Communication and reconnaissance systems are requiring increasing flexibility concerning functionality and efficiency for multiband and broadband frequency applications. Circuit-based reconfiguration mechanisms continue to promote radio frequency (RF) application flexibility; however, increasing limitations have resulted in hindering performance. Therefore, the implementation of a "wireless" reconfiguration mechanism provides the required agility and amicability for microwave circuits and antennas without local overhead. The wireless reconfiguration mechanism in this thesis integrates dynamic, fluidic-based material systems to achieve electromagnetic agility and reduce the need for "wired" reconfiguration technologies. The dynamic material system component has become known as electromagnetically functionalized colloidal dispersions (EFCDs). In a microfluidic reconfiguration system, they provide electromagnetic agility by altering the colloidal volume fraction of EFCDs - their name highlights the special considerations we give to material systems in applied electromagnetics towards lowering loss and reducing system complexity. Utilizing EFCDs at the RF device-level produced the first circuit-type integration of this reconfiguration system; this is identified as the coaxial stub microfluidic impedance transformer (COSMIX). The COSMIX is a small hollowed segment of transmission line with results showing a full reactive loop (capacitive to inductive tuning) around the Smith chart over a 1.2 GHz bandwidth. A second microfluidic application demonstrates a novel antenna reconfiguration mechanism for a 3 GHz microstrip patch antenna. Results showed a 300 MHz downward frequency shift by dielectric colloidal dispersions. Magnetic material produced a 40 MHz frequency shift. The final application demonstrates the dynamically altering microfluidic system for a 3 GHz 1x2 array of linearly polarized microstrip patch antennas. The parallel microfluidic capillaries were imbedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Both E- and H-plane designs showed a 250 MHz frequency shift by dielectric colloidal dispersions. Results showed a strong correlation between decreasing electrical length of the elements and an increase of the volume fraction, causing frequency to decrease and mutual coupling to increase. Measured, modeled, and analytical results for impedance, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), and radiation behavior (where applicable) are provided.

Frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) provide a variety of spatial filtering functions, such as band-pass or band-stop properties in a radome or other multilayer structure. This filtering is typically achieved through closely-spaced periodic arrangements of metallic shapes on top of a dielectric substrate (or within a stack of dielectric materials). In most cases, the unit cell size, its shape, the substrate parameters, and the inter-element spacing collectively impact the response of the FSS. Expanding this design space to include reconfigurable FSSs provides opportunities for applications requiring frequency agility and/or other properties. Tuning can also enable operation over a potentially wider range of frequencies and can in some cases be used as a loading mechanism or quasi-ground plane. Many technologies have been considered for this type of agility (RF MEMS, PIN diodes, etc.). This includes the recent use of microfluidics and dispersions of nanoparticles, or fluids with controllable dielectrics, which have entered the design space of numerous other EM applications including stub-tuners, antennas, and filters. In this work they provide a material based approach to reconfiguring an FSS. An FSS based on a four-arm spiral with tunable band-stop characteristics is presented in this work. A thin colloidal dispersion above each element provides this tuning capability. The radial expansion and contraction of this dispersion, as well as the variable permittivity of the dispersion, are used to load each element individually. This design incorporates thin fluidic channels within a PDMS layer below the substrate leading to individual unit cells that provide a closed pressure-driven subsystem that contains the dispersion. With the capability to individually control each cell, groups of cells can be locally altered (individually or in groups) to create gratings and other electromagnetically agile features across the surface or within the volume of a radome or other covering. Simulations and measurements of an S-band tunable design using colloidal Barium Strontium Titanate dispersed Silicone oil are provided to demonstrate the capability to adjust the stop-band characteristics of the FSS across the S-band.

