An experimental investigation of the continuous separation of human blood for virus detection using fluidic channels

80 p.A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device is currently being developed at the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) to be used for the detection of viral particles. The device uses blood as an input material and by removing the blood cells en masse, the remaining solution known as plasma will be left behind to be used for virus detection. As there are millions of blood cells present even in a tiny quantity of blood, this complicates the task of cell removal. The present solution involves using a series of silicon filters to block the blood cells and allow the plasma solution to pass through. However, the method is slow and unproductive. Hence, the main purpose of this study is to investigate if it is possible to continuously separate blood by using other methods such as fluidic channels, knowing that the sedimentation of blood cells will occur naturally if a blood sample is left undisturbed for a period of time.Master of Science (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Engineering

Lateral patch-clamping in a standard 1536-well microplate format

Lateral patch-clamping has emerged as a chip-based platform for automation of the conventional patch-clamp technique, the ‘gold’ standard for studying cellular ion channels. The conventional technique, as it relies on skilled-maneuver of glass micropipettes to patch cells, is extremely delicate, low in throughput, and thus cannot be used for primary screening of compounds against ion channels. Direct integration of glass capillaries on silicon provides lateral junctions for automated trapping and patching of cells. We demonstrate here a method of scaling up the lateral junctions to a standard 1536-well microtiter plate format. A single unit of 1536-well plate has been formed here on a 9 mm by 9 mm microstructured silicon with the inclusive of 16 wells molded in a capping layer made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The silicon substrate provides integrated glass capillaries (total 12) and their associated microfluidic network. Each glass capillary has an independent access through a dedicated well in PDMS and leads to a centralized channel in which cell suspension can be delivered through one of the remaining 4 wells. The unit has been tested on RBL-1 cells by recording whole-cell activity from inwardly rectifying endogenous potassium channels. A revised test protocol has been prescribed to avoid inaccurate readings due to altered ionic composition of the recording buffer when a typical suction is applied to capture cells

Next generation manufacturing in Singapore

The regional economic crisis and the more recent terrorist attacks have been watershed events for Singapore. Although Singapore emerged relatively unscathed from these upheavals, the economic challenges remain ever-daunting and furthermore, the playing field has been elevated from regionalization to globalization. Therefore, as part of the restructuring strategy, Singapore has identified manufacturing and services as the main engines for growth in the near future. However, by merely attracting manufacturers here to invest is no longer sufficient. It was realized that the much more value has to be added through upgrading the entire manufacturing sector by developing a new set of skills and capabilities, collectively known as Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM). Thus, the main aim of this report is to investigate how NGM can be applied to the Singapore context in preparation for tougher competition in the years to come.​Master of Science (IMST

Wearable Soft Microtube Sensors for Quantitative Home-Based Erectile Dysfunction Monitoring

Quantifiable erectile dysfunction (ED) diagnosis involves the monitoring of rigidity and tumescence of the penile shaft during nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT). In this work, we introduce Erectile Dysfunction SENsor (EDSEN), a home-based wearable device for quantitative penile health monitoring based on stretchable microtubular sensing technology. Two types of sensors, the T- and R-sensors, are developed to effectively measure penile tumescence and rigidity, respectively. Conical models mimicking penile shaft were fabricated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material, using different base to curing agent ratios to replicate the different hardness properties of a penile shaft. A theoretical buckling force chart for the different penile models is generated to determine sufficiency criteria for sexual intercourse. An average erect penile length and circumference requires at least a Young’s modulus of 179 kPa for optimal buckling force required for satisfactory sexual intercourse. The conical penile models were evaluated using EDSEN. Our results verified that the circumference of a penile shaft can be accurately measured by T-sensor and rigidity using the R-sensor. EDSEN provides a private and quantitative method to detect ED within the comfortable confines of the user’s home

Microfluidic System for Detecting a Biological Entity in a Sample

According to various embodiments, a microfluidic system for detecting a biological entity in a sample volume is provided. The microfluidic system may include: a chamber configured to receive the sample volume, wherein the chamber includes a detection region for detecting the biological entity; a first port in fluid communication with the chamber; and a second port including a filter in fluid communication with the chamber; and wherein a fluid provided to the first port or the second port flows between the first port and the second port through the chamber