A presente tese é o resultado de um complexo trabalho de instrumentação em Eletroforese Capilar (CE) com detecção condutométrica sem contato (C4D) visando à análise de biomoléculas. No que diz respeito à instrumentação, dois equipamentos de CE (H1 e B1), que possuem um sistema único de eletrólise separada (MSE), foram desenvolvidos. H1 possui apenas um capilar, e nele foi desenvolvida a maioria dos experimentos apresentados nesse trabalho. Neste equipamento, foi implementado um sistema de marcas térmicas, cuja aplicação foi demonstrada na correção de variações nos tempos de migração dos íons Na+ e K+ presentes em clara de ovos. Também realizamos a separação e detecção (10 µmol·L-1 ) de proteínas entre 12 e 66 kDa, comprovando que a detecção dessas moléculas é factível, desde que se use agentes que evitem a adsorção. Experimentos de separação e detecção de quitooligossacarídeos produzidos enzimaticamente também foram desenvolvidos em H1. Com o uso de NaOH como eletrólito de corrida acrescido de acetonitrila como agente modificador, verificamos a separação completa de seis quitooligossacarídeos (C1 a C6) com limites de detecção e quantificação inferiores a 3 µmol·L-1 e 10 µmol·L-1 , respectivamente. Após ensaios enzimáticos dos substratos C2 a C6 com a quitinase purificada de um besouro Tenebrio molitor (TmChi), observamos que esta cliva com baixíssima eficiência tanto C2 como C3. A mesma é capaz de clivar C4 produzindo C2 e sua ação sobre C5 gera C2 e C3, sendo este o substrato de maior afinidade. C6 também é clivado por essa quitinase, gerando, contudo, C2 ou C3, o que indica que ela é uma endoquitinase. O equipamento B1 possui oito capilares e oito detectores condutométricos sem contato, possuindo a maior relação sinal/ruído a 1 MHz e 4 Vpico-a-pico. O equipamento possibilita a separação simultânea de até oito amostras distintas com quatro possíveis eletrólitos e potenciais de trabalho. Nesse equipamento, foram desenvolvidas as separações dos vinte aminoácidos proteinogênicos, usando-se duas condições distintas de separação, ambas em meio ácido. Separações em meio básico e com potenciais de separação variados também foram avaliadas. Além dos sistemas H1 e B1, também foi desenvolvido um microchip em PDMS com um biorreator enzimático (IMER) para detecção de glicose. A detecção de peróxido formado pela ação da enzima glicose oxidase presente no IMER foi realizada por amperometria. O chip apresentou as melhores condições de separação e detecção desse açúcar usando-se eletrodo de trabalho a 0,9V, pH 8,5 e separação a 1100 V. Foi verificada uma relação linear entre as concentrações de 0,1 a 6,2 mmol·L-1 de glicose injetada, com relação ao pico de corrente obtido. Com as condições otimizadas do chip, determinou-se a concentração de glicose em amostra de refrigerante, obtendo-se uma concentração de 216 mmol·L-1 , valor semelhante ao obtido em literatura. / This work shows the development of two equipments (H1 and B1) of capillary electrophoresis (CE) with contactless conductivity detection (C4D) applied to the analysis of biomolecules. They have a system named MSE (module for separated electrolysis) that avoids the harmful effect of electrolysis. H1 have only one capillary and the majority of the experiments presented here were developed in this equipment. It also have a system of thermal marks (TM) used to correct the EOF effect on the migration of ions Na+ e K+ in egg white. We also developed the separation and detection of proteins (10 µmol·L-1) between 12 an 66 kDa, showing that C4D can be used to detect these molecules using substances to avoid adsorption on the capillary wall. Experiments of separation and detection of chitooligosaccharides enzymatically produced were also developed in H1. By using NaOH and acetonitrile as the electrolyte, we did the complete separation of six chitooligosaccharides (C1 to C6) with limits of detection and quantification less than 3 µmol·L-1 and 10 µmol·L-1 , respectively. After the enzymatic assays of C2 to C6 with the chitinase purified from the beetle Tenebrio molitor (TmChi), it is observed that this enzyme cut these substrates with very low efficiency, as expected. This enzyme also cut C4 producing C2 and cut C5 producing C2 and C3. C5 is the best substrate for this enzyme. C6 produces C2 and C3, showing that this enzyme is a endo- chitinase type. The equipment B1 has eight capillaries and eight C4D detectors with the best signal/noise ratio at 1 MHz e 4 Vpeak-to-peak . By using B1, it is possible run up to eight different samples with four different electrolytes and separation potentials. In this equipment, we develop the separation of 20 proteinogenic amino acids (AAs) using two different separation conditions at low pH. Separations of these molecules using high-pH electrolytes and with different potentials were also demonstrated. The development of a microchip of PDMS with an immobilized enzyme reactor (IMER) to the glucose detection was also constructed. The detection of hydrogen peroxide produced by the enzyme glucose oxidase linked on the IMER was measured by amperometry. The performance of this chip was evaluated with glucose and peroxide injections. The best potential for the oxidation of the hydrogen peroxide was 0.9V, using electrolyte at pH 8.5 and 1100 V as the potential of separation. A linear curve was observed between peak current and glucose concentration in the range from 0.1 up to 6.2 mmol·L-1 . Determinations in soda shows 216 mmol·L-1 of glucoce, that is a good agreement with other reports.

