Micromachines

21 pages, 3812 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microtechnologies for Cell Microenvironment Control and Monitoring

by Enrique Azuaje-Hualde^1,†, Maite García-Hernando^1,2,†, Jaione Etxebarria-Elezgarai^1,†, Marian M. De Pancorbo³, Fernando Benito-Lopez² and Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts^1,4,*

¹ BIOMICs Microfluidics Research Group, Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

² Analytical Microsystems & Materials for Lab-on-a-Chip (AMMa-LOAC) Group, Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU, Analytical Chemistry Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

³ BIOMICs Research Group, Lascaray Research Center, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

⁴ IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation of Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain

^† These three authors contributed equally to this work.

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060166 - 23 May 2017

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6348

Abstract

A great breadth of questions remains in cellular biology. Some questions cannot be answered using traditional analytical techniques and so demand the development of new tools for research. In the near future, the development of highly integrated microfluidic analytical platforms will enable the [...] Read more.

A great breadth of questions remains in cellular biology. Some questions cannot be answered using traditional analytical techniques and so demand the development of new tools for research. In the near future, the development of highly integrated microfluidic analytical platforms will enable the acquisition of unknown biological data. These microfluidic systems must allow cell culture under controlled microenvironment and high throughput analysis. For this purpose, the integration of a variable number of newly developed micro- and nano-technologies, which enable control of topography and surface chemistry, soluble factors, mechanical forces and cell–cell contacts, as well as technology for monitoring cell phenotype and genotype with high spatial and temporal resolution will be necessary. These multifunctional devices must be accompanied by appropriate data analysis and management of the expected large datasets generated. The knowledge gained with these platforms has the potential to improve predictive models of the behavior of cells, impacting directly in better therapies for disease treatment. In this review, we give an overview of the microtechnology toolbox available for the design of high throughput microfluidic platforms for cell analysis. We discuss current microtechnologies for cell microenvironment control, different methodologies to create large arrays of cellular systems and finally techniques for monitoring cells in microfluidic devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Microfluidic Devices for Cell Handling and Analysis)

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12 pages, 2145 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Investigation of Drug Cocktail Effects on Cancer Cell-Spheroids Using a Microfluidic Drug-Screening Assay

by Ka I. Au Ieong^1,†, Chengpeng Yang^1,†, Chin To Wong¹, Angelie C. Shui¹, Tom T. Y. Wu¹, Ting-Hsuan Chen^1,2 and Raymond H. W. Lam^1,2,3,*

¹ Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

² City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China

³ Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

^† The authors contributed equally to this work.

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060167 - 24 May 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7173

Abstract

Development of drugs based on potential anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents has been hindered by its necessary tedious procedures and failure in the clinical trials because of unbearable toxicity and extremely low clinical efficacy. One of the technical challenges is the mismatch between laboratory settings [...] Read more.

Development of drugs based on potential anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents has been hindered by its necessary tedious procedures and failure in the clinical trials because of unbearable toxicity and extremely low clinical efficacy. One of the technical challenges is the mismatch between laboratory settings and human body environments for the cancer cells responding upon treatments of the anti-cancer agents. This major limitation urges for applying more reliable platforms for evaluating drugs with a higher throughput and cell aggregates in a more natural configuration. Here, we adopt a microfluidic device integrated with a differential micromixer and multiple microwell-containing channels (50 microwells per channel) for parallel screening of suspending cell spheroids treated by drugs with different combinations. We optimize the culture conditions of the surfactant-coated microwells in order to facilitate the spheroid formation of the breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231). We propose a new drug cocktail combined with three known chemotherapeutic agents (paclitaxel, epirubicin, and aspirin) for the drug screening of the cancer cell-spheroids. Our results exhibit the differential responses between planar cell layers in traditional culture wells and cell-spheroids grown in our microfluidic device, in terms of the apoptotic rates under treatments of the drug cocktails with different concentrations. These results reveal a distinct drug resistance between planar cell layers and cell-spheroids. Together, this work offers important guidelines on applying the cell-spheroid microfluidic cultures for development of more efficacious anticancer drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic Technologies for Drug Delivery)

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10 pages, 6043 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Large-Scale Fabrication of Porous Gold Nanowires via Laser Interference Lithography and Dealloying of Gold–Silver Nano-Alloys

by Adrien Chauvin¹, Nicolas Stephant¹, Ke Du^2,3, Junjun Ding², Ishan Wathuthanthri^2,4

, Chang-Hwan Choi², Pierre-Yves Tessier¹ and Abdel-Aziz El Mel^1,*

¹ Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, IMN, Université de Nantes, CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssinière B.P. 32229, 44322 Nantes cedex 3, France

² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

³ Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

⁴ Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Advanced Technology Laboratories, Linthicum, MD 21090, USA

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060168 - 24 May 2017

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 7763

Abstract

In this work, we report on an efficient approach to fabricating large-area and uniform planar arrays of highly ordered nanoporous gold nanowires. The approach consists in dealloying Au–Ag alloy nanowires in concentrated nitric acid. The Au–Ag alloy nanowires were obtained by thermal annealing [...] Read more.

