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Thermal transport behavior of austenite stainless steel stripe (304) and the carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) films of varying thickness are studied using a micropipette thermal sensor. Micropipette sensors of various tip sizes were fabricated and tested for the sensitivity and reliability. The sensitivity deviated by 0.11 for a batch of pipette coated under same physical vapor deposition (PVD) setting without being affected by a tip size. Annealing, rubber coating and the vertical landing test of the pipette sensor proved to be promising in increasing the reliability and durability of the pipette sensors. A micro stripe (80µm × 6µm × 0.6µm) of stainless steel, fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) machining, was characterized whose thermal conductivity was determined to be 14.9 W/m-K at room temperature. Similarly, the thermal characterization of CNT films showed the decreasing tendency in the thermal transport behavior with the increase in the film thickness.

The thesis describes novel glass micropipette thermal sensor fabricated in cost-effective manner and thermal conductivity measurement of carbon nanotubes (CNT) thin film using the developed sensor. Various micrometer-sized sensors, which range from 2 µm to 30 µm, were produced and tested. The capability of the sensor in measuring thermal fluctuation at micro level with an estimated resolution of ±0.002oC is demonstrated. The sensitivity of sensors was recorded from 3.34 to 8.86 µV/oC, which is independent of tip size and dependent on the coating of Nickel. The detailed experimental setup for thermal conductivity measurement of CNT film is discussed and 73.418 W/moC was determined as the thermal conductivity of the CNT film at room temperature.

This thesis describes the use of a micropipette deflection technique to measure the viscous forces experienced by the millimeter sized undulatory swimmer and model organism C. elegans. Using a specialized pipette, we are able to simultaneously measure both the lateral and propulsive forces acting on the worm. We find that the measured force curves are well described by Resistive Force Theory, which is a low Reynolds number hydrodynamic model. This work constitutes the first justification of its applicability at Reynolds numbers of this magnitude (roughly 0.1). Through our comparison with Resistive Force Theory, we extract the worm's drag coefficients, which are in agreement with an existing theoretical prediction. Through a simple scaling argument, we obtain a relationship between the size of the worm and the typical viscous forces, which is in good agreement with our data. We also present a study aimed at measuring how the hydrodynamic forces on the worm change in proximity to solid boundaries. Using micropipette deflection, forces are measured at controlled distances from a single planar boundary and midway in between two parallel boundaries. We find the viscous forces and drag coefficients to increase significantly as the worm approaches a boundary. We find a constant value for the ratio of normal to tangential drag coefficients at all distances from a single boundary, but measure it to increase significantly as the worm is confined between two boundaries. In addition, the worm is seen to undergo a continuous gait modulation, primarily characterized by a decreased swimming amplitude, as it is subject to larger drag forces in confinement. Finally, the interactions between two worms swimming nearby one another are probed. Worms are held adjacent to one another using micropipettes, and are found to tangle with each other, rather than interact hydrodynamically. We develop simple models that well capture the onset and probability of tangles as a function of the separation distance between the worms. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Ce travail est basé sur l'intuition que seul de nouveaux systèmes biomimétiques permettant un contrôle de la localisation spatiale des phénomènes d’oxydation peuvent conduire à une compréhension profonde de l’oxydation des lipides dans les cellules eucaryotes. Nous avons donc développé un nouveau type de molécule photosensible pouvant être ancré dans des Vésicules Géantes Unilamellaires (GUVs). Nous montrons dans cette étude que, pour le cas particulier de l’hydroperoxydation, contrôler la distribution spatiale permet une sélection des réactions d’oxydation, ce qui nécessite également une adaptation des stratégies de traitement antioxydant. En association avec de nouvelles techniques pour la quantification des événements d’oxydation, ces nouveaux modèles fournissent un scénario complet des mécanismes d’hydroperoxydation, de la production des espèces réactives (1O2) aux modifications physiques et chimiques induites dans les bicouches auto-assemblées. Nous montrons que les GUVs sont capables de survivre lorsque tous les lipides sont hydroperoxydés, confirmant que l’intégrité de la membrane est conservée dans ces conditions d’oxydation. Notre expérience permet de mesurer avec une bonne précision : l’augmentation d’aire produite sous hydroperoxydation, les modifications des propriétés mécaniques de la membrane, ainsi que l’efficacité d’hydroperoxydation. Pour une compréhension approfondie, les modifications moléculaires sous oxydation ont été étudiées à l’interface eau-air en utilisant des monocouches de lipides. / Our contribution to research in the area of lipid oxidation in eukariotic cells is based on the central intuition that progress can only be achieved in new biomimetic membrane systems where the spatial localization of the oxidation events might be controlled and monitored. Accordingly, we have developed new photosensitizer agents that can be anchored in Giant Unilamelar Vesicles (GUVs). It is important to stress that progress in the control of the spatial distribution of oxidation allows for a selection of the oxidation pathways, as we show in this study for the particular case of hydroperoxidation, and therefore constrains anti-oxidant strategies. In association with new tools for the quantification of the oxidation events, these new models have provided a complete scenario for the hydroperoxidation mechanisms, from the production of the oxidant species (1O2) to the final chemical and physical modifications induced on the self-assembled bilayers. We report that GUVsare able to survive full hydroperoxidation, showing that membrane integrity can be preserved under these oxidation conditions. Our experimental setup allows to measure the relative area increase produced upon peroxidation, the associated change in mechanical properties of the membrane and also the hydroperoxidation efficiency, all of them with good precisions. Further insights into the molecular modifications under oxidation have been studied at the air –water interface, using lipid monolayers.