Este estudo tem por objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de fabricação de sistemas Lab On Chip, úteis no estudo de processos celulares, a partir da adaptação de tecnologias próprias da microeletrônica. Foram exploradas todas as etapas envolvidas na fabricação de sistemas Lab On Chip em Poli-Di-Metil-Siloxano e desenvolvidos protocolos de fabricação de moldes, técnicas de moldagem e processos de ativação de PDMS com plasma de oxigênio para sua solda química sobre diferentes materiais, obtendo uniões irreversíveis que permitem a integração com outras tecnologias como a microeletrônica em silício e o encapsulamento com cerâmica verde, completando uma metodologia que permite a prototipagem de dispositivos micro-fluídicos de multicamadas com um nível de sofisticação comparável ao estado da arte. Foi desenvolvido o protótipo de um equipamento ótico para litografia por projeção que permite a fabricação de máscaras óticas com resolução de 5 m e oferece a possibilidade de litografia em escala de cinzas para gerar canais e estruturas com relevos arbitrários. Foram adicionalmente abordados três problemas de biofísica celular, para os quais foram propostos novos dispositivos para separação de células móveis de acordo às suas velocidades lineares, dispositivos para crescimento confinado de bactérias e dispositivos para manipulação da curvatura de membranas celulares. / The objective of this study is the development of a methodology for the fabrication of Lab On Chip systems, useful for the analysis of cellular processes, through the adaptation of technologies from microelectronics. All the steps involved with the fabrication of Lab on Chip system in Poly-Di-Methil-Siloxane (PDMS) were explored, developing protocols for mold fabrication, molding techniques and processes for oxygen plasma activation of PDMS for its bonding to different materials, achieving irreversible bonds that enable the integration with other technologies such as silicon microelectronics and green tape packaging. All this techniques constitute a methodology that allows the prototyping of multilayer microfluidic devices comparable with state of the art devices. It was developed the prototype of optical equipment for projection lithography capable of mask fabrication with 5 m resolution, and which offers also the capability of gray scale lithography for the generation of free form microchannels. Additionally three different problems in cellular biophysics where boarded, proposing new devices for the separation of motile cells according to their linear speeds in liquids, new devices for constrained bacterial growth and for curvature manipulation of cell membranes.

