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Microfluidics International Corporation introduces the new LM10 Microfluidizer, a digitally controlled lab unit for small sample material processing.  The LM10 converts pressure energy more efficiently into shear and impact forces, attaining targeted size reduction at lower peak pressure, which results in less sample temperature rise during processing.  The micro-channel architecture of each interaction chamber enables linear volumetric scale-up for larger capacity processing, guaranteeing process performance at pilot/production scales, and minimizing additional development time.

LM10 Microfluidizer White Background

The stable pressure and constant volume processing of the LM10 produces narrow particle size distributions that enable a higher yield of active ingredients post-filtration/sterilization.  Combined with a simplified fluid flow path, the LM10 offers the smallest sample size range of its class to reduce losses and experimental costs.

The new and enhanced digital pressure control interface of the LM10 provides a greater degree of repeatability within the design and implementation of experiments.  Additionally, integrated temperature measurement allows for real-time monitoring at different process points to improve   the reliability of experimental results, conclusions, and theories.

The LM10 maintenance reminder helps to keep the equipment in good working order, ensuring consistent size reduction, emulsion creation and cell disruption performance over time.  Operator alerts can also detect potential deviations from target process pressure set points, minimizing the chances of experimental error and possible maintenance issues.

Field upgradable firmware means the machine does not have to be sent back to the factory for software/feature upgrades, enabling future flexibility and adaptable feature enhancement.

Brewer Science today launched inks with the potential to change the way carbon nanotube (CNT) users manufacture microelectronic devices. The company introduced the first aqueous, surfactant-free, ready-to-use semiconducting CNT inks for microelectronics and printed electronics applications. Brewer Science, a leading supplier of specialty materials and integrated solutions for microelectronics device fabrication, is once again delivering a game-changing product that will provide its customers with an advantage in their industry.

“Until now, users of semiconducting CNTs had to use surfactant-containing ink from material suppliers or produce surfactant-based inks themselves from raw semiconductor CNT sources. In either case, the deposited surfactant had to be washed from the film, which generated CNT-contaminated waste and could redistribute the deposited films, leading to performance variation,” said Jim Lamb, Director of Business Development, Carbon Electronics Center. “This point-of-use tinkering was very process intensive and inconsistent, even for laboratory usage of CNTs, and commercial applications could not be targeted with such products. These ready-to-use formulations will give our customers a stable and consistent product for use in large-scale manufacturing of semiconducting devices and many other products.”

The CNTRENE 4010 series of semiconducting inks are stable, water-based materials prepared using a proprietary method developed by Brewer Science. Due to their unique formulation, the inks do not contain additives such as surfactants that require damaging and waste-producing post-deposition treatment (wash) steps. These inks can be deposited easily onto a variety of rigid and flexible substrates with standard coating techniques including spray-coating and Aerosol Jet® printing. At Brewer Science’s Carbon Electronics Center, arrays of TFT devices have been prepared which have average ON/OFF ratios of >4000 and mobilities of >0.2 cm2/V·s.

Energetiq Technology, a provider of ultra‐high brightness light sources for advanced technology applications, introduces the EQ‐99X and EQ‐99XFC enhanced performance Laser‐Driven Light Sources at Photonics West 2014.

Based on the highly successful EQ‐99 series of Laser‐Driven Light Sources (LDLSTM), the EQ‐99X‐Series offers ultraclean construction for greater long‐term stability and longer operating life. The EQ‐99XFC LDLS with fiber‐coupled output features new Fiber‐ Protection TechnologyTM, shown to improve long‐term deep ultraviolet output by an order of magnitude.

“These are exciting enhancements to our Laser‐Driven Light Sources,” said Paul Blackborow, CEO of Energetiq. “With the new ultra‐clean construction and Fiber‐Protection Technology, the X‐Series LDLS products will deliver to our customers even brighter, even more stable, broadband Laser‐Driven Light Sources.”

LDLS X‐Series products include:

  • EQ‐99X – Compact, Long‐Life, High‐Brightness, Broadband Laser‐Driven LightSource
  • EQ‐99XFC – Compact, Long‐Life, High‐Brightness, Broadband Laser‐Driven LightSource with Fiber‐Coupled Output

The EQ‐99 LDLS series received the prestigious R & D 100 Award in 2011 for its technological significance, and a 2011 Prism Award for Photonics Innovation.