The analysis of low abundant biological molecules is often challenging due to their chemical properties, low concentration and limited sample volumes. Neuropeptides are one group of molecules that fits these criteria. Neuropeptides also play an important role in biological functions, which makes them extra interesting to analyze. A classic chemical analysis involves sampling, sample preparation, separation and detection. In this thesis, an enhanced solid supported microdialysis method was developed and used as a combined sampling- and preparation technique. In general, significantly increased extraction efficiency was obtained for all studied peptides. To be able to control the small sample volumes and to minimize the loss of neuropeptides because of unwanted adsorption onto surfaces, the subsequent analysis steps were miniaturized to a micro total analysis system (µ-TAS), which allowed sample pre-treatment, injection, separation, manipulation and detection. In order to incorporate these analysis functions to a microchip, a novel microfabrication protocol was developed. This method facilitated three-dimensional structures to be fabricated without the need of clean room facilities. The sample pre-treatment step was carried out by solid phase extraction from beads packed in the microchip. Femtomole levels of neuropeptides were detected from samples possessing the same properties as microdialysates. The developed injection system made it possible to conduct injections from a liquid chromatographic separation into a capillary electrophoresis channel, which facilitated for advanced multidimensional separations. An electrochemical sample manipulation system was also developed. In the last part, different electrospray emitter tip designs made directly from the edge of the microchip substrate were developed and evaluated. The emitters were proven to be comparable with conventional, capillary based emitters in stability, durability and dynamic flow range. Although additional developments remain, the analysis steps described in this thesis open a door to an integrated, on-line µ-TAS for neuropeptides analysis in complex biological samples.

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene have been one of the noticeable research areas in science and technology. In recent years, the assembly of these carbon nanostructures is one of the most interesting topic to the scientific world due to its variety of applications from nano to macroscale. These bulk nanostructures to be applicable in shock absorbers, batteries, sensors, photodetectors, actuators, solar cells, fuel cells etc. The present work is motivated to study the detailed compressive behavior of three dimensional cellular assemblies of CNT and graphene. The CNT foams are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition method. It is interesting to study the compressive behavior of CNT foam in the presence external magnetic field applied perpendicular to CNT axis. The peak stress and energy absorption capability of CNT foam enhances by four and nearly two times in the presence of magnetic field as compared to the absence of the magnetic field. In the absence of magnetic field the deformation of CNT foam is obtained elastic, plateau and densification regions. Further CNT foam is loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles of diameter is ~ 40nm on the surface and detailed study of the compressive behavior of the foam by varying iron nanoparticles concentration. The peak stress and energy absorption capability of CNT foam initially decreases with increasing the intensity of the magnetic field, further increases the intensity of the magnetic field the maximum stress and energy absorption capability increases which is due to magnetic CNT and particles align in the direction of the magnetic field. CNT surfaces were further modified by fluid of different viscosities. The mechanical behavior of CNT foam filled with fluids of varying viscosities like 100%, 95% and 90% glycerol and silicone oil are 612, 237, 109 and 279 mPa-s respectively. The mechanical behavior of CNT foam depends on both the intensity of magnetic field and fluid viscosity. The non linear relation between peak stress of CNT and magnetic field intensity is σp(B, η) = σ0 ± α(B-B0) where σ0 is the peak stress at B = B0 , η is the fluid viscosity, parameter α depends on properties of the MR fluid and B0 is an optimum magnetic field for which peak stress is maximum or minimum depending on the fluid viscosity. Graphene is assembled into a three dimensional structure called graphene foam. The graphene foam is infiltrated with polymer and study the detailed compressive behavior of graphene foam and graphene foam/PDMS at different strains of 20, 40, 60 and 70%. The maximum stress and energy absorption capability of graphene foam/PDMS is six times higher than the graphene foam. Also the graphene foam/PDMS is highly stable and reversible for 100 cycles at strains of 30 and 50%. The mechanical behavior of CNT, graphene foam, CNT/PDMS and graphene foam/PDMS is compared. Among all the foams, graphene foam/PDMS has shown the highest elastic modulus as compared to other foams. This behavior can be attributed to the wrinkles formation during the growth of graphene and a coupling between PDMS and interfacial interactions of graphene foam. Therefore it suggests potential applications for dampers, cushions and electronic packaging. Furthermore, the interaction between nanoparticles and polymer in a novel architecture composed of PDMS and iron oxide nanoparticles is studied. The load bearing capacity of uniform composites enhanced by addition of nanoparticles, reaching to a maximum to 1.5 times of the PDMS upon addition of 5wt.% of nanoparticles, and then gradually decreased to 1/6th of PDMS upon addition of 20wt.% of nanoparticles. On the other hand, the load bearing capacity of architectured composites at high strains (≥40%) monotonically increased with addition of nanoparticles in the pillars.