Humanicité est un nouveau quartier, né à l’initiative de l’Université Catholique de Lille qui, à travers ce projet urbain, a souhaité élargir et diversifier ses activités sanitaires et médicosociales. Il s’agit de créer un lieu empreint de mixité où sont présents tous les représentants de la société dans leur diversité y compris les personnes ayant un handicap. Ce projet utopique comporte également le souhait de co-construire avec toutes les parties prenantes, des innovations suscitées par les questions qui se posent dans ce nouveau lieu de vie. Pour en accompagner l’émergence, mais aussi organiser la participation des habitants et usagers, l’ensemble du quartier est le lieu d’un Living Lab. Cette utopie, forme de projection d’une autre société meilleure et plus juste, cherche à être traduite dans la réalité. Nous postulons, à la suite d’auteurs comme Ricœur, qu’elle est fondamentalement réalisable et pour se faire elle entre dans un processus de traduction, elle mobilise des objets, se transmet à travers la multiplication des interactions, jusqu’à se confronter, dans sa matérialisation, à la réalité. En devenant réelle, cette utopie donne naissance à une hétérotopie Humanicité, un « contre-emplacement », qui met au jour les représentations et appropriations de l’espace. Il s’agit dans ce travail de recherche et grâce à ce terrain particulier, de comprendre le processus par lequel un projet innovant d’urbanisme devient le projet des habitants, des intervenants et partenaires qui ont et auront à le vivre. / Humanicité is a new neighborhood, born on the initiative of the Catholic University of Lille which wanted, through this urban project, to expand and diversify its health and medico-social activities. It is about creating a place full of diversity where all the members of society are present, including people with disabilities. This utopian project is also about co-creating, with all the stakeholders involved, innovations developed in response to issues related to this new living space. To guide the emergence of this process and also to organize the participation of the inhabitants and users, the whole neighbourhood houses a Living Lab. This utopia, a projected form of another society which would be better and fairer, pursues the objective of being translated into reality. Following authors like Ricœur, we assume that utopia is fundamentally achievable and that doing so embarks on a process of translation, mobilizes objects, and spreads by the growing of interactions until it confronts the reality of becoming material. When it becomes real, this utopia creates a heterotopia - a space of otherness - which reveals the appropriations and perceptions of space. In this study the objective is to understand the process by which an urban innovation project becomes that of its inhabitants and stakeholders who have and will have to live in it.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de mieux comprendre et d’accompagner les stratégies d’innovation des entreprises face aux défis liés à l’intensification de la dynamique et des changements de l’environnement économique. Or, afin de survivre à ces rythmes économiques, la littérature préconise aux organisations de concilier leurs activités d’exploitation et leurs activités d’exploration de façon concomitante. Dans ce cadre, notre travail étudie spécifiquement une stratégie d’innovation conférant une importance particulière aux initiatives des individus dans les activités d’exploration : l’ambidextrie contextuelle. Simultanément, notre recherche examine un objet de recherche jusque là inédit dans le milieu académique : le Fab Lab d’entreprise (ou Fab Lab interne). A la croisée des chemins de ces deux sujets, cette thèse pose la question du développement de l’ambidextrie contextuelle à l’aide d’un Fab Lab d’entreprise.L’étude de cas menée au sein de l’une des premières structures à développer cette pratique de Fab Lab d’entreprise – le Groupe Renault – définit cet outil de gestion comme une quasi-structure propice au développement de l’ambidextrie contextuelle. Elle présente ensuite le pilotage à mener afin de développer l’ambidextrie contextuelle à l’aide d’un Fab Lab d’entreprise. / This thesis aims to better understand and support corporate innovation strategies to help them coping with the challenges associated with the intensification of the dynamics and changes in the economic environment. However, in order to survive these economic rhythms, previous research recommends organizations to reconcile their exploitation and their exploration activities, concomitantly. In this context, our work specifically examines an innovation strategy giving particular attention to the initiatives of individuals in exploration activities : contextual ambidexterity. Simultaneously, our research examines an object of research previously unreleased in academic studies : the corporate Fab Lab (or internal Fab Lab). At the crossroads of these two subjects, this thesis raises the question of the development of contextual ambidexterity through a corporate Fab Lab. Our case study is conducted in Renault Group, one of the first structures to develop this practice of corporate Fab Lab. Our analysis permits to define this management tool as a quasi-structure conducive to the development of contextual ambidexterity. It then presents the guidance to lead in the objective of developing contextual ambidexterity through a corporate Fab Lab.

