To develop a research area called "Optofluidics", the PI will perform both theoretical and experimental investigations into the fusion of microfluidics and optics. While the idea of fluid-optical devices can be traced back as far as the liquid mirror telescopes of the 18th century, microfluidics presents a unique opportunity for creating microscale analogues of these early devices. A series of fundamental studies will develop a new form of microfluidic transport exploiting the electromagnetic energy in photonic devices to capture, transport and separate particles. Additionally, the PI will create a new class of reconfigurable photonic system of microfluidic devices to transport, switch and modify light. These efforts require numerical/analytical modeling examining the coupling between hydrodynamics and electromagnetics, an experimental aspect to verify these models, and an implementation focus aimed at providing a "proof-of-concept" demonstration of a practical technology.
Optical force transport has several advantages over other microscale techniques (e.g. electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis, and pressure) including opposite transport scaling laws, significantly higher separation resolutions and insensitivity to surface/solution conditions. By exploiting waveguides to deliver the electromagnetic energy, the PI shows that the fundamental limitation preventing widespread adoption of optical transport in microfluidic devices can be solved. A technology development thrust will also be pursued for a waveguide-based separation device for viral identification. This second thrust will develop a largely new application area for microfluidics and a new approach to reconfigurable photonics based on transport of electromagnetic energy within microfluidic streams, exploiting the same handling techniques developed for transporting chemical samples on-chip to shuttle light around.
The PI plans development of a web-deployed "FluidicsWiki" organized around the central theme of micro and nanofluidics to allow user-edited content and thus the site can dynamically evolve with the field. The overall goal is to synchronously disseminate both summaries of recent research and educational tutorial content from and to the entire community. A planned series of academic and community outreach activities include organizing a biennial conference on optofluidics, conducting seminars on microfluidic technology for K-12 teachers, and explaining the benefits of nanotechnology to the public at the New York State Fair.
The overall goal of this NSF CAREER grant was to develop a new research area based on the fusion of microfluidics and optics, which I refer to herein as "Optofluidics". The research component of this program comprises of several aims: (1) exploring the use of microfluidic devices as active elements in reconfigurable photonic devices, (2) using optics to control microfluidic transport and (3) looking for technological opportunities in where this new science could be exploited. Over the course of the program we developed a number of technologies which could have significant industrial impact in fields ranging from bioenergy to mobile health. The first of these was a new type of optical switch that used our ability to precisely control the motion of fluids to switch light between different fiber optic channels. This could lead to a new type of reconfigurable optical array that could reduce the cost of developing custom optical components. Following this we developed a new way of delivering light to light to photosynthetic algae used in biofuel production. The basic science conducted there allowed us to develop a new form of photobioreactor that was demonstrated to have 5x better productivity than the state of the art. We also developed a method for controlling the flow of liquids in tiny channels using light. This basic science led to the development of a new form of sunlight driven technique for diagnosing a particular type of skin cancer. Finally in the latter years of the project we developed a method for performing cholesterol testing on a smartphone. Given that 60% of Americans have high cholesterol, this technology could have a significant public health impact. The overall goal of this NSF CAREER grant was to develop a new research area based on the fusion of microfluidics and optics, which I refer to herein as "Optofluidics". The research component of this program comprises of several aims: (1) exploring the use of microfluidic devices as active elements in reconfigurable photonic devices, (2) using optics to control microfluidic transport and (3) looking for technological opportunities in where this new science could be exploited. Over the course of the program we developed a number of technologies which could have significant industrial impact in fields ranging from bioenergy to mobile health. The first of these was a new type of optical switch that used our ability to precisely control the motion of fluids to switch light between different fiber optic channels. This could lead to a new type of reconfigurable optical array that could reduce the cost of developing custom optical components. Following this we developed a new way of delivering light to light to photosynthetic algae used in biofuel production. The basic science conducted there allowed us to develop a new form of photobioreactor that was demonstrated to have 5x better productivity than the state of the art. We also developed a method for controlling the flow of liquids in tiny channels using light. This basic science led to the development of a new form of sunlight driven technique for diagnosing a particular type of skin cancer. Finally in the latter years of the project we developed a method for performing cholesterol testing on a smartphone. Given that 60% of Americans have high cholesterol, this technology could have a significant public health impact.
