-impedance coatings on the tetrode tips.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2008 Sep · PMID 19759806
·
Full text
Catheter-based interventions are a form of minimally invasive surgery that can decrease hospitalization time and greatly lower patient morbidity compared to traditional methods. However, percutaneous catheter procedures...Catheter-based interventions are a form of minimally invasive surgery that can decrease hospitalization time and greatly lower patient morbidity compared to traditional methods. However, percutaneous catheter procedures are hindered by a lack of precise tip manipulation when actuation forces are transmitted over the length of the catheter. Active catheters with local shape-memory-alloy (SMA) actuation can potentially provide the desired manipulation of a catheter tip, but hysteresis makes it difficult to control the actuators. A method to integrate small-volume, compliant sensors on an active catheter to provide position feedback for control would greatly improve the viability of SMA-based active catheters. In this work, we describe the design, fabrication, and performance of resistance-based position sensors that are laser-machined from superelastic SMA tubing. Combining simple material models and rapid prototyping, we can develop sensors of appropriate stiffness and sensitivity with simple modifications in sensor geometry. The sensors exhibit excellent linearity over the operating range and are designed to be easily integrated onto an active catheter substrate.
Garcia-Uribe A, Balareddy KC, Zou J
… +3 more, Wojcik AK, Wang KK, Wang LV
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2009 Mar · PMID 25580057
·
Full text
In this paper, we report the design, fabrication and testing of a new miniaturized optical sensor probe with "side viewing" capability for oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectrometry. The sensor probe consists of...In this paper, we report the design, fabrication and testing of a new miniaturized optical sensor probe with "side viewing" capability for oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectrometry. The sensor probe consists of a lithographically patterned polymer waveguides chip and two micromachined positioning substrates and source/collection fibers to achieve 45° light incidence and collection of spatially resolved diffuse reflectance. Diffuse reflectance of human esophageal surface has been successfully measured for differentiation of cancerous tissues from normal ones.
Bhandari R, Negi S, Rieth L
… +2 more, Normann RA, Solzbacher F
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2008 · PMID 19122774
·
Full text
A novel fabrication technique has been developed for creating high density (6.25 electrodes/mm(2)), out of plane, high aspect ratio silicon-based convoluted microelectrode arrays for neural and retinal prostheses. The co...A novel fabrication technique has been developed for creating high density (6.25 electrodes/mm(2)), out of plane, high aspect ratio silicon-based convoluted microelectrode arrays for neural and retinal prostheses. The convoluted shape of the surface defined by the tips of the electrodes could compliment the curved surfaces of peripheral nerves and the cortex, and in the case of retina, its spherical geometry. The geometry of these electrode arrays has the potential to facilitate implantation in the nerve fascicles and to physically stabilize it against displacement after insertion. This report presents a unique combination of variable depth dicing and wet isotropic etching for the fabrication of a variety of convoluted neural array geometries. Also, a method of deinsulating the electrode tips using photoresist as a mask and the limitations of this technique on uniformity are discussed.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2006 · PMID 18846244
·
Full text
This paper describes the design, microfabrication and testing of a pre-aligned array of fiber couplers using direct UV-lithography of SU-8. The fiber coupler array includes an out-of-plane refractive microlens array and...This paper describes the design, microfabrication and testing of a pre-aligned array of fiber couplers using direct UV-lithography of SU-8. The fiber coupler array includes an out-of-plane refractive microlens array and two fiberport collimator arrays. With the optical axis of the pixels parallel to the substrate, each pixel of the microlens array can be pre-aligned with the corresponding pixels of the fiberport collimator array as defined by the lithography mask design. This out-of-plane polymer 3D microlens array is pre-aligned with the fiber collimator arrays with no additional adjustment and assembly required, therefore, it helps to dramatically reduce the running cost and improve the alignment quality and coupling efficiency. In addition, the experimental results for the fiber couplers are also presented and analyzed.