In this work, we report on an efficient approach to fabricating large-area and uniform planar arrays of highly ordered nanoporous gold nanowires. The approach consists in dealloying Au–Ag alloy nanowires in concentrated nitric acid. The Au–Ag alloy nanowires were obtained by thermal annealing at 800 °C for 2 h of Au/Ag stacked nanoribbons prepared by subsequent evaporation of silver and gold through a nanograted photoresist layer serving as a mask for a lift-off process. Laser interference lithography was employed for the nanopatterning of the photoresist layer to create the large-area nanostructured mask. The result shows that for a low Au-to-Ag ratio of 1, the nanowires tend to cracks during the dealloying due to the internal residual stress generated during the dealloying process, whereas the increase of the Au-to-Ag ratio to 3 can overcome the drawback and successfully leads to the obtainment of an array of highly ordered nanoporous gold nanowires. Nanoporous gold nanowires with such well-regulated organization on a wafer-scale planar substrate are of great significance in many applications including sensors and actuators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Scalable Micro/Nano Patterning)

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11 pages, 12694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Handling in the Production of Wire-Based Linked Micro Parts

by Philipp Wilhelmi^*, Christian Schenck and Bernd Kuhfuss

BIME—Bremen Institute for Mechanical Engineering, MAPEX Center for Materials and Processing, University of Bremen, Badgasteiner Str. 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060169 - 25 May 2017

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4906

Abstract

For simplified processing and the enhancement of output rate in multi-stage production, micro parts are handled as linked parts. This contribution discusses handling specific challenges in production based on an exemplary process chain. The examined linked parts consist of spherical elements linked by [...] Read more.

For simplified processing and the enhancement of output rate in multi-stage production, micro parts are handled as linked parts. This contribution discusses handling specific challenges in production based on an exemplary process chain. The examined linked parts consist of spherical elements linked by wire material. Hence, the diameter varies between the wire and part. Nevertheless, the linked parts must be handled accurately. The feed system is an important component too, but special focus is given to the guides in this present study. They must adapt to the diameters of both the parts and the linking wires. Two alternative variants of adaptive guides are presented and investigated under the aspects of precise radial guiding, vibration isolation, damping behavior and friction force. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing)

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12 pages, 1987 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Slurry Injection Schemes on the Extent of Slurry Mixing and Availability during Chemical Mechanical Planarization

by Matthew Bahr^1,*, Yasa Sampurno^1,2, Ruochen Han¹ and Ara Philipossian^1,2

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

² Araca, Inc., Tucson, AZ 85718, USA

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060170 - 29 May 2017

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6624

Abstract

In this study, slurry availability and the extent of the slurry mixing (i.e., among fresh slurry, spent slurry, and residual rinse-water) were varied via three different injection schemes. An ultraviolet enhanced fluorescence technique was employed to qualitatively indicate slurry availability and its flow [...] Read more.

In this study, slurry availability and the extent of the slurry mixing (i.e., among fresh slurry, spent slurry, and residual rinse-water) were varied via three different injection schemes. An ultraviolet enhanced fluorescence technique was employed to qualitatively indicate slurry availability and its flow on the pad during polishing. This study investigated standard pad center area slurry application and a slurry injection system (SIS) that covered only the outer half of the wafer track. Results indicated that the radial position of slurry injection and the alteration of fluid mechanics by the SIS played important roles in slurry mixing characteristics and availability atop the pad. Removal rates were found to decrease with slurry availability, while a higher degree of slurry mixing decreased the fraction of fresh slurry and consequently lowered the removal rate. By using a hybrid system (i.e., a combination of slurry injection via SIS and standard pad center slurry application), the polishing process benefited from higher slurry availability and higher fraction of fresh slurry than the conventional pad center slurry application and the shorter SIS, individually. This work underscores the importance of optimum slurry injection geometry and flow for obtaining a more cost-effective and environmentally benign chemical mechanical planarization process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing)

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11 pages, 3726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamical Modeling and Analysis of Viscoelastic Properties of Single Cells

by Bo Wang^1,2, Wenxue Wang^1,*, Yuechao Wang¹, Bin Liu¹ and Lianqing Liu^1,*

¹ State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China

² University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060171 - 1 Jun 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5924

Abstract

A single cell can be regarded as a complex network that contains thousands of overlapping signaling pathways. The traditional methods for describing the dynamics of this network are extremely complicated. The mechanical properties of a cell reflect the cytoskeletal structure and composition and [...] Read more.

A single cell can be regarded as a complex network that contains thousands of overlapping signaling pathways. The traditional methods for describing the dynamics of this network are extremely complicated. The mechanical properties of a cell reflect the cytoskeletal structure and composition and are closely related to the cellular biological functions and physiological activities. Therefore, modeling the mechanical properties of single cells provides the basis for analyzing and controlling the cellular state. In this study, we developed a dynamical model with cellular viscoelasticity properties as the system parameters to describe the stress-relaxation phenomenon of a single cell indented by an atomic force microscope (AFM). The system order and parameters were identified and analyzed. Our results demonstrated that the parameters identified using this model represent the cellular mechanical elasticity and viscosity and can be used to classify cell types. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microdevices and Microsystems for Cell Manipulation)

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12 pages, 1888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automatic and Selective Single Cell Manipulation in a Pressure-Driven Microfluidic Lab-On-Chip Device

by Yigang Shen^1,†, Zhenyu Song^2,†, Yimo Yan¹

, Yongxin Song^1,*, Xinxiang Pan¹ and Qi Wang^3,*

¹ Department of Marine Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China

² Department of Radiotherapy, Jiaozhao Central Hospital, Qingdao 266300, China

³ Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116027, China

^† These authors contributed equally to this work.

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060172 - 1 Jun 2017

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5705

Abstract

A microfluidic lab-on-chip device was developed to automatically and selectively manipulate target cells at the single cell level. The device is composed of a microfluidic chip, mini solenoid valves with negative-pressurized soft tubes, and a LabView^®-based data acquisition device. Once a [...] Read more.

