PMDPlatform: A programmable, universally applicable, microfluidic device platform

Microfluidics has propelled biological research due to its enormous economy of scale and highly-integrated nature. Not only has basic science profited from the application of microfluidic devices, but the impact of microfluidics on the field of diagnostics is also being felt. Microfluidics promises development of field-based tests for disease vectors as well as decentralized testing of a variety of common ailments with over-the-counter test-kits. Microfluidics provides more "bang for your buck" in both the basic sciences and diagnostics, by increasing data output per capita in the sciences and drastically reducing the cost of diagnostics through cheap disposable devices.

The current paradigm of the fluidics field are highly specialized, custom designed devices. Each device requires expert knowledge in its design, manufacturing, and application. The same is true for commercially available platforms, were companies provide a product line of devices, each for a specific application. Commercial custom designed devices are rarely available, and if so, at exorbitant costs. Here I propose a fluidic device that is not hard-wired, but rather can be programmed through software to perform innumerable tasks. To draw a parallel to the semi-conductor industry, current fluidic devices represent application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). ASICs are processing units specifically designed for a single purpose. Just like current fluidic devices, they are costly to design and to implement, and require considerable in-depth knowledge. Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) on the other hand represent a class of devices that are custom programmable, and thus generic in their applicability. Even though generally slower than ASICs, FPGAs are more cost effective than ASICs because of reduced engineering costs. FPGAs have been increasingly applied to a variety of areas such as DSP, medical imaging, bio-informatics, and code breaking.

The programmable microfluidic device (PMD) proposed here, builds on the development of microfluidic large-scale integration (MLSI) capable of placing thousands of functional elements on a single device. One limitation of the current technology is that these functional elements are not independently addressable, but rather function as defined units. With the development of multiplexers(MUX) and fluidic vias it is now possible to design and implement devices with hundreds to thousands of individually addressable valves. These are then placed in a matrix pattern, and using software driven addressing, can be programmed into a large number of configurations specific to the current application requirements.

PMDs represent the next evolutionary step of microfluidic complexity and will broaden the impact of microfluidics in a number of fields. Through software based programming, end-users can now debug each application on a single device, rather than having to design and fabricate an entirely new design for each debugging iteration. Software based programming will reduce the design and engineering time required, as only one PMD has to be designed and several device configuration scan be tested on this single platform in rapid succession. Finally, increasing device user-friendliness and flexibility will open up new applications, as well as increase the ease of integration with existing systems.

Related Pages