The starting SNO+ experiment, successor to the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, is a neutrino detector using LAB based liquid scintillator as active medium. Situated in the SNOLab deep underground laboratory in Sudbury, Canada, the rock overburden amounts to about 6 km.w.e., providing an effective shielding against cosmic rays. The residual muon rate is 63 μ/day going through the detector volume. About 780 t of an LAB mixture inside an acrylic sphere with a 6 m radius will be observed by ≈ 9300 photomultipliers, surrounded by a ≈ 7000 t water shielding. SNO+ will be searching for low energy solar-, geo-, reactor- and supernova neutrinos, but the main goal is the observation of the neutrinoless double beta decay in Te-130. Under operating conditions, the scintillator will be cooled to about 12° C. This work investigated the effect of temperature changes on the light output of LAB based liquid scintillator in a range from -5° C to 30° C with α-particles and electrons in a small scale setup. Assuming a linear behaviour, a combined negative temperature coefficient of (−0.29 ± 0.01) %/° C is found. Considering hints for a particle type dependency, electrons show (−0.17 ± 0.02) %/° C whereas the temperature dependency seems stronger for α-particles (−0.35 ± 0.03) %/° C. A pulse shape analysis shows increased strength of a slow decay component at lower temperatures, pointing to reduced non-radiative triplet state de-excitations at lower temperatures. Furthermore, this work found upper bounds for the in-situ muon-induced isotope production via scaling calculations and simulations with Geant4 based software. For the most concerning isotope C-11, an upper limit of about 1.3 × 10^3 decays/kt/yr is found and a reduction technique, developed by the Borexino collaboration, can be effectively applied for SNO+. Also a muon reconstruction algorithm is implemented, performing reasonably well, but not good enough to improve the background reduction scheme. / Das zukünftige SNO+ experiment, Nachfolger des Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, ist ein Neutrino-Detektor mit LAB basierten Flüssigszintillator als aktivem Medium. Im SNOLab Untertagelabor (Sudbury, Kanada) gelegen, ist es durch die Felsüberdeckung von 6 km.w.e. hervorragend gegen kosmische Strahlung abgeschirmt. Die Rate der übrigen Myonen die das Detektorvolumen durchdringen beträgt ca. 63 μ/Tag. In einer Acrylkugel, mit einem Radius von 6 m, wird eine LAB Mischung von ≈ 9300 Photomultipliern beobachtet und von einer Wasserabschirmung von ≈ 7 kt umgeben. SNO+ wird nach niederenergetischen solaren-, Geo-, Reaktor- und Supernova Neutrinos suchen, aber das Hauptziel ist die Beobachtung von neutrinolosen doppelten Betazerfällen in Te-130. Unter den Betriebsbedingungen wird der Flüssigszintillator eine Temperatur von ca. 12° C annehmen. Diese Arbeit hat den Einfluss von Temperaturveränderungen in einem Bereich von -5° C to 30° C auf die erzeugte Lichtmenge untersucht. Dazu wurden α-Teilchen und Elektronen in einem kleineren Versuchaufbau beobachtet. Unter der Annahme eines linearen Verhaltens, wurde ein globaler negativer Temperaturkoeffizient von (−0.29 ± 0.01) %/° C gefunden. Unter Berücksichtigung von Hinweisen auf eine Teilchenartabhängigkeit, findet sich für Elektronen ein Koeffizient von (−0.17 ± 0.02) %/° C, wohingegen α-Teilchen eine stärkere Abhängikeit von (−0.35 ± 0.03) %/° C aufweisen. Eine Pulsformanalyse zeigt eine bei tieferen Temperaturen stärker ausgeprägte langsame Zerfallskomponente, was darauf hinweist dass die nicht-radiativen Abregungen der Triplet-Zustände bei niedrigeren Temperaturen reduziert sind. Weiterhin wurden in dieser Arbeit obere Ausschlußgrenzen für in-situ Myon-induzierte Isotopenproduktion gefunden, wozu Skalierungsrechnungen und Simulation mit auf Geant4 basierender Software benutzt wurden. Für das wichtigste Isotop C-11 wurde eine obere Grenze von 1.3 × 10^3 Ereignisse/kt/Jahr gefunden und eine Technik zur Reduzierung des Untergrundes, entwickelt von der Borexino Kollaboration, kann effektiv für SNO+ angewendet werden. Darüber hinaus wurde eine Myon Spurrekonstruktion implementiert, die sinnvolle Ergebnisse liefert, aber nicht gut genug ist um die Untergrund Reduzierung zu unterstützen.