Mechanical forces have been observed to affect various aspects of life, for example, cell differentiation, cell migration, locomotion and behavior of multicellular organisms etc. Such forces are generated either by external entities such as mechanical touch, fluid flow, electric and magnetic fields or by the living organisms themselves. Study of forces sensed and applied by living organisms is important to understand the interactions between organisms and their environment. Such studies may reveal molecular mechanisms involved in mechanosensation and locomotion. Several techniques have been successfully applied to measure forces exerted by single cells and cell monolayers. The earliest technique made use of functionalized soft surfaces and membranes as substrates on which cell monolayers were grown. The forces exerted by the cells could be measured by observing deformation of the substrates. Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is another sensitive instrument that allows one to exert and measure forces in pico-Newton range. Advances in micromachining technology have enabled development of miniature force sensors and actuators. Latest techniques for mechanical force application and measurement use micromachined Silicon cantilevers in single as well as array form and micropillar arrays. Micropillar arrays fabricated using soft lithography enabled the use of biocompatible materials for force sensors. Together, these techniques provide access to a wide range of forces, from sub micro-Newton to milli-Newton. In the present work, types of forces experienced in biological systems and various force measurement and actuation techniques will be introduced. This will be followed by in depth description of the two major contributions of this thesis, 1) ―Colored polydimethylsiloxane micropillar arrays for high throughput measurements of forces applied by genetic model organisms‖. Biomicrofluidics, January 29, 2015. doi: 10.1063/1.4906905 2) ―Air microjet system for non-contact force application and the actuation of micro-structures‖. Journal of micromechanics and microengineering, December 15, 2015. doi: 10.1088/0960-1317/26/1/017001 Device developed for force measurement consists of an array of micropillars made of a biocompatible polymer Poly Dimethyl Siloxane (PDMS). Such devices have been used by researchers to measure traction forces exerted by single cells and also by nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). C. elegans is allowed to move in between the micropillars and the locomotion is video recorded. Deflection of the micropillar tips as the worm moves is converted into force exerted. Transparent appearance of C. elegans and PDMS poses difficulties in distinguishing micropillars from the worm, thus making it challenging to automate the analysis process. We address this problem by developing a technique to color the micropillars selectively. This enabled us to develop a semi-automated graphical user interface (GUI) for high throughput data extraction and analysis, reducing the analysis time for each worm to minutes. Moreover, increased contrast because of the color also delivered better images. Addition of color changed the Young‘s modulus of PDMS. Thus the dye-PDMS composite was characterized using hyper-elastic model. The micropillars were also calibrated using commercial force sensor. Analysis of forces exerted by wild type and mutant C. elegans moving on an agarose surface was performed. Wild type C. elegans exerted a total average force of 7.68 µN and an average force of ~1 µN on an individual pillar. We show that the middle of C. elegans exerts more force than its extremities. We find that C. elegans mutants with defective body wall muscles apply significantly lower force on individual pillars, while mutants defective in sensing externally applied mechanical forces still apply the same average force per pillar compared to wild type animals. Average forces applied per pillar are independent of the length, diameter, or cuticle stiffness of the animal. It was also observed that the motility of the worms with mechanosensation defects, lower cuticle stiffness, and body wall muscle defects was reduced with worms that have defective body wall muscle having the largest degree. Thus, we conclude that while reduced ability to apply forces affects the locomotion of the worm in the micropillar array, the reduced motility/locomotion may not indicate that the worm has reduced ability to apply forces on the micropillars. We also used the colored micropillar array for the first time to measure forces exerted by Drosophila larvae. Our device successfully captured the peristaltic rhythm of the body wall muscles of the larva and allowed us to measure the forces applied on each deflected pillar during this motion. Average force exerted by 1st instar wild type Drosophila larvae was measured to be ~ 1.5 µN per pillar. We demonstrated that a microjet of air can be used to apply forces