EQ99XFC-LDLS

Today at the 2013 American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting, Bruker introduced the Opterra Multipoint Scanning Confocal Microscope, which sets a new standard for integration of confocal imaging with photoactivation. The new Opterra microscope utilizes a number of features to obtain the speed of wide-field imaging and the resolution of traditional confocal systems while minimizing phototoxicity, making it an ideal solution for gentle and fast confocal imaging of live cell preparations. A seven-position pinhole/slit aperture allows the Opterra to be optimized for varying objective lens magnifications that results in the ability to image deeper into tissue versus conventional disk scanning confocal microscopes.

“The Opterra has proven to be a major advance in terms of rapid, time-based volumetric imaging,” said Dr. Mario De Bono, Medical Research Council Group Leader at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge University, UK. “The speed of the system, coupled with its sensitivity and resolution has significantly enhanced our ability to visualize neural activity in 3D in C. elegans at speeds that were previously not possible. The ability to change pinhole size is great, as it allows us to match the imaging setup with the specimen.”

Bruker Opterra

Infinite Graphics Incorporated, a precision graphics company, produces a wide variety of calibration masks used by manufacturers to calibrate their Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs).  These phototools can vary in size from 0.3” x 0.3” all the way up to 32” x 32” depending on the specific requirements.  All calibration masks produced by IGI are guaranteed to be NIST traceable ensuring the customer pinpoint accuracy and total reliability.

calibration masks

IGI offers a wide range of substrates and coatings.  Substrate offerings include: soda lime, fused silica, quartz, borosilicate, BK7, sapphire, opal glass and Mylar.  Coating offerings include: iron oxide, chrome (bright and anti-reflective), aluminum and emulsion.  Easy release coatings include: X-301 and SLP-10.  IGI is even willing to customize substrates as well as work with customer provided substrates, if necessary.

“Our ability to produce a 32” x 32” calibration mask is really worth mentioning because many companies cannot offer that service,” Rob Larsen, Infinite Graphics Incorporated’s Vice-President of Engineering, states directly.  “All of our calibration masks are NIST traceable and we complement these high quality standards with outstanding customer service, delivery time and ongoing customer support.”

EV Group (EVG), a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today introduced the EVG PHABLE exposure system, which is designed specifically for manufacturing photonic components.  Leveraging EVG’s expertise in photolithography, the EVG PHABLE system incorporates a unique contactless lithography mask-based approach that enables full-field, high-resolution and cost-efficient micro- and nanopatterning of passive and active photonic components, such as patterned structures on light emitting diode (LED) wafers, in high-throughput production environments.

ev litho

The EVG PHABLE exposure system is the first fully-automated production equipment to feature PHABLE (“photonics enabler”) technology from Eulitha AG, a pioneer in lithography tools based in Villigen PSI, Switzerland.  Integrating Eulitha’s full-field exposure technology with EVG’s well-established nanolithography production platform provides a unique solution for the automated fabrication of photonic nanostructures.

The EVG PHABLE system combines the low cost-of-ownership, ease-of-use and non-contact capabilities of proximity lithography with the sub-micron resolution of lithography steppers to provide low-cost automated fabrication of photonic patterns over large areas.  This makes it ideally suited for patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) or to enhance the light extraction (and thus the efficiency) of LED devices.  The EVG PHABLE system includes a unique Displacement Talbot Lithography approach that enables it to produce features ranging from three microns down to 200 nm with effectively no depth-of-focus limitation or stitching effects that can arise from using steppers on substrates with rather poor total thickness variation.  As a result, it can be used to pattern substrates up to six inches in diameter in a single exposure step.  This approach also enables the EVG PHABLE system to maintain consistently high patterning throughput independent of the size of the processed wafer, as well as maintain very large exposure gaps (up to several hundreds of microns) between the mask and wafer, thereby avoiding process-related mask contamination.

“We are excited to enter the commercialization phase of our collaboration with Eulitha,” stated Hermann Waltl, executive sales and customer support director at EV Group.  “The EVG PHABLE system broadens EVG’s micro- and nanopatterning process portfolio, providing a unique, very cost-efficient solution to our customers in the LED, optics and photonics markets.  The novel equipment clearly demonstrates the synergies of our respective technologies.”