Kim S, Zoschke K, Klein M
… +6 more, Black D, Buschick K, Toepper M, Tathireddy P, Harrison R, Solzbacher F
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2007 May · PMID 18438447
·
Full text
Reliable chronic operation of implantable medical devices such as the Utah Electrode Array (UEA) for neural interface requires elimination of transcutaneous wire connections for signal processing, powering and communicat...Reliable chronic operation of implantable medical devices such as the Utah Electrode Array (UEA) for neural interface requires elimination of transcutaneous wire connections for signal processing, powering and communication of the device. A wireless power source that allows integration with the UEA is therefore necessary. While (rechargeable) micro batteries as well as biological micro fuel cells are yet far from meeting the power density and lifetime requirements of an implantable neural interface device, inductive coupling between two coils is a promising approach to power such a device with highly restricted dimensions. The power receiving coils presented in this paper were designed to maximize the inductance and quality factor of the coils and microfabricated using polymer based thin film technologies. A flexible configuration of stacked thin film coils allows parallel and serial switching, thereby allowing to tune the coil's resonance frequency. The electrical properties of the fabricated coils were characterized and their power transmission performance was investigated in laboratory condition.
Li G, Sun S, Wilson RJ
… +3 more, White RL, Pourmand N, Wang SX
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2006 · PMID 18414592
·
Full text
We present giant magnetoresistance (GMR) spin valve sensors designed for detection of superparamagnetic nanoparticles as potential biomolecular labels in magnetic biodetection technology. We discuss the sensor design and...We present giant magnetoresistance (GMR) spin valve sensors designed for detection of superparamagnetic nanoparticles as potential biomolecular labels in magnetic biodetection technology. We discuss the sensor design and experimentally demonstrate that as few as approximately 23 monodisperse 16-nm superparamagnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles can be detected by submicron spin valve sensors at room temperature without resorting to lock-in detection. A patterned self-assembly method of nanoparticles, based on a polymer-mediated process and fine lithography, is developed for the detection. It is found that sensor signal increases linearly with the number of nanoparticles.
Daniel JH, Sawant A, Teepe M
… +3 more, Shih C, Street RA, Antonuk LE
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2007 Nov · PMID 18159218
·
Full text
Megavoltage x-ray imaging performed during radiotherapy is the method of choice for geometric verification of patient localization and dose delivery. Presently, such imaging is increasingly performed using electronic por...Megavoltage x-ray imaging performed during radiotherapy is the method of choice for geometric verification of patient localization and dose delivery. Presently, such imaging is increasingly performed using electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) based on indirect detection active matrix flat panel imagers (AMFPIs). These devices use a scintillating phosphor screen in order to convert incident x-rays into optical photons, which are then detected by the underlying active matrix photodiode array. The use of a continuous phosphor introduces a trade-off between x-ray quantum efficiency and spatial resolution, which limits current devices to use only ∼2% of the incident x-rays. This trade-off can be circumvented by "segmented phosphor screens", comprising a two-dimensional matrix of optically-isolated cell structures filled with scintillating phosphor. In this work we describe the fabrication of millimeter-thick segmented phosphor screens using the MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical-system) polymer SU-8. This method is capable of being extended to large-area substrates.
