Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Microfluidic devices, which are used in a variety of high-precision biological science applications and assistive technologies, exploit fluids and their properties at the microscale, enabling miniaturized platforms that offer lower cost, faster pace, higher performance, and more portable options than traditional technologies. The proposed Canada Research Chair in Microfluidic Technologies will advance breakthroughs in two sub-fields of the discipline, droplet microfluidics (DM, Theme I) and air microfluidics (AM, Theme II), offering transformative impacts on distinct application areas. Theme I research will deliver the first modular DM platform, a true enabler for non-expert users such as biologists, chemists and material scientists to confidently assemble customized systems for specific applications. Bridging fundamental studies with applied innovation, novel optical and electrical methods for droplet identification will be developed and new knowledge on droplet and system dynamic behaviour will be advanced. Integrated within a plug-and-play assembly, functional modules will drive progress in drug discovery, disease diagnosis and new materials synthesis applications. Theme 2 will deliver similarly transformative impacts in soft robotic wearable assistive technologies, an emerging field supporting rehabilitation from movement disorders including stroke, spinal injury, and limb amputation. Compact, light, and efficient pneumatic technologies provide intermittent compression by pressurizing soft balloon actuators (air pocket that can be inflated and deflated by controlling the air flow to them) close to the body, providing customized therapy for recovery. Where current systems have functional trade-offs between effectiveness and wearability, AM will design soft actuators controlled with a channel network and on-chip valves to advance affordable, effective, truly wearable soft robotic assistive systems. Both themes of research will involve end-users (e.g. biochemists and material scientists for Theme I and physicians, limb amputees, prosthesis designers for Theme II) throughout development to ensure the proposed research programs will not only advance fundamental knowledge, but also address practical problems facing the field. Ultimately, the program aims to improve the lives of Canadians whether through affordable medicine, early disease diagnosis, or wearable systems for stay-home therapeutic treatment.