WIRELESS POWER MECHANISMS FOR LAB-ON-A-CHIP DEVICES

• US 20130285477A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Lo, Yu-Hwa, Qiao, Wen
• Granted Patent: US 9,484,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/151
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems are provided for wirelessly powering and controlling a lab-on-a-chip device. Direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) signals can be produced at the lab-on-a-chip device in a wireless manner. In some configurations, integrated RF components and optoelectronic components of the lab-on-a-chip device are used to collaboratively produce the DC and AC signals. In other configurations only optoelectronic components on the lab-on-a-chip system can produce the DC and/or AC signals in response to incident light. By modulating the incident light, AC signals of various frequencies and waveforms can be generated. The DC and AC signals can be used by additional integrated electronic circuits and by a microfluidic chip lactated on the lab-on-a-chip device to control the behavior of the bioparticles in the microfluidic device.

Claims

1. A lab-on-a-chip device, comprising:

a microfluidic chip;

an antenna configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal and to produce a first alternating current (AC) signal;

a rectifier configured to convert the first AC signal into a direct current (DC) signal; and

one or more photoconductive components, each photoconductive component configured to convert the DC signal into an AC signal when illuminated by a modulated light, and to provide the AC signal to the microfluidic chip.

2. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1 wherein the antenna is configured to receive the RF signal from a wireless RF transmitter located outside the lab-on-chip device and configured to transmit the RF signal to the antenna.

3. The lab-on-a-chip system of claim 1, wherein the modulated light is produced by one or more light sources located outside the lab-on-a-chip device and configured to illuminate the one or more photoconductive components.

4. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 3, wherein the one or more light sources comprise at least one of a light-emitting diode and a semiconductor laser diode.

5. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the modulated light is an intensity-modulated light.

6. The lab-on-a-chip system device of claim 1, wherein the AC signal produced by a photoconductive component has a similar waveform as intensity of the modulated light incident upon the corresponding photoconductive component.

7. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the one or more photoconductive components are configured to produce a plurality of AC signals each having a different frequency.

8. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the one or more photoconductive components are configured to produce the AC signal at one particular frequency.

9. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the AC signal(s) produced by the one or more photoconductive components depends on a frequency of the modulated light and a time contestant associated with resistive and capacitive elements of the lab-on-a-chip device.

10. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic chip is configured to receive a particular DC signal from at least one of:

the rectifier and the one or more photoconductive components.

11. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, further comprising additional integrated circuits configured to process data obtained from the microfluidic chip and to provide the processed data to the antenna for wireless transmission to an RF transceiver.

12. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 11, wherein the RF transceiver is a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver configured to receive the data in accordance with RFID protocols.

13. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the one or more photoconductive components comprise one or more semiconductors or polymers.

14. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the one or more photoconductive components comprise hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:

H) layer.

15. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 14, wherein the a-Si:

H layer is placed between a heavily doped a-Si;

H layer and one of a silicon nitride or a silicon oxide layer.

16. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 15, wherein the heavily doped a-Si:

H layer facilitates transport of photo-excited carriers, and the silicon nitride or a silicon oxide layer operates as an insulating layer and a blocking capacitor to remove a DC level shift associated with the AC signal that is produced by the one or more photoconductive components.

17. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 15, wherein the a-Si:

H layer, the heavily doped a-Si;

H layer and the silicon nitride or silicon oxide layers are fabricated using one of;

a chemical vapor deposition technique, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique, and a hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) technique.

18. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 15, wherein the heavily doped a-Si:

H layer is connected to a top indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode and the silicon nitride or silicon oxide layer is connected to a bottom metal electrode.

19. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the one or more photoconductive components comprise a thin film of heterojunction (BHJ) polymer.

20. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 19, wherein the thin film of heterojunction (BHJ) polymer comprises a mixture of P3HT:

PCBM.

21. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 19, wherein the thin film of heterojunction (BHJ) polymer is configured to generate photo-induced charge carriers by transfer of excitons at a donor/acceptor interface.

22. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 20, wherein the one or more photoconductive components further comprise a lithium fluoride (LiF) layer that is configured to serve as a protection layer to prevent exposure of the thin film of heterojunction (BHJ) polymer to water and oxygen.

23. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 22, wherein the one or more photoconductive components further comprise a conductive polymer PEDOT:

PSS layer configured to provide an interfacial buffer layer to smoothen roughness of a metal electrode.

24. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 20, wherein the mixture of P3HT:

PCBM thin film is spin-coated at a relatively low temperature.

25. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 19, wherein the one or more photoconductive components are fabricated over a large-area or on flexible polymer substrates through a continuous roll-to-roll coating process.

26. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 20, wherein conjugated polymers with different bandgap structures are fine-tuned by replacing the P3HT with PCBM as a photoconductive layer to alter a spectral response of each of the one or more photoconductive components.

27. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic chip is configured to utilize the DC signal to produce an electrophoresis (EP) effect to drive charged biomolecules in the microfluidic chip.