The EVG PHABLE system can produce both one-dimensional patterns, such as lines and spaces, as well as two-dimensional patterns, such as hexagonal or square lattices.  Thus, it supports a variety of approaches to enhance the light extraction from LEDs.  These include LED surface structuring, PSS, photonic crystal applications, nano-wire LEDs and optical gratings.  The system can also be configured for photovoltaic, optics or biomedical manufacturing applications.

Eulitha AG is a spin-off company of the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland.  It specializes in the development of innovative lithographic technologies for applications in optoelectronics, photonics, biotechnology, and data storage.  It produces and markets nano-patterned wafers and templates using its unique EUV interference method and state-of-the-art e-beam lithography tools.  PHABLE is the brand name of its new photolithography platform, which includes exposure tools and wafer patterning services.

inTEST Thermal today announced the launch of a mobile temperature control system for high-speed thermal testing of chips, components and PCBs. The Thermostream ATS-535 brings temperature to the test site by directing a stream of cooled or heated air, reaching temperatures between -60 to +225°C very quickly. Highly mobile and without the need for an external air supply, it can execute fast temperature transitions e.g. -40 to +125°C in 12 sec. This allows for thermal characterization and production verification at the test site, for example, rather than moving the test subject to a thermal chamber or custom engineered enclosure.

The Thermostream’s swivel arm and pneumatic controls allow precise connection with the device under test. System setup and control is accomplished via a controller with adjustable positioning for convenient local operation, as well as connectivity for remote operation.

ATS-535 provides a convenient thermal source for temperature testing and conditioning of small-mass test subjects in design and production environments.

The mobile temperature control system is available for ordering worldwide.

inTEST Thermal Solutions specializes in high performance thermal environments, for temperature conditioning and process cooling requirements. The company serves end users and OEMs, worldwide, in multiple industries with thermal systems such as temperature forcing units, thermal chambers and platforms, and process chillers.

ATS-535_Portable-Temperature-test-station[4]

Mentor Graphics Corporation yesterday announced the Valor Information Highway and the Valor Warehouse Management products, two supply chain-focused tools designed to enhance Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) effectiveness and assist electronics manufacturers in reducing material costs. Materials accuracy is a critical factor in PCB assembly operation since materials make up the bulk of manufacturing costs. At the same time, it presents a challenge to traditional ERP where inventory discrepancies compromise materials ordering and planning operations. Mentor Graphics has developed key supply chain solutions to complement the ERP/MRP operation systems.

Together, the two new products provide real-time material consumption and spoilage data, facilitating total materials management and traceability over the entire warehouse infrastructure, logistics, shop floor storage areas and direct points of use. For the first time, manufacturing teams can easily access data from all aspects of the shop floor, supply chain, quality, planning and product engineering through a single software suite.

“Valor Information Highway gives me complete visibility and control of our shop floor operation through a single source of information linked to ERP and MES reporting,” stated Stefan Schnake, Manufacturing Process Support, Phoenix Contact, a global manufacturer of components, systems and services in the electronics industry. “Access to real-time detailed data allows me to effectively manage my operation and report accurately to my customers, which is critical for our success.”

Valor Information Highway

The Valor Information Highway product provides accurate, real-time access to warehouse and shop floor information, available in the highest level of detail. This product is unique in that it does not require complex integration, avoiding the high cost of customization with various engineering services, nor does it create complex dependencies between systems. Users have a single consistent source of data, both live and on-demand, that represents the entire integrated shop floor environment—from engineering and planning to performance, materials, tracking and quality information. The information and reports that can be generated from the Valor Information Highway product provide essential performance and traceability data to drive continuous improvement.

Valor Warehouse Management

The new Valor Warehouse Management tool provides the industry’s most comprehensive materials management solution — a single environment spanning multiple local and remote warehouses and shop floor storage, from initial material receipt, logistics and storage management. The Valor Warehouse Management product is easy to use, comprising automated PDA-based material task assignment and advanced configurable logistics rules, including both Kanban and “just-in-time” material delivery protocols. This assures optimum performance and efficiency of materials logistics and warehouse organization. Automated direct gathering of consumption and spoilage data ensures complete and accurate inventory, which avoids unexpected materials shortage and material overstocking.

