CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, National Centre for Sensor Research, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Biosens Bioelectron. 2010 Dec 15;26(4):1392-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2010.07.059. Epub 2010 Jul 22.
In this paper we consider the critical issues inhibiting the widespread deployment of bio/chemo-sensors in wireless sensor networks. Primary among these is the problem of performing calibration at remote locations, and the consequent need for integrated fluidic systems for performing tasks like sampling, calibration and detection. Our conclusion is that low-cost, bio/chemo-sensing platforms that provide reliable information over long periods of use will only be realised through the use of microfluidic platforms that are much more biomimetic in nature than technologies employed in current devices. Central to driving down costs will be the development of fluidic platforms with integrated soft polymer actuators that will replace existing pumps and valves. A particularly attractive approach is to employ photo-controlled polymer actuators, wherein the status of the material can be effectively switched using light, as this allows physical separation of the control layer from the fluidic platform layer in a planar system. This, in principle, should greatly simplify manufacturing and therefore drive down costs. In this paper, we describe a polymeric gel and a linear polymer modified with a photochromic moiety and show that it is possible to utilize photochromic molecules for performing sensing and actuating functions.
本文研究了阻碍生物/化学传感器在无线传感器网络中广泛部署的关键问题。其中最主要的问题是在远程位置进行校准的问题，以及因此需要集成的流体系统来执行采样、校准和检测等任务。我们的结论是，只有通过使用比当前设备中使用的技术更具仿生特性的微流控平台，才能实现提供可靠信息的低成本、生物/化学感应平台。降低成本的关键将是开发具有集成软聚合物致动器的流体平台，这些致动器将取代现有的泵和阀门。一种特别有吸引力的方法是使用光控聚合物致动器，其中可以有效地使用光来切换材料的状态，因为这允许在平面系统中物理分离控制层和流体平台层。这在原则上应该大大简化制造过程，从而降低成本。在本文中，我们描述了一种聚合物凝胶和一种线性聚合物，它们都经过光致变色基团的修饰，并表明可以利用光致变色分子来执行传感和致动功能。
