SOFT TUBULAR MICROFLUIDICS FOR HEALTHCARE SENSING

Abstract

The emergence of microfluidic sensors has significantly advanced the vibrant area of healthcare technologies. This thesis seeks to contribute towards healthcare microfluidics through the development of Soft Tubular Electronic Microfluidic (STEM) Sensors and their smart applications. Specifically, I propose coating-based fabrication methods that allow for mass production of tubular microfluidics with low cost, exceptional ease and high efficacy. Following that, STEM-R, STEM-C and STEM-E sensors are developed to realize distinct sensing modalities based on resistive, capacitive and enzymatic principles, respectively. The STEM-R and STEM-C sensors are flexible, stretchable, and sensitive to mechanical stimuli, enabling unobtrusive wearable monitoring of pressure and strain on the body surface. The STEM-E sensor provides a self-powered biochemical sensing solution to the selective detection of physiological vital molecules. Beyond sensing technologies, the soft tubular microfluidics possesses huge potential in many other fields including fluid manipulation, drug delivery, microparticle and cell sorting, and artificial microvessels.