Zhuang X, Ergun AS, Huang Y
… +3 more, Wygant IO, Oralkan O, Khuri-Yakub BT
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2007 Jul · PMID 18037982
·
Full text
This paper presents a method to provide electrical connection to a 2D capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array. The interconnects are processed after the CMUTs are fabricated on the front side of a sil...This paper presents a method to provide electrical connection to a 2D capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array. The interconnects are processed after the CMUTs are fabricated on the front side of a silicon wafer. Connections to array elements are made from the back side of the substrate via highly conductive silicon pillars that result from a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process. Flip-chip bonding is used to integrate the CMUT array with an integrated circuit (IC) that comprises the front-end circuits for the transducer and provides mechanical support for the trench-isolated array elements. Design, fabrication process and characterization results are presented. The advantages when compared to other through-wafer interconnect techniques are discussed.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2007 Jul · PMID 19551159
·
Full text
A common micromixer design strategy is to generate interleaved flow topologies to enhance diffusion. However, problems with these designs include complicated structures and dead volumes within the flow fields. We present...A common micromixer design strategy is to generate interleaved flow topologies to enhance diffusion. However, problems with these designs include complicated structures and dead volumes within the flow fields. We present an active micromixer using a resonating piezoceramic/silicon composite diaphragm to generate acoustic streaming flow topologies. Circulation patterns are observed experimentally and correlate to the resonant mode shapes of the diaphragm. The dead volumes in the flow field are eliminated by rapidly switching from one discrete resonant mode to another (i.e., resonant mode-hop). Mixer performance is characterized by mixing buffer with a fluorescence tracer containing fluorescein. Movies of the mixing process are analyzed by converting fluorescent images to two-dimensional fluorescein concentration distributions. The results demonstrate that mode-hopping operation rapidly homogenized chamber contents, circumventing diffusion-isolated zones.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2007 Feb · PMID 19122798
·
Full text
The static and dynamic characteristics of a bimorph deformable mirror (DM) for use in an adaptive optics system are described. The DM is a 35-actuator device composed of two disks of lead magnesium niobate (PMN), an elec...The static and dynamic characteristics of a bimorph deformable mirror (DM) for use in an adaptive optics system are described. The DM is a 35-actuator device composed of two disks of lead magnesium niobate (PMN), an electrostrictive ceramic that produces a mechanical strain in response to an imposed electric field. A custom stroboscopic phase-shifting interferometer was developed to measure the deformation of the mirror in response to applied voltage. The ability of the mirror to replicate optical aberrations described by the Zernike polynomials was tested as a measure of the mirror's static performance. The natural frequencies of the DM were measured up to 20 kHz using both stroboscopic interferometry as well as a commercial laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). Interferometric measurements of the DM surface profile were analyzed by fitting the surface with mode-shapes predicted using classical plate theory for an elastically supported disk. The measured natural frequencies were found to be in good agreement with the predictions of the theoretical model.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2005 · PMID 19365579
·
Full text
The paper gives an analytical approximation to the viscous damping coefficient due to the motion of a gas between a pair of closely spaced fluctuating plates in which one of the plates contains a regular system of circul...The paper gives an analytical approximation to the viscous damping coefficient due to the motion of a gas between a pair of closely spaced fluctuating plates in which one of the plates contains a regular system of circular holes. These types of structures are important parts of many microelectromechanical devices realized in MEMS technology as microphones, microaccelerometers, resonators, etc.The pressure satisfies a Reynolds' type equation with coefficients accounting for all the important effects: compressibility of the gas, inertia and possibly slip of the gas on the plates. An analytical expression for the optimum number of circular holes which assure a minimum value of the total damping coefficient is given. This value realizes an equilibrium between the squeeze-film damping and the viscous resistance of the holes.The paper also provides analytical design formulas to be used in the case of regular circular perforated plates.
Sens Actuators A Phys
· 2002 Sep · PMID 12449154
·
Publisher ↗
This paper describes the application of magnetically-soft ribbon-like sensors for measurement of temperature and stress, as well as corrosive monitoring, based upon changes in the amplitudes of the higher-order harmonics...This paper describes the application of magnetically-soft ribbon-like sensors for measurement of temperature and stress, as well as corrosive monitoring, based upon changes in the amplitudes of the higher-order harmonics generated by the sensors in response to a magnetic interrogation signal. The sensors operate independently of mass loading, and so can be placed or rigidly embedded inside nonmetallic, opaque structures such as concrete or plastic. The passive harmonic-based sensor is remotely monitored through a single coplanar interrogation and detection coil. Effects due to the relative location of the sensor are eliminated by tracking harmonic amplitude ratios, thereby, enabling wide area monitoring. The wireless, passive, mass loading independent nature of the described sensor platform makes it ideally suited for long-term structural monitoring applications, such as measurement of temperature and stress inside concrete structures. A theoretical model is presented to explain the origin and behavior of the higher-order harmonics in response to temperature and stress.