Session: 11.1.2 - Advances in Fluids Engineering Education II

Paper Number: 158389

158389 - Year 1 of the Us-Japan Nsf Ires Program for Developing Portable Point-of-Care Testing Devices 

Abstract: 

The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program of National Science Foundation (NSF) offers international research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering. The IRES program focuses on developing a diverse, globally engaged STEM workforce through international research experiences. This presentation aims to share the first year of an IRES program led by the author and identify areas of strength and improvement for the second year of the program.

The recent global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need for a quick and reliable diagnostic method for detecting viral pathogens. Portable point-of-care testing (POCT) devices provide possible low cost, easy-to-use solutions with a high detection success rate and accessibility to low-resource areas of the world. Despite recent progress, POCT devices still need further improvements because they may require external power supplies and skilled technicians.

Microfluidic devices allow for the miniaturization of larger-scale applications, such as pathogen detection. Thus, utilizing the advantages of microfluidics results in a reduction of time, cost, and resources necessary for wide-scale testing. The filter-free wavelength (FFW) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor can detect multiple wavelengths in the incident light without any optical filters. This unique functionality makes the FFW CMOS sensor ideal for POCT devices as it cuts down on both the size and cost of the sensor.

Therefore, this IRES program aims to address the current limitations of POCT devices by integrating microfluidics and the FFW CMOS sensor in a portable platform and to develop a portable POCT device for efficient detection of infectious pathogens. The program supports an 8-week-long summer research experience at Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) in Japan for a cohort of undergraduate and graduate students.

Overall, the first year of the program was successfully completed. Guided by the PI of the program and two host faculty members of TUT and their researchers, the Year 1 cohort gained a unique experience of going through the research process in a short time. After literature review and brainstorming, the team realized that it was critical to develop an engineering solution for well-controlled alignment between the microchannel device and the CMOS sensor. Therefore, they focused on the integration between the CMOS sensor, the microfluidic device, and the 3D printed case. The cohort successfully designed, fabricated, and tested a prototype of the integrated system. Experience and self-reflection from the first year will be used as the basis for improving the second year of the program.

Presenting Author: Sangjin Ryu University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Presenting Author Biography: