Methods and systems for using actuated surface-attached posts for assessing biofluid rheology

• US 9,238,869 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Superfine, Richard, Spero, Richard Chasen, Shields, Adam Richard, Evans, Benjamin Aaron, Fiser, Briana Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBERT, ROBERTS P
• Application Number:
  US14/016,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20140001146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 216/11, 216/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0663 Whole sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/026 characterised by the shape of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2869/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof as mould material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/04 Chemical milling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/16 by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0255 (Bio)chemical reactions, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4905 Determining clotting time of blood by chemical methods G01N33/86, C12Q1/54

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for using actuated surface-attached posts for assessing biofluid rheology are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for testing properties of a biofluid specimen includes placing the specimen onto a micropost array having a plurality of microposts extending outwards from a substrate, wherein each micropost includes a proximal end attached to the substrate and a distal end opposite the proximal end, and generating an actuation force in proximity to the micropost array to actuate the microposts, thereby compelling at least some of the microposts to exhibit motion. The method further includes measuring the motion of at least one of the microposts in response to the actuation force and determining a property of the specimen based on the measured motion of the at least one micropost.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a micropost array, comprising:

depositing, into at least some pores of a substrate having a plurality of pores, a magnetic material;

filling the plurality of pores with a curable material, such that the curable material interconnects the plurality of pores along at least one planar surface of the substrate, wherein the curable material is flexible when cured;

curing the curable material; and

removing the substrate to form the micropost array;

wherein depositing the magnetic material includes depositing the magnetic material only on the sidewalls of the pores for at least a portion of the depth of the pores.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the deposited magnetic material is a single piece of ferromagnetic material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least some pores are created using a first mask to photolithographically develop a first pattern in a first layer of photoresist material coated on the substrate and etching the at least some pores in the substrate using the first pattern.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the magnetic material includes electrochemically depositing the magnetic material on the sidewalls of the pores for at least a portion of the depth of the pores.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the deposited magnetic material forms a shell which lines the pores for at least a portion of the depth of the pores.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the shell comprises a nickel shell.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pores are vertically-aligned.