PCBMEMS, within rigid or flexible laminates is desirable for miniaturization of devices and systems and provide substantial flexibility in systems design. PCBMEMS is the combined insertion of mechanical, fluidic, optical and electronic functions into the PCB landscape, which permits a complex system on a board. This design, fabrication and construction approach allows lightweight, complex, and space efficient systems. PCBMEMS permits miniaturization to occur at two levels: at the micro scale with the embedding of microstructures in the substrate, and at the macro scale with the ability to flex the system across millimeter to centimeter lengths of real everyday objects. Using this path PCBMEMS can approach the creativity and complexity of natural made systems. The use of PCBMEMS can also provide a path toward ultra large systems with high resolution features. With the ability to provide from the very small to the very large, PCBMEMS has a unique place in systems development in that the same processing pathway can enable Microsystems and macro systems. Examples will be given where the technology has enabled devices, systems and packaging innovation across several spatial scales. Environmental, medical, portable, embedded, and sensor systems all can be realized using this design and fabrication toolbox. The approach is affordable and can be used from prototyping to production and even in educational efforts.

PCBMEMS have previously been incorporated within rigid substrates. Flexible laminates are also possible to incorporate PCBMEMS, called Flex PCBMEMS, and at times are desirable for maximum packing density and miniaturization. In this work demonstrations using 2D to 3D packaging transforms on a compact heated fluorometer block are presented. In one case the optoelectronic reference block is further integrated using flexible PCB/MEMS. The block is transformed with the insertion of a polyimide flex opto/mechanical/electrical interconnect skin. In a second example the block is further miniaturized into a mini tube using planar fabrication and flexible folding of the fluorometer system. This design, fabrication and construction approach allows lightweight, complex, space efficient systems. Flex PCBMEMS permits miniaturization to occur at two levels: at the micro scale with the embedding of microstructures in the substrate, and at the macro scale with the ability to flex the system across millimeter to centimeter lengths of real everyday objects. Using this path Flex PCBMEMS can approach the creativity and complexity of natural systems.

A compact hand-held heated fluorometric instrument for performing real-time isothermal nucleic acid amplification and detection is described. The optoelectronic instrument combines a Printed Circuit Board/Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (PCB/MEMS) reaction detection/chamber containing an integrated resistive heater with attached miniature LED light source and photo-detector and a disposable glass waveguide capillary to enable a mini-fluorometer. The fluorometer is fabricated and assembled in planar geometry, rolled into a tubular format and packaged with custom control electronics to form the hand-held reactor. Positive or negative results for each reaction are displayed to the user using an LED interface. Reaction data is stored in FLASH memory for retrieval via an in-built USB connection. Operating on one disposable 3 V lithium battery >12, 60 min reactions can be performed. Maximum dimensions of the system are 150 mm (h) × 48 mm (d) × 40 mm (w), the total instrument weight (with battery) is 140 g. The system produces comparable results to laboratory instrumentation when performing a real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) reaction, and also displayed comparable precision, accuracy and resolution to laboratory-based real-time nucleic acid amplification instrumentation. A good linear response (R2 = 0.948) to fluorescein gradients ranging from 0.5 to 10 μM was also obtained from the instrument indicating that it may be utilized for other fluorometric assays. This instrument enables an inexpensive, compact approach to in-field genetic screening, providing results comparable to laboratory equipment with rapid user feedback as to the status of the reaction.

L'invention concerne un detecteur de corrosion concu pour detecter et quantifier le niveau de corrosion present dans un composant electrique. L'organe de surveillance de corrosion de l'invention comprend au moins un element resistif expose au composants electrique et au moins deux plots de connexion permettant de mesurer le changement de resistance du a la corrosion du composant electrique.

Microchannel-based master molds or final devices are typically produced using a series of resist deposition, exposure, development and etching steps. These steps can then be repeated to create multi-layer fluidic structures. Traditional fabrication of these devices requires the use of a physical mask for the photolithographic exposure process. In the research and development environment, where designs are constantly undergoing changes, or in rapid-time-to-device applications, this can be a costly and time-consuming practice. We have employed a novel, micron-scale resolution maskless photoimaging/patterning tool that permits the creation of small, arbitrary features. This microdevice printer is useful for constructing fluidic channels, devices, structures and packages utilizing any photoimageable or photoreactive material that can be applied towards fabrication of integrated microfluidic-based systems. The fabrication technology can provide features down to 20 microns simultaneously over a 2×2 cm2 field of view. Additionally, manual stitching techniques can yield unlimited field-of-view for large area fluidic patterns with high-resolution elements. The instrument relies on the use of microoptics and spatial light modulation to create the required 2D aerial image for photoimprinting. The instrument creates mask-free designs on planar and curved surfaces and has been applied to a variety of materials, including metals, ceramics, organic polymers and semiconductors. We have demonstrated the utility of the instrument for creating mechanical, optical, fluidic and electronic components and combinations that would form the basis of integrated microfluidic systems, microanalytical systems and micrototal analysis systems (uTAS). We have also created fluidic channels having structures integrated within the channel geometry. The technology has widespread applications in the MEMS, bioMEMS, microcooling technologies and sensor markets. A further extension of the technology is the application of the direct printer to rapid prototyping of microchannels and minichannels for fuel cells, microrefrigerators, heat exchangers, and biomedical devices.

A novel copper-clad liquid crystal polymer material is proposed as a basic material for the construction of galvanic cells. Copper is an ideal material that allows not only the formation of conductor patterns in the material but also can be electroplated selectively with a wide variety of metals to create heterogeneous systems. The use of a novel mask-less patterning system described herein opens up the opportunity for micro fabrication of different microstructures that can be layered to form complex two and potentially three-dimensional micro fluidic networks. Achieving the photo-imprinting by the use of a novel mask-less system not only reduces the cost but also allows for ease and flexibility in making systems and is ideal for research and development environments. In this paper micro galvanic cells actuated by means of fluidic actuators have been designed and constructed. The electrochemical galvanic cells used as power source examples are a Daniell’s (Copper-Zinc) electrochemical battery, and an aluminum-air galvanic system. The choice for the electrochemical systems is discussed and some preliminary results are presented to show the levels of energy available. In addition, the basic concept of an electrically induced expansion mechanism for circuit activation on demand is described. Lastly, the mechanics of the suggested actuation mechanism are discussed.