A microfluidic lab-on-chip device was developed to automatically and selectively manipulate target cells at the single cell level. The device is composed of a microfluidic chip, mini solenoid valves with negative-pressurized soft tubes, and a LabView^®-based data acquisition device. Once a target cell passes the resistive pulse sensing gate of the microfluidic chip, the solenoid valves are automatically actuated and open the negative-pressurized tubes placed at the ends of the collecting channels. As a result, the cell is transported to that collecting well. Numerical simulation shows that a 0.14 mm³ volume change of the soft tube can result in a 1.58 mm/s moving velocity of the sample solution. Experiments with single polystyrene particles and cancer cells samples were carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method. Selectively manipulating a certain size of particles from a mixture solution was also achieved. Due to the very high pressure-driven flow switching, as many as 300 target cells per minute can be isolated from the sample solution and thus is particularly suitable for manipulating very rare target cells. The device is simple, automatic, and label-free and particularly suitable for isolating single cells off the chip one by one for downstream analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from 2016 International Conference of Microfluidics, Nanofluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip)

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12 pages, 4924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Separated Type Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Microjets Array for Maskless Microscale Etching

by Yichuan Dai¹, Man Zhang¹, Qiang Li¹, Li Wen^1,*, Hai Wang²

and Jiaru Chu¹

¹ Department of Precision Machinery and Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China

² School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060173 - 1 Jun 2017

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6294

Abstract

Maskless etching approaches such as microdischarges and atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) have been studied recently. Nonetheless, a simple, long lifetime, and efficient maskless etching method is still a challenge. In this work, a separated type maskless etching system based on atmospheric pressure [...] Read more.

Maskless etching approaches such as microdischarges and atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) have been studied recently. Nonetheless, a simple, long lifetime, and efficient maskless etching method is still a challenge. In this work, a separated type maskless etching system based on atmospheric pressure He/O₂ plasma jet and microfabricated Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) nozzle have been developed with advantages of simple-structure, flexibility, and parallel processing capacity. The plasma was generated in the glass tube, forming the micron level plasma jet between the nozzle and the surface of polymer. The plasma microjet was capable of removing photoresist without masks since it contains oxygen reactive species verified by spectra measurement. The experimental results illustrated that different features of microholes etched by plasma microjet could be achieved by controlling the distance between the nozzle and the substrate, additive oxygen ratio, and etch time, the result of which is consistent with the analysis result of plasma spectra. In addition, a parallel etching process was also realized by plasma microjets array. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplasma Devices)

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13 pages, 8181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Prototyping of a Micromotor with an Optical Rotary Encoder

by Da-Chen Pang^*

and Yi-Wei Lai

Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, 415 Jian Gong Rd., Sanmin Dist., Kaohsiung 80778, Taiwan

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060174 - 2 Jun 2017

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7105

Abstract

This study proposed a rapid prototyping fabrication method for micromotors that allowed us to develop both 1 mm and 1.5 mm diameter permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) with an optical rotary encoder. First, an integrated electroforming method was proposed for combining stator housing and [...] Read more.

This study proposed a rapid prototyping fabrication method for micromotors that allowed us to develop both 1 mm and 1.5 mm diameter permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) with an optical rotary encoder. First, an integrated electroforming method was proposed for combining stator housing and flexible print circuit (FPC) coils to ease the manufacturing and assembly of micromotor components. This is particularly useful in the production of prototypes or small volumes of units. Second, an optical encoder was used to detect the rotational angle by means of a reflective code disk, an optical fiber, and a photo-detector. The micromotor was built with a code disk and an optical fiber. The code disk was designed to match the optical fiber and was made by photolithography and sputtering. Both the 1 mm and 1.5 mm diameter motors successfully achieved a rotational speed over 20,000 RPM and due to a 50 µm diameter optical fiber core, the encoders showed a resolution of 12 and 18 pulses per revolution (PPR), respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-Of-The-Art Micromachining)

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8 pages, 2001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Screening of Graphitic Carbon Nitrides for Photocatalytic Cofactor Regeneration Using a Drop Reactor

by Xiaowen Huang^1,2, Huimin Hao³, Yang Liu^1,2, Yujiao Zhu^1,2 and Xuming Zhang^1,2,*

¹ Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China

² The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China

³ College of Mechanical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060175 - 2 Jun 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4895

Abstract

Artificial photosynthesis is the imitation of natural photosynthesis, which promises an efficient way to use solar energy to synthesize organic matters, in which the key step is the coenzyme regeneration (NADH/NADPH). To achieve an efficient regeneration rate, various photocatalysts have been developed, such [...] Read more.

Artificial photosynthesis is the imitation of natural photosynthesis, which promises an efficient way to use solar energy to synthesize organic matters, in which the key step is the coenzyme regeneration (NADH/NADPH). To achieve an efficient regeneration rate, various photocatalysts have been developed, such as g-C₃N₄ and mesoporous carbon nitride (mpg-C₃N₄). Generally, efficiency determination of different photocatalysts requires laborious experiments, high consumption of reagents, and a considerable amount of time. Here, based on the one-step artificial photosystem I method, we processed the analytical experiment in a very simple PDMS well (20 μL, a drop) to achieve a rapid screening of photocatalysts. For comparison, we used two types of graphitic carbon nitrides, few-layer g-C₃N₄ and mpg-C₃N₄. Compared with the slurry systems, firstly, the regeneration rate of mpg-C₃N₄ drop-reactor system is 4.3 times and 7.1 times those of the few-layer g-C₃N₄-slurry system and mpg-C₃N₄-slurry system, respectively. Secondly, this one-drop method reduces the typical verification time from 90 min to 5 min and lowers the liquid volume from 20 mL to 20 μL. Thirdly, this operation is a pump-free and soft lithography technique-free process. The miniaturization of the photocatalytic reaction in the PDMS well improves the regeneration rates, saves samples, and achieves high-throughput screening of multiple photocatalysts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photonic MEMS and Optofluidic Devices)

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9 pages, 3424 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hollow Hydrogel Microfiber Encapsulating Microorganisms for Mass-Cultivation in Open Systems

by Kazuhiko Higashi¹

, Miho Ogawa¹, Kazuma Fujimoto¹, Hiroaki Onoe¹

and Norihisa Miki^1,2,*

¹ School of Integrated Design Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan

² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060176 - 3 Jun 2017

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6629

Abstract

Open cultivation systems to monoculture microorganisms are promising for the commercialization of low-value commodities because they reduce the cultivation cost. However, contamination from biological pollutants frequently impedes the process. Here we propose a cultivation method using hollow hydrogel microfibers encapsulating microorganisms. Due to [...] Read more.