This research presents a system for mechanically characterizing single cells using automated micropipette aspiration. Using vision-based control and position control, the system controls a micromanipulator, a motorized translation stage, and a custom-built pressure system to position a micropipette (4 $\mu$m opening) to approach a cell, form a seal, and aspirate the cell into the micropipette for quantifying the cell's elastic and viscoelastic parameters as well as viscosity. Image processing algorithms were developed to provide controllers with real-time visual feedback and to accurately measure cell deformation behavior on the fly. Experiments on both solid-like and liquid-like cells demonstrated that the system is capable of efficiently performing single-cell micropipette aspiration and has low operator skill requirements. Once the system was validated, it was used to study voided urine cells. In this study, the mechanical properties of bladder carcinoma cells were investigated.

This research presents a system for mechanically characterizing single cells using automated micropipette aspiration. Using vision-based control and position control, the system controls a micromanipulator, a motorized translation stage, and a custom-built pressure system to position a micropipette (4 $\mu$m opening) to approach a cell, form a seal, and aspirate the cell into the micropipette for quantifying the cell's elastic and viscoelastic parameters as well as viscosity. Image processing algorithms were developed to provide controllers with real-time visual feedback and to accurately measure cell deformation behavior on the fly. Experiments on both solid-like and liquid-like cells demonstrated that the system is capable of efficiently performing single-cell micropipette aspiration and has low operator skill requirements. Once the system was validated, it was used to study voided urine cells. In this study, the mechanical properties of bladder carcinoma cells were investigated.

This thesis presents the development of a micro-aspirator chip using vacuum expanded microchannels for mechanical characterization of single cells. Mechanical properties of cells can offer valuable insights into the pathogenic basis of diseases and can serve as a biomarker to identify cells depending on disease state, and thus have the potential for use in human disease diagnostic applications. Micropipette aspiration and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are the most commonly used techniques for measuring mechanical properties of single cells. Though powerful and versatile, both methods have two drawbacks. First, micromanipulation of glass micropipettes and AFM tips require expertise and extensive operator skills. Second, the serial manipulation process severely limits the throughput. Although recently reported microfluidic micropipette device showed the potential of microfluidic chip type micropipette aspiration, difficulty in cell trapping and unnatural cell deformation remain to be solved. In order to address these limitations, a high-throughput micro-aspirator chip, which can deliver, trap, and deform multiple cells simultaneously with single-cell resolution without skill-dependent micromanipulation was developed. The micro-aspirator chip is composed of 20 arrays of cell traps and aspiration channels. The principle of cell trapping is based on differences in flow resistance inside the microfluidic channels. Once the first cell trap is filled with a cell, the next cell coming in passes by the trap and is captured in the next trap. After all traps are filled with cells, negative pressure can then be applied to the integrated aspiration channels using hydrostatic pressure. The aspiration channels are positioned at the center of a trapped cell both in vertical and horizontal directions to obtain a good seal just like a traditional micropipette, a design made possible through a vacuum expanded raised microfluidic channel fabrication technique. Device operation was demonstrated using HeLa cells. The cell trapping efficiency was almost 100 percent. Using this device, Young's modulus of 1.3 ± 0.8 kPa (n = 54) was obtained for HeLa cells. Device to device variation was less than 15.2 percent (n = 3), showing good repeatability of the device. No dependence of the Young's modulus on the cell diameter was found.

