Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

INTRODUCTION:

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

Project Name (tentative): Digital Microfluidics Control System II: Arduino Project Number, if known: P15610

Preferred Start/End Term in Senior Design:

Level of Interest to be on team:N/A – Completed MSD Previously

Faculty Champion: (technical mentor: supports proposal development, anticipated technical mentor during project execution; may also be Sponsor)

Name Dept. Email PhoneDr. Michael Schertzer ME mjseme@rit.edu 585-475-5715

Other Support, if known: (faculty or others willing to provide expertise in areas outside the domain of the Faculty Champion)

Name Dept. Email PhonePeter Dunning ME pdd9134@rit.edu

Project “Guide” if known: (project mentor: guides team through Senior Design process and grades students; may also be Faculty Champion)

Primary Customer, if known (name, phone, email): (actual or representative user of project output; articulates needs/requirements)

Name Dept. Email PhoneDr. Michael Schertzer ME mjseme@rit.edu 585-475-5715

Sponsor(s): (provider(s) of financial support)

Name/Organization Contact Info. Type & Amount of Support Committed

Dr. Michael Schertzer mjseme@rit.edu / 585-475-5715 $$$???

PROJECT OVERVIEW: Page 1 of 7

Fall/Spring Spring/Fall

Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

The global molecular diagnostics market has increased from $360M in 1995 to $4.8B in 2011 and is projected to reach $8B by 2016. As the population ages, new technologies are required to satisfy demand for high quality healthcare while reducing the cost of service. The development of microfluidic Lab-On-A-Chip (LOAC) devices to automate and miniaturize medical tests (i.e. biological protocols) has the potential to reduce healthcare costs while improving service by performing tests at the point of care (i.e. doctor’s offices, developing world, field hospitals, etc.).

Digital MicroFluidics (DMF) is a novel platform that can manipulate pico to nano liter sized discrete droplets by applying voltages to electrodes in an array (Fig. 1). This allows DMF devices to manipulate fluid without channels, pumps or valves. These devices have low power consumption and high compatibility with biological fluids.

The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is one diagnostic test of interest. This test detects proteins of interest and can be used to diagnose a wide variety of conditions (HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, etc.). A typical work flow for this protocol is presented in Figure 2. The ELISA protocol requires multiple steps to complete the test.

DMF devices have the potential to be used to complete these types of protocols. The end goal is to create a small, lightweight, portable, and cost effective LOAC device that uses DMF to complete the ELISA protocol. In order for this end goal to be reached multiple successive projects must be implemented. A roadmap of all of the MSD projects is presented in Figure 3.

This PRP encompasses work to be done by a MSD team to complete Control System II. The project is detailed in the section below.

DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Page 2 of 7

Figure 1: Sketch of DMF device

Figure 2: ELISA workflow

Figure 3: MSD Project Roadmap including Research Assistant work (blue), Co-op work (green), and MSD projects (red)

Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

The Control System II project will be utilizing DMF test chips provided by Dr. Michael Schertzer, from work completed by Mr. Peter Dunning. The assigned team will create a control system to actuate pico to nano sized liters of discrete fluid droplets on the chips. The control system must be able to (i) sense position, (ii) record resistance, (iii) record capacitance, and (iv) record velocity. The control system must be housed in a small, lightweight, durable, and portable unit. The control system must have a GUI and may be open loop and/or closed loop. Testing and comparisons to the original National Instruments (NI) PXI control system must be completed to prove the accuracy, reliability, and increased modularity of the new control system. A detailed design must be provided to recreate and modify the (i) hardware, (ii) software, (iii) housing unit, and (iv) calibration/testing measurements. A detailed description of the parameters needed to be met is discussed in depth in the Specifications section of the PRP. The following Customer Needs are laid out for the entirety of the project below (Table 1) with specific needs highlighted that relate to the Control System II project. Customer Needs and Objectives:

Table 1Category Description

1.1 Droplet Manipulation Capable of creating droplets1.2 Droplet Manipulation Capable of splitting droplets1.3 Droplet Manipulation Capable of moving droplets1.4 Droplet Manipulation capable of Merging droplets1.5 Droplet Manipulation Repeatability of motion1.6 Droplet Manipulation Create a fast switching time

1.6.1 Droplet Manipulation Generate signal1.6.2 Droplet Manipulation Control switches2.1 Monitoring Check location of droplet2.2 Monitoring Measure capacitance2.3 Monitoring Measure resistance2.3 Monitoring Obtain droplet speed3.1 Automation Follow a programmed sequence of instructions

3.1.1 Automation Visual interface to create and control droplet pathways3.2 Automation Multiplexing3.3 Automation Test for ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay)4.1 Fabrication Obtain benchmark droplet speed4.2 Fabrication Low cost5.1 Packaging Small5.2 Packaging Light weight5.3 Packaging Durable5.4 Packaging Reusable5.5 Packaging Package reagants with device5.6 Packaging User friendly5.7 Packaging Application based modularity5.8 Packaging Minimize evaporation (reagant dependent)

5.8.1 Packaging Control humidity of system5.8.2 Packaging Control temperature of device5.9 Packaging Visually accessible

5.10 Packaging Clean environment

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Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

Background:

Dr. Michael Schertzer used a similar set up in the University of Toronto (Figure 5) comprising of a NI PXI control system (Signal Generator, Controller, Matrix - Switching Card), an Agilent 4288A Capacitance Meter, and a custom made amplifier. This system was used to monitor DMF devices, and obtain information on droplet speed, capacitance, and resistance.