Open cultivation systems to monoculture microorganisms are promising for the commercialization of low-value commodities because they reduce the cultivation cost. However, contamination from biological pollutants frequently impedes the process. Here we propose a cultivation method using hollow hydrogel microfibers encapsulating microorganisms. Due to the pore size, hydrogels allow nutrients and waste to pass through while preventing invading microorganisms from entering the microfiber. Experimental cultivation shows the growth of target bacteria inside the alginate hydrogel microfiber during exposure to invading bacteria. The membrane thickness of the microfiber greatly affects the bacterial growth due to changes in membrane permeability. The enhancement of mechanical toughness is also demonstrated by employing a double-network hydrogel for long-term cultivation. The hollow hydrogel microfiber has the potential to become a mainstream solution for mass-cultivation of microorganisms in an open system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomedical Microfluidic Devices)

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11 pages, 4139 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Motor Power Signal Analysis for End-Point Detection of Chemical Mechanical Planarization

by Hongkai Li^*, Xinchun Lu and Jianbin Luo

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060177 - 5 Jun 2017

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7100

Abstract

In the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, in-situ end-point detection (EPD) is an important issue in the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process. In the paper, we chose the motor power signal of the polishing platen as the monitoring object. We then used the moving [...] Read more.

In the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, in-situ end-point detection (EPD) is an important issue in the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process. In the paper, we chose the motor power signal of the polishing platen as the monitoring object. We then used the moving average method, which was appropriate for in-situ calculation process and made it easy to code for software development, to smooth the signal curve, and then studied the signal variation during the actual CMP process. The results demonstrated that the motor power signal contained the end-point feature of the metal layer removal, and the processed signal curve facilitated the feature extraction and it was relatively steady before and after the layer transition stage. In addition, the motor power signal variation of the polishing head was explored and further analysis of time delay was performed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microtribology, Adhesion and Surface Engineering)

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1 pages, 560 KiB

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Liu, W. et al. A Highly Sensitive Humidity Sensor Based on Ultrahigh-Frequency Microelectromechanical Resonator Coated with Nano-Assembled Polyelectrolyte Thin Films. Micromachines, 2017, 8, 116

by Wenpeng Liu

, Hemi Qu^*, Jizhou Hu, Wei Pang, Hao Zhang and Xuexin Duan^*

State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060178 - 5 Jun 2017

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3210

Abstract

In the published paper [1], there is an error in Figure 3 [...] Full article

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13 pages, 5600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Functional Plastic Parts Using Nanostructured Steel Mold Inserts

by Nicolas Blondiaux^1,*, Raphaël Pugin¹, Gaëlle Andreatta¹, Lionel Tenchine², Stéphane Dessors², Pierre-François Chauvy³, Matthieu Diserens³ and Philippe Vuillermoz⁴

¹ Centre Suisse d’électronique et de Microtechnique CSEM, 1 rue Jaquet-Droz, CH-2002 Neuchatel, Switzerland

² Centre Technique Industriel de la Plasturgie et des Composites-IPC, 2 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 01100 Bellignat, France

³ Micropat SA, 30 Côtes-de-Montbenon, CH-1003 Lausanne, Switzerland

⁴ Vuillermoz SAS, 5 rue du Tomachon, 39200 Saint-Claude, France

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060179 - 6 Jun 2017

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6998

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of sub-micro and nanostructured steel mold inserts for the replication of nanostructured immunoassay biochips. Planar and microstructured stainless steel inserts were textured at the sub-micron and nanoscale by combining nanosphere lithography and electrochemical etching. This allowed the fabrication [...] Read more.

We report on the fabrication of sub-micro and nanostructured steel mold inserts for the replication of nanostructured immunoassay biochips. Planar and microstructured stainless steel inserts were textured at the sub-micron and nanoscale by combining nanosphere lithography and electrochemical etching. This allowed the fabrication of structures with lateral dimensions of hundreds of nanometers and aspect ratios of up to 1:2. Nanostructured plastic parts were produced by means of hot embossing and injection molding. Surface nanostructuring was used to control wettability and increase the sensitivity of an immunoassay. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing)

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11 pages, 1545 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Development of Temperature Control Solutions for Non-Instrumented Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NINAAT)

by Tamás Pardy^1,2,*

, Toomas Rang¹ and Indrek Tulp²

¹ Thomas Johann Seebeck Department of Electronics, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate Tee 5, 12616 Tallinn, Estonia

² Selfdiagnostics Deutschland GmbH, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060180 - 7 Jun 2017

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5518

Abstract

Non-instrumented nucleic acid amplification tests (NINAAT) are a novel paradigm in portable molecular diagnostics. They offer the high detection accuracy characteristic of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) in a self-contained device, without the need for any external instrumentation. These Point-of-Care tests typically employ [...] Read more.

