Lab-on-chip system and method and apparatus for manufacturing and operating same

• US 20050066246A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Maltseff, Paul A., Payne, Ronald D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,395,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/733
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/303 of integrated circuits G01R31/305 - G01R31/315 take precedence

Abstract

A lab-on-chip system comprises an antenna and a communications subsystem to wirelessly transmit information from the lab-on-chip system. The communications subsystem may also receive information, data or instructions from an off-chip system or device. The lab-on-chip system may comprise a passive power subsystem coupled to an antenna to wirelessly receive power in the form of an electromagnetic field, which provides electrical power derived therefrom to at least one other subsystem of the lab-on-chip system.

Claims

1. A lab-on-chip system, comprising:

a substrate;

at least a first micro-electrical-mechanical structure formed on at least a portion of the substrate, the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure operable to perform at least one physical action on at least one physical work product;

an antenna carried by the substrate; and

a passive power circuit carried by the substrate and coupled to the antenna to wirelessly receive power thereby in the form of an electromagnetic field and coupled to provide power to operate at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

2. The lab-on-chip system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller carried by the substrate and communicatingly coupled to control operation of at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

3. The lab-on-chip system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communications circuit carried by the substrate and operable to wirelessly transmit information from the lab-on-chip system.

4. The lab-on-chip system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a first sensor carried by the substrate and operable to sense at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure;

a communications circuit carried by the substrate and operable to wirelessly transmit information regarding the at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure from the lab-on-chip system.

5. The lab-on-chip system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a first sensor carried by the substrate and operable to sense at least one physical characteristic of the physical work product;

a communications circuit carried by the substrate and operable to wirelessly transmit information regarding the at least one physical characteristic of the physical work product from the lab-on-chip system.

6. The lab-on-chip system of claim 1 wherein the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure comprises at least a first micro-fluidic structure formed on at least a portion of the substrate, the first micro-fluidic structure operable to move at least a first fluid component.

7. The lab-on-chip system of claim 6 wherein the first fluid component is a body of fluid.

8. The lab-on-chip system of claim 6 wherein the first fluid component is a number of particles suspended in a fluid medium.

9. The lab-on-chip system of claim 1 wherein the at least a first micro-electrical-mechanical structure comprises an array of electrodes operable to move at least a first fluid component.

10. A lab-on-chip system, comprising:

a substrate;

at least a first micro-electrical-mechanical structure formed on at least a portion of the substrate, the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure operable to perform at least one physical action on at least one physical work product;

an antenna; and

a communications circuit carried by the substrate, coupled to the antenna and operable to wirelessly transmit information from the lab-on-chip system.

11. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

at least a first sensor carried by the substrate and operable to sense at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure, wherein the communications circuit is operable to wirelessly transmit information regarding the at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure from the lab-on-chip system.

12. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

at least a first sensor carried by the substrate and operable to sense at least one physical characteristic of the physical work product, wherein the communications circuit is operable to wirelessly transmit information regarding the at least one physical characteristic of the physical work product from the lab-on-chip system.

13. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

a passive power circuit carried by the substrate and coupled to the antenna to wirelessly receive power thereby in the form of an electromagnetic filed and coupled to provide power to operate at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

14. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller carried by the substrate and communicatingly coupled to control operation of at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

15. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller carried by the substrate and communicatingly coupled to control operation of at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure; and

a passive power circuit carried by the substrate and coupled to the antenna to wirelessly receive power thereby in the form of an electromagnetic field and coupled to provide power to operate the controller and at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

16. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10 wherein the antenna is carried by the substrate.

17. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

a communications port, wherein the antenna is communicatively coupled to the communications port and the antenna is not carried by the substrate.

18. The lab-on-chip system of claim 10, further comprising:

a power storage device carried by the substrate and coupled to provide power to operate at least the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

19. The lab-on-chip system of claim 18 wherein the power storage device comprises at least one of a battery and an ultra-capacitor.

20. A method of operating a lab-on-chip system;

comprising;

wirelessly receiving an electromagnetic field at an antenna;

converting the wireless signal into electrical power; and

driving at least one micro-electrical-mechanical structure with the electrical power.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein wirelessly receiving an electromagnetic field at an antenna comprises receiving an radio frequency signal at the antenna.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the at least one micro-electrcal-mechanical structure is a pump and driving at least one micro-electrical-mechanical structure with the electrical power comprises driving the pump to move a fluid.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

supplying a portion of the electrical power to a controller coupled to control operation of the at least one micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sensing at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure; and

wirelessly transmitting information regarding the at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure from the lab-on-chip system.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sensing at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure; and

storing information regarding the at least one operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure on the lab-on-chip system.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sensing at least one physical characteristic of a physical work product operated on by the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure; and

wirelessly transmitting information regarding the at least one physical characteristic of the physical work product from the lab-on-chip system.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sensing at least one physical characteristic of a fluid body operated on by the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure; and

wirelessly transmitting information regarding the at least one physical characteristic of the fluid body from the lab-on-chip system.

28. A method of operating a lab-on-chip system;

the method comprising;

determining at least one of an operating characteristic of a first micro-electrical-mechanical structure or a physical characteristic of the physical work product; and

wirelessly transmitting the determined information from the lab-on-chip system.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

sensing the operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

sensing the physical characteristic of the physical work product.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving information at the lab-on-chip system;

controlling operating of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure based on the received information.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

passively deriving energy to operate the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure from a wireless transmission received at an antenna of the lab-on-chip system.

33. A method of operating a lab-on-chip system;

the method comprising;

determining at least one of an operating characteristic of a first micro-electrical-mechanical structure or a physical characteristic of the physical work product; and

storing the determined information on the lab-on-chip system.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

sensing the operating characteristic of the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

sensing the physical characteristic of the physical work product.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

passively deriving energy to operate the first micro-electrical-mechanical structure from an electromagnetic field received at an antenna of the lab-on-chip system.