In recent years, the biological analysis systems using microfabrication techniques have been very prominent to obtain an innovative solution in order to combine microelectronics with the mechanical ones of micro-sensors, finding great prominence in the field of medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring , of the agro-food sector and of biomedical research. The great interest in these systems led to a miniaturization of the devices used, which allowed portability, automation and convenience in mass production. The miniaturization of devices is obtainable today, above all by using MEMS (Micro electro-mechanical Systems) technology. This technology has recently had a global market with a estimated value of about 20 billion dollars, according to forecasts, this market is expected to reach about 21.9 billion dollars by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 11.5% between 2015 and 2020. All the components of a MEMS device, even those not strictly electronic, are generally realized using the processes and standard tools for microelectronic production, thus making the economic manufacturing process and easily implemented by integrated circuit manufacturers. Lately, the development of this technology has made it possible to reach an even higher level, with the aim of performing different functions on a single device, normally obtainable only through different macroscopic instruments. These devices are called Lab-On-Chip (LOC) and belong to the MEMS family, referred to as μTAS, Micro Total Analysis Systems. The advantages obtainable from the use of Lab-On-Chips are numerous: cost reduction, greater sensitivity and efficiency of the operations performed, greater speed and use of limited samples and reagents. As regards the functions commonly integrated on the Lab-On-Chip, there are mainly particle and cell manipulation functions, such as filtering, sorting and counting of cell populations, and chemical and genetic functions, such as DNA extractions, PCR , DNA Sequencing, etc. In this thesis work, in particular, a complete system of cell separation has been created by means of Dielectrophoresis (DEP) based on Lab-On-Chip entirely manufactured in additive manufacturing and numerous experimental tests have been performed using cell suspensions, having known electrical conductivity and containing certain cells. The aim of this thesis work was to show how a device manufactured in FDM, fused deposition modeling, leads to the same results as a traditionally constructed LOC. The efficacy of LOC manufactured in FDM was judged by experimental tests, in particular, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast cells were used. The objective of the aforementioned tests was to perform a cellular separation, by means of the dielectrophoretic force, having as its discrimination the vitality of the same. Dielectrophoresis is a technique that does not require a marking process and consists in the handling of neutral particles due to the variation of polarization induced by the application of an external non-uniform electric field. This is possible, for example, by using electrodes in conductive material, extruded on the chip, and by applying to these of the electrical signals variable over time. The system under analysis consists of a chip having seven electrodes, a function generator, which allows the control of the electrical signal applied to the electrodes required to perform the dielectrophoresis, and an optical system that allows visual analysis of the populations. The present thesis is divided into five chapters, each one specific for a given aspect.
Negli ultimi anni stanno avendo grande risalto i sistemi di analisi biologica che utilizzano tecniche di microfabbricazione per ottenere una soluzione innovativa al fine di combinare le capacità della microelettronica con quelle meccaniche dei micro-sensori, trovando grande risalto nel campo della diagnostica medicale, del monitoraggio ambientale, del settore agro-food e della ricerca biomedica. Il grande interesse nei confronti di questi sistemi ha portato ad una miniaturizzazione dei dispositivi utilizzati, che ha consentito portabilità, automazione e convenienza nella produzione di massa. La miniaturizzazione dei dispositivi è ottenibile, oggi, soprattutto sfruttando la tecnologia MEMS (Micro electro-mechanical Systems). Questa tecnologia nell’ultimo periodo ha avuto un mercato globale con un valore stimabile di circa 20 miliardi di dollari, secondo previsioni, tale mercato dovrebbe raggiungere circa 21,9 miliardi di dollari entro il 2020, con un tasso di crescita annuo composto (CAGR) del 11,5% tra il 2015 e il 2020. Tutte le componenti di un dispositivo MEMS, anche quelle non strettamente elettroniche, generalmente vengono realizzate utilizzando i processi e gli strumenti standard per la produzione microelettronica, rendendo, così, il processo di fabbricazione economico e attuabile facilmente dai produttori di circuiti integrati. Ultimamente, lo sviluppo di tale tecnologia ha fatto sì che si raggiungesse un livello ancora più elevato, con lo scopo di svolgere su di un singolo dispositivo diverse funzioni, normalmente ottenibili solo tramite differenti strumenti macroscopici. Tali dispositivi prendono il nome di Lab-On-Chip (LOC) e appartengono alla famiglia dei MEMS, indicati come μTAS, Micro Total Analysis Systems. I vantaggi ottenibili dall’utilizzo dei Lab-On-Chip sono molteplici: riduzione dei costi, maggior sensibilità ed efficienza delle operazioni svolte, maggior rapidità ed utilizzo di campioni e reagenti limitato. Per quanto riguarda le funzioni comunemente integrate sui Lab-On-Chip, si hanno soprattutto