in micro-Newton range. We developed a standalone system to generate a controlled air microjet. Microjet was generated using a controlled electromagnetic actuation of a diaphragm. With a nozzle diameter of 150 µm, the microjet diameter was maintained to a maximum of 1 mm at a distance of 5 mm from the nozzle. The force generated by the microjet was measured using a commercial force sensor to determine the velocity profile of the jet. Axial flow velocities of up to 25 m/s were obtained at distances as long as 6 mm. The microjet exerted a force up to 1 µN on a poly dimethyl siloxane (PDMS) micropillar (50 µm in diameter, 157 µm in height) and 415 µN on a PDMS membrane (3 mm in diameter, 28 µm thick). We also demonstrate that from a distance of 6 mm our microjet can exert a peak pressure of 187 Pa with a total force of about 84 µN on a flat surface with 8 V operating voltage. Next, we demonstrated that the response of C. elegans worms to the impinging air microjet is similar to the response evoked using a manual gentle touch. This contactless actuation tool avoids contamination and mechanical damage to the samples. Out of the cleanroom fabrication and robust design make this system cost effective and durable. Magnetic micropillars have been used as actuators. We fabricated magnetic micropillar arrays and designed actuation mechanisms using permanent magnet and a pulsed electromagnet. Force of about 19 µN was achievable using a permanent magnet actuation. In a pulsed electromagnetic field micropillar exerted a force of about 10 µN on a commercial force sensor. These techniques have promising applications when actuation needs to be controlled from long distances.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:01:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna_CQ_DISSERT.pdf: 1009487 bytes, checksum: af0c16848a5883b1c5e6bb465ced353e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-19 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / This dissertation aims the development of an experimental device to determine quantitatively the content of benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) in the atmosphere. BTX are extremely volatile solvents, and therefore play an important role in atmospheric chemistry, being precursors in the tropospheric ozone formation. In this work a BTX new standard gas was produced in nitrogen for stagnant systems. The aim of this dissertation is to develop a new method, simple and cheaper, to quantify and monitor BTX in air using solid phase microextraction/ gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME/CG/MS). The features of the calibration method proposed are presented in this dissertation. SPME sampling was carried out under non-equilibrium conditions using a Carboxen/PDMS fiber exposed for 10 min standard gas mixtures. It is observed that the main parameters that affect the extraction process are sampling time and concentration. The results of the BTX multicomponent system studied have shown a linear and a nonlinear range. In the non-linear range, it is remarkable the effect of competition by selective adsorption with the following affinity order p-xylene > toluene > benzene. This behavior represents a limitation of the method, however being in accordance with the literature. Furthermore, this behavior does not prevent the application of the technique out of the non-linear region to quantify the BTX contents in the atmosphere. / Esta disserta??o de mestrado trata da montagem e da valida??o de um dispositivo experimental para determinar quantitativamente os teores de benzeno, tolueno e xilenos (BTX) na atmosfera. BTX s?o solventes extremamente vol?teis e, portanto, desempenha um papel importante na qu?mica atmosf?rica, sendo precursores na forma??o de oz?nio troposf?rico. Nesta disserta??o um novo padr?o gasoso de BTX foi produzido em nitrog?nio para sistemas estagnados. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um novo m?todo, simples e barato, para quantificar e monitorar BTX no ar utilizando microextra??o em fase s?lida, cromatografia gasosa/espectrometria de massa (SPME/CG/MS). As caracter?sticas do m?todo de calibra??o proposto s?o apresentadas nesta disserta??o. Amostragem SPME foi realizada sob condi??es de n?o-equil?brio usando uma fibra Carboxen / PDMS exposta por 10 minutos na mistura de gases padr?o BTX-N2. Observam que os principais par?metros que afetam o processo de extra??o s?o tempo de amostragem, concentra??o e temperatura. Os resultados do sistema multicomponente BTX-N2 estudado mostraram um comportamento linear e n?o-linear em termos de concentra??o de BTX. Na faixa n?o-linear, ? not?vel o efeito da concorr?ncia por adsor??o seletiva com a seguinte ordem de afinidade: p-xileno> tolueno> benzeno. Este comportamento representa uma limita??o do m?todo, no entanto, est? de acordo com a literatura e n?o impede a aplica??o da t?cnica fora da regi?o n?o linear para quantificar os teores de BTX na atmosfera.