“Valor products have demonstrated significant operational improvements and high return on investment for our customers in the areas of NPI, process preparation and shop floor operations,” stated Dan Hoz, general manager of Mentor Graphics Valor Division. “I am confident that the new tools will also provide the high value that our customers have come to expect from our products, by improving their ability to control material costs and reduce waste.”

By Dr. Ramesh Ramadoss, Formfactor, San Jose, CA

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are a class of miniature devices and systems fabricated by micromachining processes. MEMS devices have critical dimensions in the range of 100 nm to 1000 µm (or 1 mm). MEMS technology is a precursor to the relatively more popular field of Nanotechnology, which refers to science, engineering and technology below 100 nm down to the atomic scale. Occasionally, MEMS devices with dimensions in the millimeter-range are referred to as meso-scale MEMS devices. Figure 1 shows relevant dimensional scale alongside biological matter.  

 Figure 1. Dimensional scale of MEMS and Nanotechnology. (Adapted from Nguyen et al. [1]).

Figure 1. Dimensional scale of MEMS and Nanotechnology. (Adapted from Nguyen et al. [1]).

Initially, MEMS technology was based on silicon using bulk micromachining and surface micromachining processes. Figure 2 shows an SEM image of a surface micromachining based polysilicon MEMS device, an electrostatic motor, which consists of twelve fixed stator electrodes and a rotor that spins around the pivot at its center. Gradually, other materials such as glass, ceramics and polymers have been adapted for MEMS. Especially, polymers are attractive for biomedical applications due to their bio-compatibility, low cost, and suitability for rapid prototyping. Other micromachining processes employed for fabrication of MEMS include dry plasma etching, electroplating, laser machining, micromilling, micromolding, stereolithography, and inkjet printing.

 

Figure 2. An SEM image of a MEMS electrostatic motor. (Source: https://www.mems-exchange.org/).

Figure 2. An SEM image of a MEMS electrostatic motor. (Source: https://www.mems-exchange.org/).

MEMS devices can actuate or sense on a micro-scale. MEMS devices can function individually or in combination with other devices to generate effects of meso- or macro- scale. Some advantages of MEMS devices include small size, light weight, low power consumption and high functionality compared to conventional devices. Further, MEMS technology offers cost reduction due to batch processing techniques similar to semiconductor Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturing. Initially, MEMS technology emerged as an offshoot of the semiconductor industry and eventually established itself as a specialized field of study with a significant market share. According to Yole Développement, the MEMS industry market in 2012 was $11 billion, which is a 10 percent growth from the previous year.

MEMS applications

MEMS applications in various functional domains are shown in Figure 3. The term “functional domain” is used to refer to a domain in which the MEMS device performs a function such as sensing or actuation. In the early stages, MEMS proved to be a revolutionary technology in various fields of the physical domain such as Mechanical (e.g., Pressure sensors, Accelerometers, and Gyroscopes), Microfluidics (e.g., Inkjet nozzles), Acoustics (e.g., Microphone), RF MEMS (e.g., Switches and Resonators), and Optical MEMS (e.g., Micromirrors). Gradually, MEMS technology has demonstrated unique solutions and delivered innovative products in chemical, biological and medical domains as well. MEMS have penetrated into consumer electronics, home appliances, automotive industry, aerospace industry, biomedical industry, recreation and sports [2].

Figure 3. MEMS applications in various functional domains.

Figure 3. MEMS applications in various functional domains.

Typically, electronics are used to interface MEMS devices from its functional domain (i.e., Physical, Chemical, or Biological) to the electrical domain for signal transduction and/or recording. It should be pointed out that the term MEMS was originally coined to refer to miniature sensors and actuators operating between electrical and mechanical domains. Gradually, the term MEMS has evolved to encompass a wide variety of other microdevices fabricated by micromachining. For example, a micromachined electrochemical sensor is referred to as a MEMS device even though there is no functional role played by this device in the mechanical domain. Similarly, the term “BioMEMS” is used to refer to the science and technology of microdevices fabricated by micromachining for biological and medical applications. BioMEMS may or may not include any electrical or mechanical functions. BioMEMS application areas include biomedical transducers, microfluidics, medical implants, microsurgical tools, and tissue engineering. As shown in Figure 4, the global BioMEMS market is expected to almost triple in size, from $1.9 billion in 2012 to $6.6 billion in 2018 [3].