The research presented in this thesis focusses on the experimental study of two fundamental questions: the crystal-to-glass transition and how aggregates of adhesive droplets spread on a surface. Aggregates made of lightly adhesive oil droplets are used as models for crystals or amorphous glasses. The force applied on the aggregates can be directly measured as they are compressed. A large portion of the work focusses on the crystal-to-glass transition and tries to answer the following question: how many defects are needed in a crystal for its mechanical response to be like a glass? To answer this question, the mechanical response of a perfect mono-crystal is measured. It is found that crystals deform elastically until they fail catastrophically in a single event once the force exceeds a critical value: the yield stress. The force measured during the compression of a crystal shows a well defined number of peaks which only depends on the initial geometry of the aggregate. As defects are added (the amount of disorder increased) the number of peaks in the force measurement increases rapidly before it saturates at a value obtained for model glasses. The magnitude of the force peaks also decreases as disorder is introduced. This work concludes that even a small amount of disorder in a crystal has a significant impact on its mechanical properties. In the second project, the spreading of a monodisperse aggregate of oil droplets is studied. Droplets are added one-by-one to a growing aggregate and the area covered on the interface is measured. It is found that after an initial 3D growth, the height of the aggregate saturates and the growth only happens in 2D along the horizontal direction. The growth is analogous to a puddle of liquid. In analogy with the capillary length in liquids, the ``granular capillary length" is introduced to characterize the balance between buoyancy acting on the droplets and the adhesion strength. The height of the aggregates, in the later stage of the growth, is set by this length scale. A method was developed to characterize the adhesion between two droplets, a key parameter in this experiment, as a function of the relevant experimental parameters. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This is a `sandwich thesis' comprising three distinct research streams I have pursued during the course of my master's degree. The first two streams have concluded, each resulting in a manuscript that is presented as a separate chapter of this thesis. The third research stream is ongoing, but preliminary results are presented in another chapter of this thesis. The first research stream presented in this thesis concerns the development of a technique to produce droplets with diameters as small as 5 microns with an extremely narrow size distribution in comparison to other methods. Other advantages of this technique, known as he snap-offf method, include its simplicity and ease of tuning droplet size. The results of this research are presented in chapter 3 in the form of a manuscript that is currently in press. The second research stream of this thesis explores the physics that drive droplet snap-off. A model was developed to predict the size of droplets, dependent on fluid properties, system geometry, and fluid flow rate. Experiments examined each of these parameters in turn, providing a cohesive understanding of the mechanism behind droplet snap-off. Multiple unanticipated predictions of the model were also verified experimentally. This research is presented in chapter 4 as a manuscript that will be submitted shortly. The final research stream of this thesis investigates forces in emulsions as they relate to a transition from glassy to crystalline dynamics. Specifically, 2D aggregates of droplets were compressed with micropipettes, providing both imaging of cluster evolution, as well as the force applied during compression. This research stream has demonstrated qualitative differences between droplet clusters that differ in composition so as to behave like crystals, glasses, or intermediate states. More quantitative analysis is required before this research stream is ready to be published. Preliminary results are presented in chapter 5. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)