Dec 21 2010
Panasonic and Imec have launched the lab-on-a-chip sensor’s components for SNP detection. The companies presented the new technology at the International Electronic Devices Meeting held in San Francisco.
The technology includes a micropillar filter that is optimized for DNA separation, a miniaturized pump for on-chip high-pressure generation, and a SNP detector for on-chip detection by using small volumes of the sample.
Imec and Panasonic have combined heterogeneous integration and micro-electronic fabrication, to obtain an advanced microfluidics system for SNP detection. The SNP detection system’s entrance unit samples small blood volumes. The entrance has a miniaturized, high-pressure pump that is based on a latest conductive polymer actuator. The actuator creates high pressures at low voltage, after optimization. To generate fluid flow in the SNP detection system, high pressure is needed.
The DNA separation unit has been developed with an advanced micro-pillar array filter. The array was created using the latest MEMS technology, and it has several micron-scale pillars. The pillar array performs DNA separation based on liquid chromatography. The system offers the highest resolution in the world. It can handle five SNPs simultaneously.
The SNP detection system also features other functional units that are a SNP detection unit, and a DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction unit. The companies demonstrated the system with a volume of 0.5µL, using on-chip sensors.
Source: http://www2.imec.be/be_en/