| Recent advances in sensor miniaturization using microfabrication technologies towards development of portable bioanalysis systems have proceeded relatively incoherently, due to a lack of a general design principles. Design of portable, end-use biosensors in particular has suffered by this deficiency, caused mainly by the multiphysical field on which these types of sensors are based. Optical, fluidic, electrical, mechanical and biological systems are just a few of the modes that can be incorporated into devices, and interactions between the varying systems are either not well understood or ignored altogether. Concurrent with this need, the end goal of this project is to design a practical MEMS-based optical sensor for multianalyte detection and quantification, using a flexible multidisciplinary approach. The project will focus on design implications caused by both the established limitations and interactions between various aspects of the system, with the aim of developing an encompassing design strategy for miniaturized biochemical sensors. The sensor chosen for this project is a glucose sensor, designed for end-use applications, such as clinical point-of-case use. Optical polymeric waveguides coupled with fluorescence/enzyme have been mated to microfluidics, and simple, robust packaging has been designed and implemented. While the project has been centered on the design of the sensor, the process has yielded most importantly a set of principles for microscale biosensor design as well as specific tactics concerning device manufacture, fluidic design and packaging. |