Lab-on-a-chip systems for point-of-care testing demonstrate a promising development towards more accurate diagnostic tests that are of extreme importance for the future global health. This work presents an agglutination assay performed in micrometer sized well using Janus PS/Ag/AgCl micromotors to enhance the interactions between goat anti-human IgM functionalized particles and Human IgM. The fabricated microwell chips are a suitable platform to analyze the interaction between different particles and to perform the agglutination assays. The interaction between active Janus particles and passive and functionalized particles is studied, as well as the influence of ions on the motion of the Janus particles. Agglutination assays are performed with and without the presence of Janus particles, and in different PBS concentrations. Once illuminated with blue light, passive SiO2 particles were effectively excluded from Janus particles, while SiO2 NH2 particles revealed attraction. In contrast, functionalized SiO2 NH2 Ab particles suspended in PBS did not show any interaction. It was found that the optimal working conditions for antibodies and Janus particles differed and, as a result, the Janus particles did not reveal a desirable interaction between the functionalized particles and IgM. Further experiments should be performed to find the proper conditions in which the antibodies and the Janus particles maintain their activities. It is believed that an effective interaction between the functionalized and Janus particles could be achieved by modifying the parameters that affect their interaction such as the zeta potential and the medium in which the assay is being performed. This preliminary work provides the first steps towards the development of a fully integrated lab on a chip system for point of care testing.:Abstract ........................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................... v Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ............................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................... ix Abbreviations ................................................................................................................. x 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 In vitro diagnostic tests ........................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Point-of-care tests ......................................................................................... 2 1.2 Agglutination assay .............................................................................................. 2 1.3 Lab-on-a-chip ....................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Self-propelled particles ........................................................................................ 6 1.4.1 Light-driven Ag/AgCl micromotors ............................................................. 6 1.5 Aim ...................................................................................................................... 9 2. Materials and Methods ......................................................................................... 11 2.1 Microwell fabrication .................................................................................... 11 2.2 Microswimmers fabrication .......................................................................... 12 2.3 Functionalization of particles ........................................................................ 12 2.4.1 Scanning electron microscope ............................................................... 14 2.4.2 UV-vis spectroscopy .............................................................................. 14 2.4.3 Zeta potential ......................................................................................... 14 2.4.4 Optical microscopy ................................................................................ 15 2.5 Motion Experiments ...................................................................................... 15 2.6 Agglutination assay ....................................................................................... 16 2.7 Effect of PBS ................................................................................................. 16 2.7.1 Janus particles ........................................................................................ 16 2.7.2 Agglutination assay ................................................................................ 17 2.7.3 Exclusion of functionalized particles ..................................................... 17 3. Results and Discussion ........................................................................................ 18 3.1 Microwell chip with integrated Janus particles ................................................. 18 3.2 Characterization of particles .............................................................................. 19 3.2.1 UV-vis spectroscopy ................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Zeta potential .............................................................................................. 21 3.2.3 Agglutination assay in PEG-covered glass slides ....................................... 22 3.3 Motion experiments ........................................................................................... 23 3.3.1 Exclusion time ............................................................................................ 23 3.3.2 On/off light cycles....................................................................................... 26 3.4 Agglutination assay ............................................................................................ 28 3.4.1 Assay performed in wells............................................................................ 28 3.4.2 Assay performed in wells with Janus particles ........................................... 29 3.5 Effect of PBS concentration............................................................................... 30 3.5.1 Janus particles ............................................................................................. 30 3.5.2 Agglutination assay ..................................................................................... 32 3.5.3 Exclusion of functionalized particles .......................................................... 33 4. Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 35 References .................................................................................................................... 37 Declaration of Research Integrity and Good Scientific Practice ................................. 42

The viability of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a stable platform for specific application use has been significantly advanced in recent years. Initial focus of lightweight UAV development was to create a craft capable of stable and controllable flight. This is largely a solved problem. Currently, the field has progressed to the point that unmanned aircraft can be carried in a backpack, launched by hand, weigh only a few pounds and be capable of navigating through unrestricted airspace. The most basic use of a UAV is to visually observe the environment and use that information to influence decision making. Previous attempts at using visual information to control a small UAV used an off-board approach where the video stream from an onboard camera was transmitted down to a ground station for processing and decision making. These attempts achieved limited results as the two-way transmission time introduced unacceptable amounts of latency into time-sensitive control algorithms. Onboard image processing offers a low-latency solution that will avoid the negative effects of two-way communication to a ground station. The first part of this thesis will show that onboard visual processing is capable of meeting the real-time control demands of an autonomous vehicle, which will also include the evaluation of potential onboard computing platforms. FPGA-based image processing will be shown to be the ideal technology for lightweight unmanned aircraft. The second part of this thesis will focus on the exact onboard vision system implementation for two proof-of-concept applications. The first application describes the use of machine vision algorithms to locate and track a target landing site for a UAV. GPS guidance was insufficient for this task. A vision system was utilized to localize the target site during approach and provide course correction updates to the UAV. The second application describes a feature detection and tracking sub-system that can be used in higher level application algorithms.

