University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

A system that automatizes simultaneous measurement of several parameters (mechanical electrical, thermal, or mechanical) of living tissues includes a base platform supporting an holder for biochips that includes a biochip integrated therein as well as an indenter that allows for nano- and micro-scale indentation of a tissue. A biochip is constructed with a variety of micro-sensors. A temperature sensor could also be formed, for example, on the top of the indenter to measure the thermal properties of the tissue sample that is heated by the micro-heater built on the biochip.

The advancement of surgical procedures and surgical tools, and the need for miniaturization of diagnostic and therapeutic devices has resulted in tremendous growth in R & D on Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) devices. MEMS devices can be made in small quantities and thus are less expensive as compared to other types of devices. MEMS devices are used in surgical instruments to assist in the surgical process by giving real-time feedback on the density of tissues, temperature, and temperature. They also provide superior precision in cutting tissue and extracting, which is thought to enhance the outcomes of surgery.

There are however fabrication challenges when it comes to integrating MEMS devices with electronic components and signal processing. Incorporation of MEMS devices in surgical and bio-medicalapplications is also challenging from standpoint of packaging design and software development.

Recently, attention has been focused on skin-like, or flexible sensors that have microscale architectures that detect the chemical, mechanical and optical properties of biological material. MEMS sensors are able to analyse and manipulate biological materials at both a micro as well as a nanoscale level and could be integrated into a portable lab on a chip. This makes them a promising candidate for diagnostic capabilities.

Each year in USA alone, a large number of cancer cases are identified. The transformation from benign to cancerous state changes the morphological signatures in the tumor environment (at all length scales, such as nano-scale, micro-scale,meso-scale, and macro-scale). Both electrical and mechanical phenotyping are effective tools for detecting and track the progression of cancer.

There are however no methods that employ a flexible MEMS device that allows for precise simultaneous mechanical and electrical characterization of tissue which could have been being performed in an extremely efficient automated manner at the nano- and micro-Newton scale. If such a method were available, it would allow for new possibilities in diagnosing cancer and other pathologies.

Micro-indentation is a popular technique for mechanically characterization of biological tissues. A device for the micro-indentation should be sensitive to measuring forces in the range of nano-to-micro-Newton.

As an example of a micro-indenter-based system A piezoresistive sensor is proven to be an effective instrument for studying the biomechanical properties of tissues since it is able to be made micro-fabricated in an array form and, unlike Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM), does not require complex electronics. For manufacturing, piezoresistive sensor typically are made of silicon. The sensors made of silicon which is a soft substance which can be broken down easily. This requires high-temperature processing.

Additionally the silicon material has a very high Young’s modulus. Therefore, to achieve massive deflections in mechanical structures, it is necessary to be extremely thin. This reduces the device’s mechanical strength.

Therefore, it is ideal to design an electronic sensor that can detect tissue micro-indentation with a conductive material that is different from silicone, that is more flexible and yet have mechanical strength, and which doesn’t require a high-temperature fabrication procedure.

Overall, it would be highly desirable to provide a pathology diagnostic system which would use a flexible MEMS (biochip) device for simultaneous multi-parameter (electrical-mechanical, as well as thermal, and potentially, chemical and optical)characterization of tissues, and which would be fabricated using highly flexible and conductive polymers capable of achieving large deflections while providing high mechanical strength of the biochip in operation.

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