The Signal Generator output a sine wave of 10 Vp-p at a frequency of 10 kHz, the Matrix-Switching Device had 4 inputs and 32 outputs, the Capacitance Meter measured capacitance with a resolution of ~0.20 pF, and the custom amplifier was able to amplify the signal to around 90-110 Vrms. The Matrix-Switching Device was used to connect to each individual electrode-ground pair that the droplet would actuate on (similar to a checkerboard).

Figure 5: (a) Previous laboratory set-up, (b) a side-view of the device analyzed containing a droplet, and (c) the control system with wires connected to electrode and ground contacts

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Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

Constraints:

1. Control pico to nano liter sized discrete droplets on a previously manufactured Digital MicroFluidic (DMF) device that is provided to the MSD team

2. Use Electrowetting to manipulate fluid droplet3. Use DI water as the liquid to be transported

Project Deliverables:

1. Control system that manipulates pico to nano liter sized discrete droplets on a previously manufactured DMF device better & more modular than the original NI PXI control system with the following capabilities:

a. Measure & Record Resistanceb. Measure & Record Capacitancec. Calculate & Record Impedanced. Measure & Record Droplet Velocitye. Have the ability to expand to calculate more parameters if needed

2. Housing for the control system with the following characteristics:a. Smallb. Lightweightc. Durabled. Portable

3. Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the completed control system4. Design of experiment for testing and analysis of control system that proves the accuracy,

reliability, and modularity of new control system in comparison to the NI PXI control system5. Design of experiment for calibration of control system unit6. Detailed design that can be used to recreate an modify the:

a. Hardwareb. Softwarec. Housing Unitd. Design of Experiment (Calibration & Testing)

Budget Estimate:

Table 4Dropbot Cost SummaryBoard Components Cost (USD)Control Board $58.1Signal Generator Board

$27.86

Switching Board $724.08Pogo Pin Board $75.41Raw MaterialsMechanical Parts $100Hardware Enclosure $100FabricationBoard Fabrication $500Off The ShelfPower supply $50 Page 5 of 7

Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

Amplifier $3595Arduino Mega $25.99

$ 1535.45

Intellectual Property (IP) considerations:

N/A

Other Information:

N/A

Continuation Project Information, if appropriate:

As detailed in Figure 3, the prerequisites for this project include Control System I, Fabrication I, Automation I, and Capacitance Modeling Co-op. This includes the work done by a Graduate Research Assistant, and Mechanical Engineering Co-op student that will provide the original DMF device made in the cleanroom, the NI PXI control system, and capacitance modeling of the system. The Control System II project will create a more modular, efficient, and compact control system to analyze DMF devices. Once this project is complete, Automation II will be iterated on with the goal of fully automating the ELISA protocol in a closed loop format using a PC interface. Once the Automation II project is complete, Automation III will be iterated on with the goal of optimizing performance and eliminating the need for a PC. The automation system will be made to operate on a smaller, more portable device. A user friendly interface will be developed to communicate with the control system and provide an easy way to input commands to the system.

STUDENT STAFFING:

Anticipated Staffing Levels by Discipline:For complete skills checklist where 1=highest priority, and 3=lowest priority (Appendix Table 7)

Table 5

Discipline How Many? Anticipated Skills Needed (concise descriptions)

EE

3-4 Circuit board (design, build, test, & debug), Board layout, Programming (C, Assembly), System analysis, Power systems (selection, analysis, power budget), Programming (C/C++), Microcontroller selection/application, Front end design, Embedded software

ME 2 - 3 3D CAD, Machining, Fluid Dynamics, LabView, Linear Controls

CE

1-2 Software for microcontroller (Linux/Windows), Device programming (Assembly, C), Programming (Java, C++), Scientific computing (C, MATLAB), Signal processing, Interfacing transducers and actuators to microcontrollers – if no CE is available, take an extra EE (#4) instead.

ISE 0

Other 0

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Project Readiness Package Prepared By: Peter Dunning Rev 7/22/11

OTHER RESOURCES ANTICIPATED:

Table 6Category Description Resource

Available?

Faculty Dr. Michael Schertzer

Environment Lab Space (DMFL may be used)

ME Computer Labs

EE Computer Labs

Machine Shop

Brinkman 3D Rapid Prototyping (potential)

Equipment Amplifier (If Needed)

NI PXI Control System

Computer System for programming

Materials DMF Devices to test Control System on

DI Water

Prepared by: Peter Dunning Date: 05/02/2014Appendix:

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