Non-instrumented nucleic acid amplification tests (NINAAT) are a novel paradigm in portable molecular diagnostics. They offer the high detection accuracy characteristic of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) in a self-contained device, without the need for any external instrumentation. These Point-of-Care tests typically employ a Lab-on-a-Chip for liquid handling functionality, and perform isothermal nucleic acid amplification protocols that require low power but high accuracy temperature control in a single well-defined temperature range. We propose temperature control solutions based on commercially available heating elements capable of meeting these challenges, as well as demonstrate the process by which such elements can be fitted to a NINAAT system. Self-regulated and thermostat-controlled resistive heating elements were evaluated through experimental characterization as well as thermal analysis using the finite element method (FEM). We demonstrate that the proposed solutions can support various NAAT protocols, as well as demonstrate an optimal solution for the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) protocol. Furthermore, we present an Arduino-compatible open-source thermostat developed for NINAAT applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Microfluidic Methodology for the Analysis of DNA)

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11 pages, 3214 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chiral Orientation of Skeletal Muscle Cells Requires Rigid Substrate

by Ninghao Zhu¹

, Hoi Kwan Kwong¹, Yuanye Bao¹ and Ting-Hsuan Chen^1,2,3,4,*

¹ Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, China

² School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, China

³ Centre for Robotics and Automation, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, China

⁴ CityU Shenzhen Research Institute, 8 Yuexing 1st Road, Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518057, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060181 - 8 Jun 2017

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6980

Abstract

Reconstitution of tissue morphology with inherent left–right (LR) asymmetry is essential for tissue/organ functions. For skeletal muscle, the largest tissue in mammalian organisms, successful myogenesis requires the regulation of the LR asymmetry to form the appropriate muscle alignment. However, the key factor for [...] Read more.

Reconstitution of tissue morphology with inherent left–right (LR) asymmetry is essential for tissue/organ functions. For skeletal muscle, the largest tissue in mammalian organisms, successful myogenesis requires the regulation of the LR asymmetry to form the appropriate muscle alignment. However, the key factor for reproducing the LR asymmetry of skeletal tissues in a controllable, engineering context remains largely unknown. Recent reports indicate that cell chirality may underlie the LR development in tissue morphogenesis. Here, we report that a rigid substrate is required for the chirality of skeletal muscle cells. By using alternating micropatterned cell-adherent and cell-repellent stripes on a rigid substrate, we found that C2C12 skeletal muscle myoblasts exhibited a unidirectional tilted orientation with respect to the stripe boundary. Importantly, such chiral orientation was reduced when soft substrates were used instead. In addition, we demonstrated the key role of actin stress fibers in the formation of the chiral orientation. This study reveals that a rigid substrate is required for the chiral pattern of myoblasts, paving the way for reconstructing damaged muscle tissue with inherent LR asymmetry in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optofluidics 2016)

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16 pages, 4813 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reliable and Accurate Release of Micro-Sized Objects with a Gripper that Uses the Capillary-Force Method

by Suzana Uran, Riko Šafarič and Božidar Bratina^*

Laboratory of Cognitive Systems in Mechatronics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060182 - 8 Jun 2017

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 6638

Abstract

There have been recent developments in grippers that are based on capillary force and condensed water droplets. These are used for manipulating micro-sized objects. Recently, one-finger grippers have been produced that are able to reliably grip using the capillary force. To release objects, [...] Read more.

There have been recent developments in grippers that are based on capillary force and condensed water droplets. These are used for manipulating micro-sized objects. Recently, one-finger grippers have been produced that are able to reliably grip using the capillary force. To release objects, either the van der Waals, gravitational or inertial-forces method is used. This article presents methods for reliably gripping and releasing micro-objects using the capillary force. The moisture from the surrounding air is condensed into a thin layer of water on the contact surfaces of the objects. From the thin layer of water, a water meniscus between the micro-sized object, the gripper and the releasing surface is created. Consequently, the water meniscus between the object and the releasing surface produces a high enough capillary force to release the micro-sized object from the tip of the one-finger gripper. In this case, either polystyrene, glass beads with diameters between 5–60 µm, or irregularly shaped dust particles of similar sizes were used. 3D structures made up of micro-sized objects could be constructed using this method. This method is reliable for releasing during assembly and also for gripping, when the objects are removed from the top of the 3D structure—the so-called “disassembling gripping” process. The accuracy of the release was lower than 0.5 µm. Full article

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13 pages, 4426 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Z”-Shaped Rotational Au/Pt Micro-Nanorobot

by Kai Chen¹, Chenyi Gu¹, Zhan Yang^1,2,*

, Masahiro Nakajima³, Tao Chen^1,2,* and Toshio Fukuda^3,4

¹ Provincial Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Advanced Robotics, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China

² Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China

³ Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan

⁴ Intelligent Robotics Institute, School of Mechatronic Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060183 - 8 Jun 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5573

Abstract

Drug delivery, minimally-invasive surgery, and a hospital-in-the-body are highly desirable for meeting the rapidly growing needs of nanorobot. This paper reports a Z-shaped gold/platinum (Au/Pt) hybrid nanorobot which realizes the self-rotational movement without an external force field. The Z-shaped Au/Pt hybrid nanorobot was [...] Read more.

Drug delivery, minimally-invasive surgery, and a hospital-in-the-body are highly desirable for meeting the rapidly growing needs of nanorobot. This paper reports a Z-shaped gold/platinum (Au/Pt) hybrid nanorobot which realizes the self-rotational movement without an external force field. The Z-shaped Au/Pt hybrid nanorobot was fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) and plasma sputtering. The purity of the nanorobot was tested by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). The weight percentage of Pt and Au at the tip were 94.28% and 5.72%, respectively. The weight percentage of Pt and Au at the bottom were 17.39% and 82.75%, respectively. The size of the nanorobot was 2.58 × 10⁻¹⁶ m² and the mass of the nanorobot was 8.768 × 10⁻⁸ kg. The driving force of the nanorobot was 9.76 × 10⁻¹⁴ N at the 6.9% concentration of hydrogen peroxide solution. The rotation speed was 13 rpm, 14 rpm, and 19 rpm at 5.6%, 6.2%, and 7.8% concentrations, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Robotics, Volume II)

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2 pages, 154 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial for Special Issue: Advances in Microfluidic Devices for Cell Handling and Analysis

by Abel Martin Gonzalez Oliva

Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica Antonio Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da Republica, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060184 - 9 Jun 2017

Viewed by 3320

Abstract

Microfluidics is a technology that is expanding rapidly in many areas of research, especially in the biological areas of cell handling and analysis.[...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Microfluidic Devices for Cell Handling and Analysis)