Figure 4. BioMEMS market forecast by Yole Développement [3]. (Source: http://www.yole.fr/).

Figure 4. BioMEMS market forecast by Yole Développement [3]. (Source: http://www.yole.fr/).

 BioMEMS applications

 In this section, a few representative BioMEMS applications are presented. A survey of all products available on the market is beyond the scope of this article.

a) MEMS Pressure Sensors The first MEMS devices to be used in the biomedical industry were reusable blood pressure sensors in the 1980s. MEMS pressure sensors have the largest class of applications including disposable blood pressure, intraocular pressure (IOP), intracranial pressure (ICP), intrauterine pressure, and angioplasty. Some manufacturers of MEMS pressure sensors for biomedical applications include CardioMEMS, Freescale semiconductors, GE sensing, Measurement Specialties, Omron, Sensimed AG and Silicon Microstructures.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world after cataracts. MEMS implantable pressure sensors are used for continuous IOP monitoring in Glaucoma patients. A normal eye maintains a positive IOP in the range of 10-22 mmHg. Abnormal elevation (> 22 mmHg) and fluctuation of IOP are considered the main risk factors for glaucoma. Glaucoma, often without any pain or significant symptoms, can cause an irreversible and incurable damage to the optic nerve. This initially affects the peripheral vision and possibly leads to blindness without timely lifetime treatment. Therefore, it is critical to accurately monitor IOP and provide prompt treatments at the early stages of glaucoma development. Sensimed’s TriggerfishTM implantable MEMS IOP sensor is shown in Figure 5. It consists of a disposable contact lens with a MEMS strain-gage pressure sensor element, an embedded loop antenna (golden rings), and an ASIC microprocessor (2mmx2mm chip). The MEMS sensor includes a circular active outer ring and passive strain gages to measure corneal curvature changes in response to IOP. The loop antenna in the lens receives power from the external monitoring system and sends information back to the system.

Figure 5. Sensimed’s TriggerfishTM implantable MEMS IOP sensor. (Source: http://www.sensimed.com/).

Figure 5. Sensimed’s TriggerfishTM implantable MEMS IOP sensor. (Source: http://www.sensimed.com/).

b)      MEMS Inertial Sensors MEMS accelerometers are used in defibrillators and pacemakers. Some patients exhibit unusually fast or chaotic heart beats and thus are at a high risk of cardiac arrest or a heart attack. An implantable defibrillator restores a normal heart rhythm by providing electrical shocks to the heart during abnormal conditions. Some peoples’ hearts beat too slowly, and this may be related to the natural aging process or a genetic condition. A pacemaker maintains a proper heart beat by transmitting electrical impulses to the heart. Conventional pacemakers were fixed rate. Modern pacemakers employ MEMS accelerometers and are capable of adjusting heart rate in accordance with the patient’s physical activity. Medtronic is a leading manufacturer of MEMS based defibrillators and pacemakers. Figure 6 shows a MEMS accelerometer-based Medtronic’s SureScanTM pacemaker and implantation of a pacemaker inside the body next to the heart. This pacemaker is designed to be compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Figure 6a.

Figure 6a.

Ramesh F6b

MEMS inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) were employed to develop one of the most unique wheelchairs, the iBOTTM Mobility system, shown in Figure 7. A combination of multiple inertial sensors in this system enables the user to operate the wheelchair and lift to a standing height just balancing on two wheels. This allows the wheelchair user to interact with others face-to-face. The iBOTTM system was developed by Dean Kamen in a partnership between DEKA and Johnson and Johnson’s Independence Technology division. Unfortunately, it is no longer available for sale from Independence Technology. Another related example is the Segway PT, a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle, also invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire, USA.

Figure 7. Independence Technology’s iBOTTM mobility system. (source: http://www.ibotnow.com/).

