Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical Microsystems XXI

The purpose of this conference is to provide an international technical forum to showcase recent advances in microfluidics, BioMEMS, and medical microsystems. Microfluidic devices and systems have created a tremendous interest in many application fields, including life sciences, point of care (POC) diagnostics, and environmental applications. They offer many advantages over the existing macroscale systems, including compact size, disposability, higher speed and parallelism of analyses, increased functionality and decreased sample/reagent volumes. In the life sciences, recent research efforts have focused on bio/chemical analyses, pharmaceutical high-throughput systems, and biomaterial surface modification. The interaction of microsystems with living cells and tissues opens a pathway to novel methods of medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Thus, the range of interests has expanded from the molecular scale over single cells to more complex biological systems, and finally, living organisms. Further, several conventional methods in medical engineering for diagnosis and therapy have also been shifting towards miniaturization and MEMS technologies, including minimally invasive surgery, in vivo and ex vivo monitoring, and smart implants. Last, but not least, environmental applications have focused on developing inexpensive sensors for in situ monitoring of contaminants in the environment for public safety or measuring a person's exposure to environmental contamination.

For many of these applications, microfluidics and other MEMS technologies are essential, as they provide the functional basis of many research tools as well as commercial devices and applications. Thus, over the past several years, there has been a significant increase in the activities associated with understanding, development, and application of micromechanical and microfluidic devices and systems for BioMEMS and medical microsystems.

Papers are solicited on the following major topics and other related subjects:

Micro/Nano Fluidic Components

• fluid delivery, transport, and control
• micro -valves, -pumps, -mixers, and -reactors
• nanofluidic devices and systems
• microdroplet generation and manipulations
• micro-heating/cooling devices
• emerging microfluidic approaches (inertial microfluidics,electrofluidics, paper/textile microfluidics)
• optofluidics
• CAD, modeling, and analysis.

Microfabrication Technologies for Microfluidics and BioMEMS

• polymer microfabrication methods
• emerging fabrication technologies (e.g., 3D printing/additive manufacturing)
• fluidic modules and interconnects
• fluidic packaging and assembly
• microstructuring of organic materials
• functional materials for microfluidics and BioMEMS
• surface texturing and modification.

Applications of Microfluidics, BioMEMS, and Medical Microsystems

• point-of-care (POC) medical monitoring and diagnostics
• nano bio/medical sensors
• optofluidics, on-chip waveguides and optical detection
• cell-based sensing devices and systems, flow cytometry
• implantable medical microsystems
• sensors and systems for environmental monitoring
• sensors and systems for in vitro/in vivo monitoring and diagnosis
• cells, tissues, and organisms on-a-chip
• microfluidic-based drug development and analysis.