Submitted by Jaqueline Silva (jtas29@gmail.com) on 2016-10-03T14:17:36Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Eunício de Oliveira Lobo Junior - 2016.pdf: 5628245 bytes, checksum: cb5cfdfdb21a0a9bed0292decf6c094f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jaqueline Silva (jtas29@gmail.com) on 2016-10-03T14:18:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Eunício de Oliveira Lobo Junior - 2016.pdf: 5628245 bytes, checksum: cb5cfdfdb21a0a9bed0292decf6c094f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-03T14:18:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Eunício de Oliveira Lobo Junior - 2016.pdf: 5628245 bytes, checksum: cb5cfdfdb21a0a9bed0292decf6c094f (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-10 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / This report describes the development of two alternative platforms for electrophoretic runs in microsystems. Firstly, the development of a hybrid capillary system that dispenses microfabrication steps is presented using fused silica capillaries interconnected by a commercial crossed shape interface. This hybrid system was coupled with contactless conductivity detector (C4D) to allow the determination of inorganic cations in biological samples. Electrokinetic sample injection was performed through gated mode approach for the first time in this arrangement. Operational parameters such as: (i) wave frequency and amplitude applied in C4D system, (ii) electrical potential applied in injection, (iii) injection time, (iv) detection point, (v) effect of capillary conditioning as well as and (vi) recovery percentage were extensively investigated and optimized. Better separations of cationic mixture containing NH4+, K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ were achieved using a buffer system composed of 50 mM Lactic Acid, 20 mM Histidine and 3 mM 18-crown-6 on a capillary with effective length of 14.5 cm. . Addition of internal standard was used to ensure analytical reproducibility and allow the recording of merit figures. Linear behaviors were observed in concentration ranges between 10 and 100 M for NH4+, K+, Ca2+ e Mg2+, and 20-200 M for Na+. The limit of detection values calculated were 3.75 μM (NH4+), 3.70 μM (K+), 7.50 μM (Na+), 5.00 μM (Ca2+) and 5.35 μM (Mg2+). The concentration levels achieved for cations in biological samples ranged from 4,1 μM to 200 μM. Besides the hybrid system, this report also describes the development of an alternative methodology for the fabrication of high-relief masters for soft-lithography in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrate. One of the innovative features makes reference to the use of low cost commercial photoresist from textile industry - poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) - which exhibits low toxicity. PVAc films were deposited on printed cirtuitry boards through the use of a homemade spincoater developed by desktop cooler, with rotation time control. This methodology allowed the production of high relief masters and PDMS channels with width and depth of 50 μm and 40 μm, respectively. Channels and masters profiles They were characterized with the following techniques: scan electron microscopy, perfilometry, optical and electrical. PDMS electrophoresis devices were successfully used for the separation of major inorganic cations. / Esta dissertação descreve o desenvolvimento de duas plataformas alternativas para a realização de eletroforese em microssistemas. Inicialmente é descrita um sistema eletroforético híbrido que dispensa etapas de microfabricação utilizando capilares de sílica fundida, conectados por uma interface comercial com formato em cruz. Este sistema capilar híbrido foi acoplado com detecção condutométrica sem contato (C4D) e aplicado na determinação de cátions inorgânicos (NH4+, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+) em amostras biológicas. A injeção de amostras foi realizada eletrocineticamente no modo gated, sendo o primeiro estudo em capilares utilizando esta modalidade de injeção. Foram avaliados os parâmetros operacionais de funcionamento do sistema incluindo (i) frequência e amplitude da onda senoidal aplicada ao sistema de detecção, (ii) potencial elétrico aplicado na injeção, (iii) tempo