Figure 7. Independence Technology’s iBOTTM mobility system. (source: http://www.ibotnow.com/).

c)       MEMS Hearing-Aid Transducer A hearing-aid is an electroacoustic device used to receive, amplify and radiate sound into the ear. The goal of a hearing aid is to compensate for the hearing loss and thus make audio communication more intelligible for the user. In the US, hearing aids are considered medical devices and are regulated by the FDA. According to NIH, approximately 17 percent (36 million) of American adults report some degree of hearing loss. There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss. Also, about 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or hard-of-hearing.

 According to statistics, 80% of those who could benefit from a hearing-aid chose not to use one. The reasons include reluctance to recognize hearing loss and social stigma associated with common misconceptions about wearing hearing aids. Thus, it is highly desirable to miniaturize hearing-aids without compromising performance. MEMS technology enables reduction of form factor, cost, and power consumption compared to conventional hearing-aid solutions. Figure 8 shows Analog Devices small size (7.3 mm3) MEMS microphone suitable for hearing-aid applications.

Figure 8. Analog Devices MEMS microphone for hearing-aid applications. (Source: http://www.analog.com/).

Figure 8. Analog Devices MEMS microphone for hearing-aid applications. (Source: http://www.analog.com/).

d)      Microfluidics for diagnostics Microfluidics involve movement, mixing and control of small volumes (nanoliters) of fluids. A typical microfluidic system is comprised of needles, channels, valves, pumps, mixers, filters, sensors, reservoirs, and dispensers. Microfluidics enable bedside or at the point-of-care (POC) medical diagnosis. Especially, POC diagnosis is important in developing countries where access to centralized hospitals is limited and expensive. A POC diagnostic microfluidic system uses bodily fluids (saliva, blood, or urine samples) to perform sample preconditioning, sample fractionation, signal amplification, analyte detection, data analysis, and results display. In 1985, Unipath introduced the first POC microfluidic device, ClearBlueTM, for pregnancy test from urine sample and is still available on the market. Recently, a comprehensive review article on the commercialization of microfluidic devices for POC diagnostics was published by Chin et al. [4].

One of the world’s most significant public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle- income countries, remains to be HIV/AIDS. According to WHO, 34 million people are living with HIV, and around 7 million eligible people are waiting for antiretroviral therapy. POC diagnosis is very crucial for the enumeration of absolute numbers of T-helper cells, commonly referred to as a CD4 count, for monitoring the course of immunosuppression caused by HIV and the initiation of antiretroviral therapy. The Alere Pima™ CD4 test system, shown in Figure 9, offers a revolutionary POC solution by providing an absolute CD4 count from either a fingerstick or a venous whole blood sample. The test requires approximately 25 microliters of whole blood sample to be loaded into the cartridge capillary. All test reagents are sealed within the disposable cartridge. On insertion of the cartridge into the analyzer, the test process automatically begins and displays direct CD4 measurement within 20 minutes.

Figure 9. Alere’s PimaTM point-of-care CD4 test system: a) disposable cartridge, and b) analyzer with a slot for cartridge insertion. (Source: http://alere-technologies.com/).

Figure 9. Alere’s PimaTM point-of-care CD4 test system: a) disposable cartridge, and b) analyzer with a slot for cartridge insertion. (Source: http://alere-technologies.com/).

Ramesh F9b

e)      Microfluidics for drug delivery Microfluidics enable advanced drug delivery technologies such as triggered release, timed release and targeted delivery. Some applications include transdermal drug delivery (e.g., microneedle arrays and needle-less jet-based system), implantable drug delivery systems (e.g., drug-eluting stents and insulin pump), and drug delivery vehicles (e.g., micro- and nano– particles).

In the US, Diabetes mellitus has a mortality of 180,000 per year. It can be managed through proper diet and exercise, glucose-lowering oral medications and/or insulin therapy. One of the most notable insulin delivery systems for diabetes therapy, JewelPUMPTM, is shown in Figure 10. This system was developed by Debiotech in collaboration with STMicroelectronics. The MEMS nanopumpTM mounted on a disposable skin patch provides continuous insulin through jet-based infusion delivery. The whole system weighs only 25 grams and holds up to 500 units of insulin and can be used for a 7 day period without any need for refill or replacement. The JewelPUMPTM is directly programmed from a large display remote controller. It can be attached to the body using a disposable skin patch and can be detached when necessary, thereby offering more freedom to the patient.