28. A method for wirelessly powering a lab-on-a-chip device, comprising:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal that is generated outside the lab-on-a chip device at an antenna located on a lab-on-a-chip device;

producing a first alternating current (AC) signal from the received RF signal;

rectifying the first AC signal, using a rectifier located on the lab-on-a-chip device, to produce a direct current (DC) signal that is provided to one or more photoconductive components located on the lab-on-a-chip device;

illuminating the one or more photoconductive components with a modulated light, the modulated light causing each illuminated photoconductive component to convert the DC signal into an AC signal; and

supplying the AC signal to power a microfluidic chip located on the lab-on-a-chip device.

29. A lab-on-a-chip device, comprising:

a microfluidic chip;

one or more photovoltaic components configured to;

produce a direct current (DC) signal in response to excitation light incident upon the one or more photovoltaic components, and

to provide the DC signal to the microfluidic chip; and

one or more photoconductive components each photoconductive component configured to convert the DC signal into an alternating current (AC) signal when illuminated by a modulated light, and to provide the AC signal to the microfluidic chip.

30. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the excitation light has a substantially constant intensity.

36. The lab-on-a-chip system of claim 29, wherein the modulated light is produced by one or more light sources located outside the lab-on-a-chip device and configured to illuminate the one or more photoconductive components.

38. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the modulated light is an intensity-modulated light.

40. The lab-on-a-chip system of claim 29, wherein the AC signal produced by a photoconductive component has a similar waveform as intensity of the modulated light incident upon the corresponding photoconductive component.

41. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the one or more photoconductive components are configured to produce a plurality of AC signals each having a different frequency.

42. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the one or more photoconductive components are configured to produce the AC signal at one particular frequency.

43. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein a frequency of the AC signal(s) produced by the one or more photoconductive components depends on a frequency of the modulated light and a time contestant associated with resistive and capacitive elements of the lab-on-a-chip device.

44. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the microfluidic chip is configured to receive a particular DC signal from at least one of:

the rectifier and the one or more photoconductive components.

45. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the one or more photoconductive components comprise one or more semiconductors or polymers.

46. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the one or more photoconductive components comprise hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:

H) layer.

47. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the one or more photoconductive components comprise a thin film of heterojunction (BHJ) polymer.

48. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 29, wherein the microfluidic chip is configured to utilize the DC signal to produce an electrophoresis (EP) effect to drive charged biomolecules in the microfluidic chip.

31. A method, comprising:

illuminating one or more photovoltaic components located on a lab-on-a-chip device with a light with substantially constant intensity, the light with substantially constant intensity causing each illuminated photovoltaic component to produce a direct current (DC) signal that is provided to one or more photoconductive components located on the lab-on-a-chip device;

illuminating the one or more photoconductive components with a modulated light, the modulated light causing each illuminated photoconductive component to convert the DC signal into an alternating current (AC) signal; and

supplying a microfluidic chip located on the lab-on-a-chip device with the DC signal and the AC signal.

32. A lab-on-a-chip device, comprising:

a microfluidic chip;

a first set of one or more photovoltaic components configured to;

produce a direct current (DC) signal in response to excitation light incident upon each illuminated photovoltaic component in the first set, and

to provide the DC signal to the microfluidic chip; and

a second set of or more one or more photovoltaic components configured to;

produce an alternating current (AC) signal in response to modulated light incident upon each illuminated photovoltaic component of the second set, and

provide the AC signal to the microfluidic chip to power one or more components therein.

37. The lab-on-a-chip system of claim 32, wherein the modulated light is produced by one or more light sources located outside the lab-on-a-chip device and configured to illuminate the one or more photoconductive components.

39. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 32, wherein the modulated light is an intensity-modulated light.

49. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 32, wherein the microfluidic chip is configured to utilize the DC signal to produce an electrophoresis (EP) effect to drive charged biomolecules in the microfluidic chip.

50. The lab-on-a-chip device of claim 32, wherein the excitation light has a substantially constant intensity.

33. A method, comprising:

illuminating a first set of one or more photovoltaic components located on a lab-on-a-chip device with a light with substantially constant intensity, the light with substantially constant intensity causing each illuminated photovoltaic component in the first set to produce a direct current (DC) signal;

illuminating a second set of one or more photovoltaic components located on the lab-on-a-chip device with a modulated light, the modulated light causing each illuminated photovoltaic component in the second set to produce an alternating current (AC) signal; and

supplying a microfluidic chip located on the lab-on-a-chip device with the DC signal(s) and the AC signal(s).

34. An electrical signal generator located on a lab-on-a chip device, comprising:

one or more photovoltaic components configured to produce a direct current (DC) signal in response to receiving an excitation light of substantially constant intensity; and

one or more photoconductive components configured to produce an alternating current (AC) signal from the DC signal in response to receiving a modulated light.

35. The electrical signal generator of claim 34, further comprising:

an antenna integrated into the lab-on-a chip device and configured to produce a second alternating current (AC) signal from a received radio frequency (RF) signal;

a rectifier integrated into the lab-on-a chip device configured to convert the second AC signal into one or more additional DC signals.