funzioni di manipolazione particellare e cellulare, come operazioni di filtraggio, sorting e conteggio di popolazioni cellulari, e funzioni chimiche e legate alla genetica, come estrazioni di DNA, PCR, DNA Sequencing, etc. In questo lavoro di tesi, in particolare, si è creato un sistema completo di separazione cellulare tramite Dielettroforesi (DEP) basato su Lab-On-Chip interamente fabbricato in additive manufacturing e sono state eseguite numerose prove sperimentali utilizzando sospensioni cellulari, aventi conducibilità elettrica nota e contenenti determinate cellule. Lo scopo del presente lavoro di tesi è stato quello di mostrare come un dispositivo fabbricato in FDM, fused deposition modeling, porti agli stessi risultati di un LOC costruito in maniera tradizionale. L’efficacia del LOC fabbricato in FDM è stata giudicata attraverso delle prove sperimentali, in particolare, sono state utilizzate cellule di lievito Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. L’obiettivo delle suddette prove è stato quello di effettuare una separazione cellulare, per mezzo della forza dielettroforetica, avente come discriminante la vitalità delle stesse. La Dielettroforesi è una tecnica che non richiede un processo di marcatura e che consiste nella movimentazione di particelle neutre per effetto della variazione di polarizzazione indotta dall’applicazione di un campo elettrico esterno non uniforme. Questo è possibile, per esempio, utilizzando degli elettrodi in materiale conduttivo, estrusi sul chip, e applicando a questi dei segnali elettrici variabili nel tempo. Il sistema posto in analisi è costituito da un chip avente sette elettrodi, da un generatore di funzioni, che consente il controllo del segnale elettrico applicato agli elettrodi necessari ad attuare la dielettroforesi, e da un sistema ottico che consente l’analisi visiva delle popolazioni.
Stampa 3d di lab on chip per la dielettroforesi
SCHIRANO, PIETRO GIOVANNI
2017/2018
Abstract
In recent years, the biological analysis systems using microfabrication techniques have been very prominent to obtain an innovative solution in order to combine microelectronics with the mechanical ones of micro-sensors, finding great prominence in the field of medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring , of the agro-food sector and of biomedical research. The great interest in these systems led to a miniaturization of the devices used, which allowed portability, automation and convenience in mass production. The miniaturization of devices is obtainable today, above all by using MEMS (Micro electro-mechanical Systems) technology. This technology has recently had a global market with a estimated value of about 20 billion dollars, according to forecasts, this market is expected to reach about 21.9 billion dollars by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 11.5% between 2015 and 2020. All the components of a MEMS device, even those not strictly electronic, are generally realized using the processes and standard tools for microelectronic production, thus making the economic manufacturing process and easily implemented by integrated circuit manufacturers. Lately, the development of this technology has made it possible to reach an even higher level, with the aim of performing different functions on a single device, normally obtainable only through different macroscopic instruments. These devices are called Lab-On-Chip (LOC) and belong to the MEMS family, referred to as μTAS, Micro Total Analysis Systems. The advantages obtainable from the use of Lab-On-Chips are numerous: cost reduction, greater sensitivity and efficiency of the operations performed, greater speed and use of limited samples and reagents. As regards the functions commonly integrated on the Lab-On-Chip, there are mainly particle and cell manipulation functions, such as filtering, sorting and counting of cell populations, and chemical and genetic functions, such as DNA extractions, PCR , DNA Sequencing, etc. In this thesis work, in particular, a complete system of cell separation has been created by means of Dielectrophoresis (DEP) based on Lab-On-Chip entirely manufactured in additive manufacturing and numerous experimental tests have been performed using cell suspensions, having known electrical conductivity and containing certain cells. The aim of this thesis work was to show how a device manufactured in FDM, fused deposition modeling, leads to the same results as a traditionally constructed LOC. The efficacy of LOC manufactured in FDM was judged by experimental tests, in particular, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast cells were used. The objective of the aforementioned tests was to perform a cellular separation, by means of the dielectrophoretic force, having as its discrimination the vitality of the same. Dielectrophoresis is a technique that does not require a marking process and consists in the handling of neutral particles due to the variation of polarization induced by the application of an external non-uniform electric field. This is possible, for example, by using electrodes in conductive material, extruded on the chip, and by applying to these of the electrical signals variable over time. The system under analysis consists of a chip having seven electrodes, a function generator, which allows the control of the electrical signal applied to the electrodes required to perform the dielectrophoresis, and an optical system that allows visual analysis of the populations. The present thesis is divided into five chapters, each one specific for a given aspect.I documenti in UNITESI sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14253/105141