 

Figure 10b. Attachment of the system to the body using a disposable skin patch (left) JewelPUMPTM (middle) and programmable remote controller (right) (Source: http://www.debiotech.com/).

Figure 10b. Attachment of the system to the body using a disposable skin patch (left) JewelPUMPTM (middle) and programmable remote controller (right) (Source: http://www.debiotech.com/).

f)       Micromachined needles Micromachining enables fabrication of needles smaller than 300 µm, which is the limit of conventional machining methods. Typically, the length of the MEMS-based microneedles is less than 1 mm. Microneedles have been used for drug delivery, bio-signal recording electrodes, blood extraction, fluid sampling, cancer therapy, and microdialysis. Frequently, microneedles are integrated and used in conjunction with microfluidic systems. Solid and hollow microneedles have been fabricated out of silicon, glass, metals, and polymers using micromachining processes. Microneedles have been demonstrated with various body shapes (cylindrical, canonical, pyramid, candle, spike, spear, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal and rocket shape) and tip shapes (volcano, snake fang, cylindrical, canonical, micro-hypodermis and tapered). Figure 11 shows solid microneedles fabricated by reactive ion etching of silicon [5] and hollow microneedles fabricated by laser machining of a polymer.

Figure 11a. Micromachined needles: silicon based solid needles. (Source: Henry et al. [5]).

Figure 11a. Micromachined needles: silicon based solid needles. (Source: Henry et al. [5]).

Figure 11a. Micromachined needles: polymer based hollow needles. (Source: http://www.lasermicromachining.com/).

Figure 11a. Micromachined needles: polymer based hollow needles. (Source: http://www.lasermicromachining.com/).

g)      Microsurgical tools Surgery is treatment of diseases or other ailments through manual and instrumental methods. In surgery, the majority of trauma to the patient is caused by the surgeon’s incisions to gain access to the surgical site. Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedure aims to provide diagnosis, monitoring, or treatment of diseases by performing operations with very small incisions or sometimes through natural orifices. Advantages of MIS over conventional open surgery includes less pain, minimal injury to tissues, minimal scarring, reduced recovery time, shorter hospital visits, faster return to normal activities and often lower cost to the patient. Common MIS procedures include angioplasty, catheterization, endoscopy, laparoscopy, and neurosurgery. MEMS based microsurgical tools have been identified as a key enabling technology for MIS [6]. A pair of silicon MEMS based microtweezers and metal MEMS based biopsy forceps are shown in Figure 12. It should be noted that some of these feasibility demonstrations have yet to be qualified for clinical applications.

Figure 12a. Micromachined surgical tools: a pair of silicon MEMS tweezers. (Source: http://www.memspi.com/).

Figure 12a. Micromachined surgical tools: a pair of silicon MEMS tweezers. (Source: http://www.memspi.com/).

Figure 12b. Micromachined surgical tools: a pair of metal MEMS biopsy forceps. (Source: http://www.microfabrica.com/).

Figure 12b. Micromachined surgical tools: a pair of metal MEMS biopsy forceps. (Source: http://www.microfabrica.com/).

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States. One of the common fatal cardiovascular conditions is narrowing of blood vessels due to accumulation of plaque that can lead to heart attack, stroke and other serious issues. Angioplasty is a procedure designed to restore normal blood flow through clogged or blocked arteries. A cardiac stent is inserted into a blood vessel via a catheter and then expanded to enlarge the vessel. There are two general types of stents: Metal stents and polymer stents. Metal stents are the conventional type. Two main types of polymer stents are resorbable and nonresorbable. The former type is attractive as it may be absorbed or dissolved inside the body. Figure 13 shows a stent fabricated on a bio-resorbable polymer by laser micromachining. 

Figure 13. Micromachined resorbable polymer stent. (Source: http://resonetics.com/).

Figure 13. Micromachined resorbable polymer stent. (Source: http://resonetics.com/).

Other BioMEMS applications include tissue engineering [7] and microfluidics for cell biology, proteomics, and genomics [8]. A comprehensive coverage of various BioMEMS applications can be found in the recent books [9] and [10].

