MEMS-based device and method for multi-parameter characterization of biological tissues

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701061-B2
Application number	US-202017011642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2020
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A MEM-based device and method of fabrication, the device comprising a biochip substrate comprising one or more compliant materials, a plurality of mechanical and electrical micro-sensors configured in an array to simultaneously measure electrical and mechanical properties of a sample, wherein a first mechanical micro-sensor is formed as a patterned layer of at least one of the compliant materials, wherein the patterned layer is coupled to a first pillar comprising a dielectric material formed onto the compliant materials, the first pillar being coated with a metal film at a contact surface with the sample and along a side of the first pillar to act as a conductive probe for the first electrical micro-sensor, and wherein the first pillar is formed on the first mechanical micro-sensor to transfer a force to the first mechanical micro-sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a biochip substrate comprising one or more compliant materials;
a plurality of mechanical and electrical micro-sensors, including a first mechanical micro-sensor and a first electrical micro-sensor, configured in an array to simultaneously measure electrical and mechanical properties of a sample, wherein the first mechanical micro-sensor is formed as a patterned layer of at least one of the one or more compliant materials, wherein the patterned layer is coupled to a first pillar comprising a dielectric material formed onto the at least one of the one or more compliant materials, the first pillar being coated with a metal film at a contact surface with the sample and along a side of the first pillar to act as a conductive probe for the first electrical micro-sensor, and wherein the first pillar is formed on the first mechanical micro-sensor to transfer a force to the first mechanical micro-sensor;
an array of contact pads fabricated on the biochip substrate, including a first contact pad and a second contact pad; and
an array of connectors fabricated on the biochip substrate, including a first connector and a second connector, wherein the first connector extends between the first electrical micro-sensor and the first contact pad, and wherein the second connector extends between the first mechanical micro-sensor and the second contact pad.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more materials of the biochip substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric material, a piezoresistive material, a polymer material, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanical micro-sensors comprises a strain gauge.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mechanical micro-sensor is responsive to an applied pressure applied to the first pillar.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein second connector associated with the first mechanical micro-sensor is configured with a serpentine geometry to be flexible.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein first connector associated with the first electrical micro-sensor is configured with a serpentine geometry to be flexible.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compliant material of the biochip substrate are configured to be flexible.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate coupled to the biochip substrate, wherein the second substrate is rigid and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, glass, and ceramic.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biochip substrate comprises Poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) or Poly(3,4-thylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate).

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more compliant materials of the biochip substrate comprises a compliant polymer and a high conductivity polymer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical micro-sensor is configured to measure impedance, resistance, or conductance property of the sample.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor integrated into the biochip substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second electrode; and
a micro-indentation mechanism coupled to the second electrode, the micro-indentation mechanism having an indenter, or an array thereof, that is configured to move from an initial position to a sensing position to operatively couple to the sample, wherein said micro-indentation mechanism is configured to controllably apply a predetermined pressure to the sample by the indenter when the indenter is in the sensing position and sandwiching the sample between said biochip and the indenter to establish a substantially contiguous contact at least between the first pillar and the sample during a measurement routine.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
a processor sub-system operatively coupled to the first contact pad connected to the first electrical micro-sensor and to the second contact pad connected to the first mechanical micro-sensor and configured to convert, or transmit, measurement signals of the first electrical micro-sensor and the first mechanical micro-sensor acquired during the measurement routine.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor sub-system is configured to generate sensing signals to apply to the first contact pad and second contact pad.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mechanical and electrical micro-sensors, including a second mechanical micro-sensor and a second electrical micro-sensor, configured in the array to simultaneously measure the electrical and mechanical properties of the sample, wherein the second mechanical micro-sensor is formed in the patterned layer of the at least one of the one or more compliant materials, wherein the patterned layer is coupled to a second pillar comprising a dielectric material formed onto the at least one of the one or more compliant materials, the second pillar being coated with a metal film at a second contact surface with the sample and along a side of the second pillar to act as a conductive probe for the second electrical micro-sensor, and wherein the second pillar is formed on the second mechanical micro-sensor to transfer a force to the second mechanical micro-sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical sensor or a chemical sensor integrated into the biochip substrate.

Assignees

• Univ Maryland

Inventors

• Desai Jaydev P
• Pandya Hardik Jeetendra
• Park Kihan

Classifications

• G01N33/575

  for cancer · CPC title

• A61B5/72 Primary

  Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes · CPC title

• A61B5/68

  Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient · CPC title

• G01N21/6458

  Fluorescence microscopy (fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16) · CPC title

• A61B5/0062

  Arrangements for scanning · CPC title