Matthias Burgard

A novel innovative approach towards a marketable lab-on-chip system for point-of-care in vitro diagnostics is reported. In a consortium of seven Fraunhofer Institutes a lab-on-chip system called “Fraunhofer ivD-platform” has been established which opens up the possibility for an on-site analysis at low costs. The system features a high degree of modularity and integration. Modularity allows the adaption of common and established assay types of various formats. Integration lets the system move from the laboratory to the point-of-need. By making use of the microarray format the lab-on-chip system also addresses new trends in biomedicine. Research topics such as personalized medicine or companion diagnostics show that multiparameter analyses are an added value for diagnostics, therapy as well as therapy control. These goals are addressed with a low-cost and self-contained cartridge, since reagents, microfluidic actuators and various sensors are integrated within the cartridge. In combination with a fully automated instrumentation (read-out and processing unit) a diagnostic assay can be performed in about 15 min. Via a user-friendly interface the read-out unit itself performs the assay protocol, data acquisition and data analysis. So far, example assays for nucleic acids (detection of different pathogens) and protein markers (such as CRP and PSA) have been established using an electrochemical read-out based on redoxcycling or an optical read-out based on total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF). It could be shown that the assay performance within the cartridge is similar to that found for the same assay in a microtiter plate. Furthermore, recent developments are the integration of sample preparation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on-chip. Hence, the instrument is capable of providing heating-and-cooling cycles necessary for DNA-amplification. In addition to scientific aspects also the production of such a lab-on-chip system was part of the development since this heavily affects the success of a later market launch. In summary, the Fraunhofer ivD-platform covers the whole value chain ranging from microfluidics, material and polymer sciences, assay and sensor development to the production and assembly design. In this consortium the gap between diagnostic needs and available technologies can be closed.

A high‐throughput, roll‐to‐roll technology based on three key manufacturing platforms — 3‐D MEMS, fluidic chip assembly and ink jet printing, is presented. The target applications for the technology are Displays and Lightings. In particular, flexible, pixilated LED displays can be produced, based on the integration of LED chips onto flexible polymer substrates. The preliminary evaluation of the manufacturing platforms and initial technology validator demonstrators will be presented.

A chiral honeycomb configuration is developed with embedded piezosensors and actuators for smart sandwich panel applications. The chiral honeycomb concept is made of repeating units of cylinders and plates (ligaments), featuring an in-plane negative Poisson's ratio. Rapid Prototyping vacuum-cast and FDM (Fusion Deposition Moulding) techniques are developed to embed micro fibres composites to be used for potential structural health monitoring (SHM) applications, and microwave absorption screens for electromagnetic compatibility. Finite Element models are also developed to prototype and simulate the response, sensing and actuation capability of the honeycombs for design purposes. Dynamic tests using scanning laser vibrometers and acoustic wave propagation are carried out to assess the feasibility of the concept.