  In the 21st century, BioMEMS devices are anticipated to revolutionize the biomedical industry similar to that of semiconductor devices to the electronics industry in the last century. As evident from the market trend, there are tremendous opportunities for MEMS in the biomedical industry. However, FDA approval process necessary for certain applications can cause significant delays for new BioMEMS devices entering the market.

 References

1.       N.-T. Nguyen, S. A. M. Shaegh, N. Kashaninejad, and D.-T. Phan, “Design, fabrication and characterization of drug delivery systems based on lab-on-a-chip technology,” Advanced drug delivery reviews (2013).

2.       M. Bourne, A Consumer’s Guide to MEMS & Nanotechnology, Bourne Research LLC, 1st edition, 2007.

3.       BioMEMS 2013: Microsystem Device Market for Healthcare Applications, Yole Developpment, France, Feb. 2013.

4.       C.D. Chin, V. Linder, and S. K. Sia. “Commercialization of microfluidic point-of-care diagnostic devices,” Lab on a Chip 12.12 (2012): 2118-2134.

5.       S. Henry, D. V. Mc Allister, M. G. Allen and M. R. Prausnitz, “Microfabricated Microneedles: A Novel Approach to Transdermal Drug Delivery,” Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1998, 87, pp. 922-925.

6.       K. Rebello, “Applications of MEMS in Surgery,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 92, no. 1, Jan. 2004, pp. 43-55.

7.       C. M. Puleo,  H. C. Yeh,  T. H. Wang, “Applications of MEMS technologies in tissue engineering,” Tissue Engineering, 13(12), 2007, pp. 2839-2854.

8.       F. A. Gomez, Biological Applications of Microfluidics, Wiley-Interscience, 1st edition, 2008.

9.       A. Folch, Introduction to BioMEMS, CRC Press, 1st edition, 2013.

10.   Shekhar Bhansali (Editor), and Abhay Vasudev (Editor), MEMS for Biomedical Applications, Woodhead Publishing, 1st edition, 2012.

Dr. Ramesh Ramadoss is currently employed as a Senior Manager in the MicroProbe Product Group of FormFactor Inc., San Jose, California. He received his B.E. degree from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, India in May 1998 and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2003. From June 2003 to Dec. 2007, he was employed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. From Jan. 2008 to Mar. 2012, he was employed as a Program Manager, MEMS R&D, FormFactor Inc., Livermore, California. Since April 2012, he has been employed at MicroProbe, San Jose, CA (Acquired by FormFactor Inc.). He is the author or coauthor of 3 book chapters and 53 papers in the MEMS field (Google Scholar Citations: 476, h-index: 14, and i10-index: 17). He has conducted MEMS R&D projects for DARPA, NASA, US Army, AOARD, Sandia National Labs, Motorola Labs, Foster-Miller Inc. and FormFactor Inc.

InGaAs is a promising channel material for high-performance, ultra low-power n-MOSFETs because of its high electron mobility, but multiple-gate architectures are required to make the most of it, because multiple gates offer better control of electrostatics. In addition, it is difficult to integrate highly crystalline InGaAs with silicon, so having multiple gates offers the opportunity to take advantage of the optimum crystal facet of the material for integration.

Transistors with high mobility channels will likely be required for the 10nm and 7nm device generations, scheduled to go into production in 2016/2016 and 2017/2018, respectively. InGaAs is a good candidate for NFETS, while germanium is the candidate of choice for PFET devices.

At the upcoming International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), to be held December 8-11 in Washington, D.C., a research team led by Japan’s AIST will describe how they built triangular InGaAs-on-insulator n-MOSFETs with smooth side surfaces along the <111>B crystal facet and with bottom widths as narrow as 30nm, using a metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) growth technique. The devices demonstrated a high on-current of 930 µA/µm at a 300nm gate length, showing they have great potential.

 

Triangular transistors produced with MOVPE demonstrate a high on-current of 930 µA/µm at a 30nm gate length.

Triangular transistors produced with MOVPE demonstrate a high on-current of 930 µA/µm at a 30nm gate length.

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) is a public research institution largely funded by the Japanese government. About 2300 researchers (about 2050 with tenure: about 80 from abroad) and a few thousands of visiting scientists, post-doctoral fellows, and students from home and abroad are working at AIST.  About 650 permanent administrative personnel and many temporary staff support research works of AIST.