13 pages, 5934 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lithium Niobate Micromachining for the Fabrication of Microfluidic Droplet Generators

by Giacomo Bettella^1,†, Gianluca Pozza^1,†, Sebastian Kroesen², Riccardo Zamboni¹

, Enrico Baggio¹, Carlo Montevecchi¹, Annamaria Zaltron¹, Ludovic Gauthier-Manuel³, Giampaolo Mistura¹

, Claudio Furlan⁴, Mathieu Chauvet³, Cornelia Denz² and Cinzia Sada^1,*

¹ Physics and Astronomy Department, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy

² Nonlinear Photonics Group, Institute of Applied Physics, University of Münster Corrensstrasse 2/4, 48149 Münster, Germany

³ FEMTO-ST Institute, UMR 6174, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 15B Avenue des Montboucons, 25000 Besançon, France

⁴ CEASC at University of Padova, Via Jappelli 1, 35131 Padova, Italy

^† These authors contributed equally to this work.

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060185 - 9 Jun 2017

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6774

Abstract

In this paper, we present the first microfluidic junctions for droplet generation directly engraved on lithium niobate crystals by micromachining techniques, preparatory to a fully integrated opto-microfluidics lab-on-chip system. In particular, laser ablation technique and the mechanical micromachining technique are exploited to realise [...] Read more.

In this paper, we present the first microfluidic junctions for droplet generation directly engraved on lithium niobate crystals by micromachining techniques, preparatory to a fully integrated opto-microfluidics lab-on-chip system. In particular, laser ablation technique and the mechanical micromachining technique are exploited to realise microfluidic channels in T- and cross junction configurations. The quality of both lateral and bottom surfaces of the channels are therefore compared together with a detailed study of their roughness measured by means of atomic force microscopy in order to evaluate the final performance achievable in an optofluidic device. Finally, the microfluidics performances of these water-in-oil droplets generators are investigated depending on these micromachining techniques, with particular focus on a wide range of droplet generation rates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultrafast Laser Fabrication for Lab-on-a-Chip)

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20 pages, 3564 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances and Future Perspectives on Microfluidic Liquid Handling

by Nam-Trung Nguyen^*

, Majid Hejazian, Chin Hong Ooi and Navid Kashaninejad

Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Nathan Campus, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060186 - 12 Jun 2017

Cited by 160 | Viewed by 17357

Abstract

The interdisciplinary research field of microfluidics has the potential to revolutionize current technologies that require the handling of a small amount of fluid, a fast response, low costs and automation. Microfluidic platforms that handle small amounts of liquid have been categorised as continuous-flow [...] Read more.

The interdisciplinary research field of microfluidics has the potential to revolutionize current technologies that require the handling of a small amount of fluid, a fast response, low costs and automation. Microfluidic platforms that handle small amounts of liquid have been categorised as continuous-flow microfluidics and digital microfluidics. The first part of this paper discusses the recent advances of the two main and opposing applications of liquid handling in continuous-flow microfluidics: mixing and separation. Mixing and separation are essential steps in most lab-on-a-chip platforms, as sample preparation and detection are required for a variety of biological and chemical assays. The second part discusses the various digital microfluidic strategies, based on droplets and liquid marbles, for the manipulation of discrete microdroplets. More advanced digital microfluidic devices combining electrowetting with other techniques are also introduced. The applications of the emerging field of liquid-marble-based digital microfluidics are also highlighted. Finally, future perspectives on microfluidic liquid handling are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insights and Advancements in Microfluidics)

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20 pages, 3475 KiB

Open AccessArticle

3D Finite Element Simulation of Micro End-Milling by Considering the Effect of Tool Run-Out

by Ali Davoudinejad^1,*, Guido Tosello¹

, Paolo Parenti² and Massimiliano Annoni²

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 427A, Produktionstorvet, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

² Mechanical Engineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 1, 20156 Milan, Italy

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060187 - 16 Jun 2017

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 9778

Abstract

Understanding the micro milling phenomena involved in the process is critical and difficult through physical experiments. This study presents a 3D finite element modeling (3D FEM) approach for the micro end-milling process on Al6082-T6. The proposed model employs a Lagrangian explicit finite element [...] Read more.

Understanding the micro milling phenomena involved in the process is critical and difficult through physical experiments. This study presents a 3D finite element modeling (3D FEM) approach for the micro end-milling process on Al6082-T6. The proposed model employs a Lagrangian explicit finite element formulation to perform coupled thermo-mechanical transient analyses. FE simulations were performed at different cutting conditions to obtain realistic numerical predictions of chip formation, temperature distribution, and cutting forces by considering the effect of tool run-out in the model. The radial run-out is a significant issue in micro milling processes and influences the cutting stability due to chip load and force variations. The Johnson–Cook (JC) material constitutive model was applied and its constants were determined by an inverse method based on the experimental cutting forces acquired during the micro end-milling tests. The FE model prediction capability was validated by comparing the numerical model results with experimental tests. The maximum tool temperature was predicted in a different angular position of the cutter which is difficult or impossible to obtain in experiments. The predicted results of the model, involving the run-out influence, showed a good correlation with experimental chip formation and the signal shape of cutting forces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing)

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10 pages, 2344 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling the Influence of Tool Deflection on Cutting Force and Surface Generation in Micro-Milling

by Dehong Huo^1,2,*

, Wanqun Chen^2,3, Xiangyu Teng², Chao Lin¹ and Kai Yang⁴

¹ The State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

² School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

³ Center for Precision Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China

⁴ Army Aviation Institute, Beijing 101123, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060188 - 17 Jun 2017

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 9144

Abstract

In micro-milling, cutting forces generate non-negligible tool deflection, which has a significant influence on the machining process and on workpiece accuracy. This paper investigates the tool deflection during micro-milling and its effect on cutting force and surface generation. The distribution of cutting forces [...] Read more.