This work is devoted to investigate light confinement in rolled-up microtubular cavities and their optofluidic applications. The microcavities are fabricated by a roll-up mechanism based on releasing pre-strained silicon-oxide nanomembranes. By defining the shape and thickness of the nanomembranes, the geometrical tube structure is well controlled. Micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature is employed to study the optical modes and their dependence on the structural characteristics of the microtubes. Finite-difference-time-domain simulations are performed to elucidate the experimental results. In addition, a theoretical model (based on a wave description) is applied to describe the optical modes in the tubular microcavities, supporting quantitatively and qualitatively the experimental findings. Precise spectral tuning of the optical modes is achieved by two post-fabrication methods. One method employs conformal coating of the tube wall with Al2O3 monolayers by atomic-layer-deposition, which permits a mode tuning over a wide spectral range (larger than one free-spectral-range). An average mode tuning to longer wavelengths of 0.11nm/ Al2O3-monolayer is obtained. The other method consists in asymmetric material deposition onto the tube surface. Besides the possibility of mode tuning, this method permits to detect small shape deformations (at the nanometer scale) of an optical microcavity. Controlled confinement of resonant light is demonstrated by using an asymmetric cone-like microtube, which is fabricated by unevenly rolling-up circular-shaped nanomembranes. Localized three-dimensional optical modes are obtained due to an axial confinement mechanism that is defined by the variation of the tube radius and wall windings along the tube axis. Optofluidic functions of the rolled-up microtubes are explored by immersing the tubes or filling their core with a liquid medium. Refractive index sensing of liquids is demonstrated by correlating spectral shift of the optical modes when a liquid interacts with the resonant light of the microtube. In addition, a novel sensing methodology is proposed by monitoring axial mode spacing changes. Lab-on-a-chip methods are employed to fabricate an optofluidic chip device, allowing a high degree of liquid handling. A maximum sensitivity of 880 nm/refractive-index-unit is achieved. The developed optofluidic sensors show high potential for lab-on-a-chip applications, such as real-time bio/chemical analytic systems.

This work is devoted to investigate light confinement in rolled-up microtubular cavities and their optofluidic applications. The microcavities are fabricated by a roll-up mechanism based on releasing pre-strained silicon-oxide nanomembranes. By defining the shape and thickness of the nanomembranes, the geometrical tube structure is well controlled. Micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy at room temperature is employed to study the optical modes and their dependence on the structural characteristics of the microtubes. Finite-difference-time-domain simulations are performed to elucidate the experimental results. In addition, a theoretical model (based on a wave description) is applied to describe the optical modes in the tubular microcavities, supporting quantitatively and qualitatively the experimental findings. Precise spectral tuning of the optical modes is achieved by two post-fabrication methods. One method employs conformal coating of the tube wall with Al2O3 monolayers by atomic-layer-deposition, which permits a mode tuning over a wide spectral range (larger than one free-spectral-range). An average mode tuning to longer wavelengths of 0.11nm/ Al2O3-monolayer is obtained. The other method consists in asymmetric material deposition onto the tube surface. Besides the possibility of mode tuning, this method permits to detect small shape deformations (at the nanometer scale) of an optical microcavity. Controlled confinement of resonant light is demonstrated by using an asymmetric cone-like microtube, which is fabricated by unevenly rolling-up circular-shaped nanomembranes. Localized three-dimensional optical modes are obtained due to an axial confinement mechanism that is defined by the variation of the tube radius and wall windings along the tube axis. Optofluidic functions of the rolled-up microtubes are explored by immersing the tubes or filling their core with a liquid medium. Refractive index sensing of liquids is demonstrated by correlating spectral shift of the optical modes when a liquid interacts with the resonant light of the microtube. In addition, a novel sensing methodology is proposed by monitoring axial mode spacing changes. Lab-on-a-chip methods are employed to fabricate an optofluidic chip device, allowing a high degree of liquid handling. A maximum sensitivity of 880 nm/refractive-index-unit is achieved. The developed optofluidic sensors show high potential for lab-on-a-chip applications, such as real-time bio/chemical analytic systems.