de injeção, (iv) composição do tampão, (v) ponto de detecção, (vi) efeito do condicionamento do capilar e (vii) recuperação. As melhores separações para uma mistura contendo os cátions inorgânicos foram obtidas usando-se um sistema tamponante composto de ácido lático 50 mM, histidina 20 mM e éter coroa (18-crown-6) 3 mM em um capilar com comprimento efetivo de 14,5 cm. As figuras de mérito analítico foram obtidas a partir da adição do íon Li+ como padrão interno, o qual assegurou confiabilidade nas análises quantitativas. A partir da otimização dos parâmetros analíticos, as curvas analíticas para os íons NH4+, K+, Ca2+ e Mg2+ exibiram comportamento linear (R2>0,99) na faixa de 10-100 M enquanto a curva analítica para o íon Na+ proporcionou resposta linear na faixa de 20-200 M. Os limites de detecção encontrados para os cinco cátions foram entre 3,75 μM (NH4+), 3,75 μM (K+), 7,50 μM (Na+), 5,00 μM (Ca2+) e 5,35 μM (Mg2+). O sistema desenvolvido foi explorado para a determinação dos cátions inorgânicos em amostras de urina, saliva e lágrimas. As concentrações encontradas nas amostras biológicas variaram de 4,1 μM a 200 μM. Além do sistema híbrido, a dissertação também apresenta uma metodologia de baixo custo para produção de moldes em alto relevo para litografia suave em poli(dimetilsiloxano) (PDMS). A principal inovação é o uso de fotoresiste de baixo custo, que se trata de uma emulsão fotossensível de poli(acetato de vinila) (PVAc) utilizada na indústria têxtil e que apresenta baixa toxicidade. Outra inovação é o controle da altura dos moldes utilizando um spincoater de produção própria, com controle de tempo de rotação. Com esta metodologia foram produzidos moldes em alto relevo, e microchips em PDMS com 50 μm de largura e 40 μm de altura. Foram realizadas separações eletroforéticas dos cátions NH4+,K+,Na+,Ca2+,Mg2+e Li+. As eficiências de separação variaram entre 73.000 e 120.000 pratos/m. O que comprova que a metodologia alternativa apresenta aplicabilidade microfluídica

Biological research and Clinical Diagnostics heavily rely on Optical Microscopy for analyzing properties of cells. The experimental protocol for con-ducting a microscopy based diagnostic test consists of several manual steps, like sample extraction, slide preparation and inspection. Recent advances in optical microscopy have predominantly focused on resolution enhancement. Whereas, the aspect of automating the manual steps and enhancing imaging throughput were relatively less explored. Cost-e ective automation of clinical microscopy would potentially enable the creation of diagnostic devices with a wide range of medical and biological applications. Further, automation plays an important role in enabling diagnostic testing in resource-limited settings. This thesis presents a novel optofluidics based approach for automation of clinical diagnostic microscopy. A system-level integrated optofluidic architecture, which enables the automation of overall diagnostic work- ow has been proposed. Based on the proposed architecture, three different prototypes, which can enable point-of-care (POC) imaging cytometry have been developed. The characterization of these prototypes has been performed. Following which, the applicability of the platform for usage in diagnostic testing has been validated. The prototypes were used to demonstrate applications like Cell Viability Assay, Red Blood Cell Counting, Diagnosis of Malaria and Spherocytosis. An important performance metric of the device is the throughput (number of cells imaged per second). A novel microfluidic channel design, capable of enabling imaging throughputs of about 2000 cells per second has been incorporated into the instrument. Further, material properties of the sample handling component (microfluidic device) determine several functional aspects of the instrument. Ultrafast-laser inscription (ULI) based glass microfluidic devices have been identi ed and tested as viable alternatives to Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic chips. Cellular imaging with POC platforms has thus far been limited to acquisition of 2D morphology. To potentially enable 3D cellular imaging with POC platforms, a novel slanted channel microfluidic chip design has been proposed. The proposed design has been experimentally validated by performing 3D imaging of fluorescent microspheres and cells. It is envisaged that the proposed innovation would aid to the current e orts towards implementing good quality health-care in rural scenarios. The thesis is organized in the following manner : The overall thesis can be divided into two parts. The first part (chapters 2, 3) of the thesis deals with the optical aspects of the proposed Optofluidic instrument (development, characterization and validations demonstrating its use in poc diagnostic applications). The second part (chapters 4,5,6) of the thesis details the microfluidic sample handling aspects implemented with the help of custom fabricated microfludic devices, the integration of the prototype, func-tional framework of the device. Chapter 2 introduces the proposed optofluidic architecture for implementing the POC tool. Further, it details the first implementation of the proposed platform, based on the philosophy of adapting ubiquitously available electronic imaging devices to perform cellular diagnostic testing. The characterization of the developed prototypes is also detailed. Chapter 3 details the development of a stand-alone prototype based on the proposed architecture using inexpensive o -the-shelf, low frame-rate image sensors. The characterization of the developed prototype and its performance evaluation for application in malaria diagnostic testing are also presented. The chapter concludes with a comparative evaluation of the developed prototypes, so far. Chapter 4 presents a novel microfludic channel design, which enables the enhancement of imaging throughput, even while employing an inexpensive low frame-rate imaging modules. The design takes advantage of radial arrangement of microfludic channels for enhancing the achievable imaging throughput. The fabrication of the device and characterization of achievable throughputs is presented. The stand-alone optofluidic imaging system was then integrated into a single functional unit, with the proposed microfluidic channel design, a viscoelastic effect based micro uidic mixer and a suction-based microfluidic pumping mechanism. Chapter 5 brings into picture the aspect of the material used to fabricate the sample handling unit, the robustness of which determines certain functional aspects of the device. An investigative study on the applicability of glass microfluidic devices, fabricated using ultra-fast laser inscription in the context of the microfluidics based imaging flow cytometry is presented. As detailed in the introduction, imaging in poc platforms, has thus far been limited to acquisition of 2D images. The design and implementation of a novel slanted channel microfluidic chip, which can potentially enable 3D imaging with simplistic optical imaging systems (such as the one reported in the earlier chapters of this thesis) is detailed. A example application of the proposed microfludic chip architecture for imaging 3D fluorescence imaging of cells in flow is presented. Chapter 6 introduces a diagnostic assessment framework for the use of the developed of m in an actual clinical diagnostic scenario. The chapter presents the use of computational signatures (extracted from cell images) to be employed for cell recognition, as part of the proposed framework. The experimental results obtained while employing the framework to identify cells from three different leukemia cell lines have been presented in this chapter. Chapter 7 summarizes the contributions reported in this thesis. Potential future scope of the work is also detailed.

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá tkáňovým inženýrstvím, zejména tvorbou homogenní, izotropní a planární vrstvy buněk srdečního svalu pomocí dvou technologii:”scaffold-based” a ”scaffold-free”. Nejprve popsaný histologie srdeční stěny, buňky srdečního svalu a buněčné kultury. Následuje popis tkáňového inženýrství, který zahrnuje technologii “cell sheet” a tkáňové inženýrství na bázi scaffoldů. Na konci teoretické části je popsána aplikace tkáňového inženýrství a buněčná vizualizace. Praktická část věnovaná tvorbě planární buněčné vrstvy z kardiomyocytů a fibroblastů s využitím informací z teoretické části.

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