In micro-milling, cutting forces generate non-negligible tool deflection, which has a significant influence on the machining process and on workpiece accuracy. This paper investigates the tool deflection during micro-milling and its effect on cutting force and surface generation. The distribution of cutting forces acting on the tool is calculated with a mathematical model that considers tool elasticity and runout, and the tool deflection caused by the cutting forces is then obtained. Furthermore, an improved cutting force model and side wall surface generation model are established, including the tool deflection effect. Both cutting force and surface simulation models were verified by the micro-end-milling experiment, and the results show a very good agreement between the simulation and experiments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-Of-The-Art Micromachining)

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19 pages, 6066 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parametric Analysis and Experimental Verification of a Hybrid Vibration Energy Harvester Combining Piezoelectric and Electromagnetic Mechanisms

by Zhenlong Xu¹

, Xiaobiao Shan², Hong Yang³, Wen Wang¹

and Tao Xie^2,*

¹ School of Mechanical Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China

² School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China

³ College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060189 - 18 Jun 2017

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 6390

Abstract

Considering coil inductance and the spatial distribution of the magnetic field, this paper developed an approximate distributed-parameter model of a hybrid energy harvester (HEH). The analytical solutions were compared with numerical solutions. The effects of load resistances, electromechanical coupling factors, mechanical damping ratio, [...] Read more.

Considering coil inductance and the spatial distribution of the magnetic field, this paper developed an approximate distributed-parameter model of a hybrid energy harvester (HEH). The analytical solutions were compared with numerical solutions. The effects of load resistances, electromechanical coupling factors, mechanical damping ratio, coil parameters and size scale on performance were investigated. A meso-scale HEH prototype was fabricated, tested and compared with a stand-alone piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) and a stand-alone electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH). The peak output power is 2.93% and 142.18% higher than that of the stand-alone PEH and EMEH, respectively. Moreover, its bandwidth is 108%- and 122.7%-times that of the stand-alone PEH and EMEH, respectively. The experimental results agreed well with the theoretical values. It is indicated that the linearized electromagnetic coupling coefficient is more suitable for low-level excitation acceleration. Hybrid energy harvesting contributes to widening the frequency bandwidth and improving energy conversion efficiency. However, only when the piezoelectric coupling effect is weak or medium can the HEH generate more power than the single-mechanism energy harvester. Hybrid energy harvesting can improve output power even at the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scale. This study presents a more effective model for the performance evaluation and structure optimization of the HEH. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Piezoelectric MEMS)

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12 pages, 2097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electroosmotic Flow in a Rough Nanochannel with Surface Roughness Characterized by Fractal Cantor

by Pengfei Lu¹, Xiangdong Liu^1,* and Chengbin Zhang²

¹ Energy and Power Engineering, School of Hydraulic, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, Jiangsu, China

² Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, Jiangsu, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060190 - 19 Jun 2017

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5034

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulation is applied to study the electroosmotic flow in rough nanochannels, with particular attention given to the fluid–solid interactions. In the simulation, the surface roughness is characterized by a fractal Cantor. The roles of roughness height and fractal dimension on nanoscale [...] Read more.

Molecular dynamics simulation is applied to study the electroosmotic flow in rough nanochannels, with particular attention given to the fluid–solid interactions. In the simulation, the surface roughness is characterized by a fractal Cantor. The roles of roughness height and fractal dimension on nanoscale electroosmotic flow are examined and analyzed. The concentration distributions, zeta potential and electroosmotic velocity are presented and investigated. The results indicate that surface roughness plays a significant role in the fluid–solid interaction and nanoscale electroosmotic flow. The distribution of dipole angle for water molecules in both the near-wall region and middle region is almost unaffected by surface roughness; however, a significant difference of dipole angle distribution is observed in the fluid region away from the wall. Interestingly, the concentration distributions, electroosmotic velocity and zeta potential are highly affected by the surface fractal dimension, even with the same roughness height. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano-Chip Electrokinetics, Volume II)

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14 pages, 4265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improvement of GNSS Carrier Phase Accuracy Using MEMS Accelerometer-Aided Phase-Locked Loops for Earthquake Monitoring

by Tisheng Zhang, Hengrong Liu, Qijin Chen^*, Hongping Zhang and Xiaoji Niu

GNSS Research Center, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060191 - 19 Jun 2017

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4816

Abstract

When strong earthquake occurs, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) measurement errors increase significantly. Combined strategies of GNSS/accelerometer data can estimate better precision in displacement, but are of no help to carrier phase measurement. In this paper, strong-motion accelerometer-aided phase-locked loops (PLLs) are proposed [...] Read more.

When strong earthquake occurs, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) measurement errors increase significantly. Combined strategies of GNSS/accelerometer data can estimate better precision in displacement, but are of no help to carrier phase measurement. In this paper, strong-motion accelerometer-aided phase-locked loops (PLLs) are proposed to improve carrier phase accuracy during strong earthquakes. To design PLLs for earthquake monitoring, the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the strong earthquake signals are studied. Then, the measurement errors of PLLs before and after micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer aiding are analyzed based on error models. Furthermore, tests based on a hardware simulator and a shake table are carried out. Results show that, with MEMS accelerometer aiding, the carrier phase accuracy of the PLL decreases little under strong earthquakes, which is consistent with the models analysis. Full article

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11 pages, 3480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Three-Dimensional Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Assembly via TiOPc-Based Light-Induced Controllable Electrodeposition

by Yang Liu¹, Cong Wu¹, Hok Sum Sam Lai¹, Yan Ting Liu¹, Wen Jung Li¹ and Ya Jing Shen^1,2,*

¹ Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

² Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060192 - 19 Jun 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6886

Abstract

Artificial reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel microstructures would greatly contribute to tissue assembly in vitro, and has been widely applied in tissue engineering and drug screening. Recent technological advances in the assembly of functional hydrogel microstructures such as microfluidic, 3D bioprinting, and micromold-based [...] Read more.

Artificial reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel microstructures would greatly contribute to tissue assembly in vitro, and has been widely applied in tissue engineering and drug screening. Recent technological advances in the assembly of functional hydrogel microstructures such as microfluidic, 3D bioprinting, and micromold-based 3D hydrogel fabrication methods have enabled the formation of 3D tissue constructs. However, they still lack flexibility and high efficiency, which restrict their application in 3D tissue constructs. Alternatively, we report a feasible method for the fabrication and reconstruction of customized 3D hydrogel blocks. Arbitrary hydrogel microstructures were fabricated in situ via flexible and rapid light-addressable electrodeposition. To demonstrate the versatility of this method, the higher-order assembly of 3D hydrogel blocks was investigated using a constant direct current (DC) voltage (6 V) applied between two electrodes for 20–120 s. In addition to the plane-based two-dimensional (2D) assembly, hierarchical structures—including multi-layer 3D hydrogel structures and vessel-shaped structures—could be assembled using the proposed method. Overall, we developed a platform that enables researchers to construct complex 3D hydrogel microstructures efficiently and simply, which has the potential to facilitate research on drug screening and 3D tissue constructs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microdevices and Microsystems for Cell Manipulation)

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13 pages, 218 KiB

Open AccessOpinion

Commercial Value and Challenges of Drop-Based Microfluidic Screening Platforms–An Opinion

by Christian Holtze^*, Sebastian A. Weisse and Marcel Vranceanu

BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060193 - 20 Jun 2017

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6068

Abstract

Developments in High Throughput Screening aim at maximizing the number of samples per time and reducing the cost per sample, e.g., by applying very small sample volumes. The ultimate technological step in miniaturization is moving from microtiter plate wells to droplets, and from [...] Read more.

Developments in High Throughput Screening aim at maximizing the number of samples per time and reducing the cost per sample, e.g., by applying very small sample volumes. The ultimate technological step in miniaturization is moving from microtiter plate wells to droplets, and from batch-wise characterization to the continuous preparation and analysis of samples. A range of drop-based microfluidic screening platforms has emerged that benefit from drop-formation rates of thousands per second, perfect drop size uniformity, plug-flow and compartmentalization, and the possibility of continuously analyzing a train of drops. However, after many years of intensive research, only few commercial applications have been developed and substantial development in the field is still required to make them reliable and broadly applicable. Can academic research achieve this, given that most of the fundamental concepts have been described already, making it hard to publish a big story? Can start-up companies raise enough money to overcome the technical issues of drop-based screening platforms? This contribution addresses the question, focusing on how the different stakeholders in the field should interact so that disillusionment will not put a premature end to the development of drop-based screening technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Droplet Microfluidics: Techniques and Technologies, Volume II)

14 pages, 204 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ink-Jet Printing of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

by Gih-Keong Lau^1,2,* and Milan Shrestha^1,2

¹ School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore

² Singapore Center of 3D Printing, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060194 - 21 Jun 2017

Cited by 79 | Viewed by 24291

Abstract

Beyond printing text on paper, inkjet printing methods have recently been applied to print passive electrical and optical microparts, such as conductors, resistors, solder bumps and polymeric micro lenses. They are also useful to print micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) as sub-millimeter sensor and actuator [...] Read more.

Beyond printing text on paper, inkjet printing methods have recently been applied to print passive electrical and optical microparts, such as conductors, resistors, solder bumps and polymeric micro lenses. They are also useful to print micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) as sub-millimeter sensor and actuator arrays, such as multifunctional skins applicable to robotic application and ambient monitoring. This paper presents the latest review of a few successful cases of printable MEMS devices. This review shows that inkjet printing is good for printing two-dimensional or surface MEMS devices from a small unit to an array over a large area. In the future, three-dimensional printing of multi-materials, from metal, plastic, to ceramic, will open the possibility of realizing more variety and function of a large-areal MEMS array, for a mobile electro-mechanical systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioprinting and 3D Printing in MEMS Technology)

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18 pages, 6021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Application of Replica Molding Technology for the Indirect Measurement of Surface and Geometry of Micromilled Components

by Federico Baruffi^1,*

, Paolo Parenti²

, Francesco Cacciatore², Massimiliano Annoni² and Guido Tosello¹

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet, Building 427A, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark

² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, via la Masa 1, 20100 Milan, Italy

Micromachines 2017, 8(6), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi8060195 - 21 Jun 2017

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5358

Abstract

The evaluation of micromilled parts quality requires detailed assessments of both geometry and surface topography. However, in many cases, the reduced accessibility caused by the complex geometry of the part makes it impossible to perform direct measurements. This problem can be solved by [...] Read more.

The evaluation of micromilled parts quality requires detailed assessments of both geometry and surface topography. However, in many cases, the reduced accessibility caused by the complex geometry of the part makes it impossible to perform direct measurements. This problem can be solved by adopting the replica molding technology. The method consists of obtaining a replica of the feature that is inaccessible for standard measurement devices and performing its indirect measurement. This paper examines the performance of a commercial replication media applied to the indirect measurement of micromilled components. Two specifically designed micromilled benchmark samples were used to assess the accuracy in replicating both surface texture and geometry. A 3D confocal microscope and a focus variation instrument were employed and the associated uncertainties were evaluated. The replication method proved to be suitable for characterizing micromilled surface texture even though an average overestimation in the nano-metric level of the Sa parameter was observed. On the other hand, the replicated geometry generally underestimated that of the master, often leading to a different measurement output considering the micrometric uncertainty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro/Nano Manufacturing)

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