A área de microfabricação de dispositivos de interesse em química analítica tem se expandido muito ao longo dos últimos anos. Uma série de produtos e processos tem sido proposta, tendo como base as tecnologias da área de microeletrônica. Muito destes processos são bastante sofisticados, estando além das necessidades para produção de alguns dispositivos relativamente simples e que são bastante úteis para a química analítica. Este é o caso, por exemplo, dos microcanais para implementação de sistemas eletroforéticos ou micro sistemas em fluxo. Neste contexto, surge a proposta deste trabalho, qual seja desenvolver processos e produtos de interesse nesta área. Esse objetivo foi alcançado pelo desenvolvimento de dois processos: um para produção de microcanais em resina de poliéster através de moldagem e outro de corrosão de vidro utilizando toner de impressora laser como resiste. O primeiro partiu de fotolito para produção de molde em silício através de processo de corrosão por plasma de SF6. Peças de resina de poliéster isoftálica são produzidas por polimerização sobre este molde. Para garantir a desmoldagem não traumática e boa reprodução de detalhes, foi incorporado óleo de silicone durante a preparação da resina. Com este procedimento, foi possível obter canais com 14,0 µm de profundidade e irregularidades superficiais de 1,4 µm para um molde com 15,3 µm de elevação e 0,5 µm de irregularidades superficiais. Com o uso de uma manta flexível de silicone como contraparte, foi possível gerar microcanais cuja altura foi avaliada como sendo da ordem de 5 a 7 µm. Esta avaliação foi conseguida através de medida de condutância após o preenchimento do microcanal com solução de KCl. No segundo processo, toner de impressora laser foi utilizado como resiste para corrosão de vidrO. O layout era diretamente impresso sobre papel aditivado com maltodextrina ou papel utilizado como suporte para etiquetas autocolantes através de uma impressora HP LaserJet 6L com resolução de 600 dpi. Após a transferência térmica da imagem para lâminas de vidro alcalino de 1,0 mm de espessura, a corrosão em ácido fluorídrico permitiu obter canais com 7,1 µm de profundidade e irregularidades de 1,0 µm. Embora este segundo processo apresente desvantagens com relação à resolução tanto no plano da lâmina como na profundidade do canal, quando comparado ao primeiro, deve-se ressaltar a extrema simplicidade, rapidez e baixo custo do processo que deve ser interessante para a produção de protótipos. Já para o primeiro processo, destaca-se a adequação à produção em pequena escala de dispositivos microcanais de baixo custo. / Several processes and products have been proposed to build and use microstructures for chemical purposes. Most of these processes were adapted from microelectronic technologies, which resulted in products with excellent resolution and quality. However, there are some devices that could be generated by simpler and rougher processes. In this work, two processes were developed in order to allow producing simple devices based on microchannels. The first process is a method to produce polyester based devices. A conventional microelectronic process was used to produce a silicon matrix. This matrix was used to produce blocks of isophthalic resin by in situ polymerization. The best results were obtained by adding 1 % (w/w) silicone oil during the polyester resin preparation. This additive improves the mold relief and the smoothness of the device surface. Channels 14.0-µm depth and roughness of 1.4 µm were obtained with a mold with structure height of 15.3 µm and roughness of 0.5 µm. A flexible sheet of silicone allows forming enclosed microchannels with depth of 5-7 µm. This dimension was evaluated by conductance measurement after filling the channel with KCl solution. A process for glass corrosion, using laser printer toner as resist, was proposed. In this method, the layout is printed over a special sheet of paper using a HP LaserJet 6L laser printer. The paper is used to transfer the toner to a soda-lime glass lamina by a thermic process. Hydrofluoric acid solution was used to promote the selective glass corrosion. Channels 7.1-µm depth and roughness of 1.0 µm were obtained. Although this second method does not give the saroe resolution and aspect ratio as the first one, it is suitable to easy and fast prototyping. Gn the other hand, the first method is suitable for low-cost production of devices in small scale.