Project Scope:
Design and development of a synthesizer capable of automatically and simultaneously synthesizing 8 microarrays in a 24-hour period. Instrument was targeted as a benchtop design geared toward placement at external laboratory facilities. Managed the development using an internal team composed of software, electrical, mechanical, biochemical engineers and technical personnel.
The design was recently the subject of a multimillion dollar development relationship with Furuno LTD and the synthesizer is for sale on the Combimatrix website.
http://www.combimatrix.com/products_custsynth.htm
My Roles:
* Project Manager
* Fluidic Design Engineer
* Control Scripting
* Fluidic modeling: Utilized bulk fluid flow mathematics to estimate pressure and flows within the synthesizer system to reduce reagent usage and time for microarray manufacture.
* Facilitated the U.L. type safety testing for the instrument before external placement.
* Managed a production team through the first wave of manufacture of 15 instruments.
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Scoping and tasking of the project with focus on meaningful milestones.
* Tracking of project and maintaining targeted schedule.
* Mathematical modeling used to guide fluidic design to minimize reagent usage and time to manufacture a microarray.
* Management of interdisciplinary team through design, fabrication and testing of prototypes and final manufacture of 15 instruments.
* Fabrication methods: Standard machining
Project Scope:
Design and development of a dispensed-based microfluidic DNA oligo synthesizer. System was enclosed in an inert environment and reagents were dispensed in parellel into open wells in 5 uL amounts. