SBIR-STTR Award

The miniaturization and automation of biochemical assays has had tremendous effect on the pace of scientific discovery, as shown by the human genome project and by high throughput screening in the pharmaceutical development process. The Phase I objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing moving optical gradient forces, OptophoresisT, to provide rapid, multiplexed processing of biological, cellular and environmental samples in a 3D-microfluidic device. We will demonstrate that a cell's Optophoretic constant provides a uniquely identifiable signature for the direct, in-channel detection and compact optical manipulation and sorting of biological particles including different types of cells, bacteria, and spores. Sample preparation will be accomplished using binary and higher order microfluidic channel junctions at which various steps of complexity reduction, buffer exchange, concentration, etc. are performed. In Phase II these devices will be integrated into compact instruments that provide serial and multiplex sample-to-answer capability for biowarfare applications, environmental monitoring, forensics, clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, pharmacogenomics, medical diagnostics, etc. We intend to leverage advances from the telecommunications industry such as improved light sources, e.g., bar lasers and Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers, VCSELs, and improved fiber technology to provide tighter integration of the optics with microfluidic devices. The anticipated benefits/potential commercial applications include novel miniaturized, microfluidic cell analysis and sorting devices, new tools for high throughput screening and pharmaceutical development and novel flow cytometry devices for medical diagnosis and rare cell detection.

Keywords:
Microfluidic, Sample Prep, 3d, Biowarfare, Bacteria, Spores, Direct Detection, Vcsel

The Phase I project demonstrated utilizing moving optical gradient forces, Optophoresis?, to provide selective and sensitive analysis/sorting of biological, cellular and environmental samples in 2D- and 3D-microfluidic devices. A new analysis method, Optophoretic Time of Flight (O.T.O.F.) providing quantitative cell analysis was implemented. The Phase II goals are to refine and optimize O.T.O.F. and couple it with an optical switch to enable sorting and collection of cells for commercial applications ranging from tissue engineering to cancer diagnostics to pathogen isolation. The major goal will be increasing throughput to ~1000 cells/second while simultaneously reducing laser power requirements. Substantial effort will be expended on increasing optical efficiency, creating a focused sample stream, and multiplexing for parallel analysis. Optical switch development will focus on transverse versus axial forces for sorting and 2D- versus 3D-microfluidic geometries. Subcontractor CFDRC will provide modeling for optimization of cell fluidic transport and optical interactions. Both O.T.O.F. and optical switching can exist and will be developed as standalone techniques. O.T.O.F. alone is a useful diagnostic tool where recovery of cells is not needed. Optical switching is also useful with scatter or fluorescence analysis. The Phase II instrument will integrate O.T.O.F. and optical switching to offer maximum flexibility and utility.

Keywords:
3D MICROFLUIDICS, OPTICAL ANALYSIS, CELL SORTING, MULTIPHYSICS SIMULATION TOOLS, CANCER, TISSUE ENGINEERING, HIGH THROUGHPUT, COMPUTATIONAL BIOPHOTONI