Issue 23, 2012

Fluidic microchemomechanical integrated circuits processing chemical information

Abstract

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology has blossomed into a major new technology fundamentally influencing the sciences of life and nature. From a systemic point of view however, microfluidics is still in its infancy. Here, we present the concept of a microfluidic central processing unit (CPU) which shows remarkable similarities to early electronic Von Neumann microprocessors. It combines both control and execution units and, moreover, the complete power supply on a single chip and introduces the decision-making ability regarding chemical information into fluidic integrated circuits (ICs). As a consequence of this system concept, the ICs process chemical information completely in a self-controlled manner and energetically self-sustaining. The ICs are fabricated by layer-by-layer deposition of several overlapping layers based on different intrinsically active polymers. As examples we present two microchips carrying out long-term monitoring of critical parameters by around-the-clock sampling.

Graphical abstract: Fluidic microchemomechanical integrated circuits processing chemical information

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 May 2012
Accepted
29 Aug 2012
First published
31 Aug 2012

Lab Chip, 2012,12, 5034-5044

Fluidic microchemomechanical integrated circuits processing chemical information

R. Greiner, M. Allerdissen, A. Voigt and A. Richter, Lab Chip, 2012, 12, 5034 DOI: 10.1039/C2LC40617A

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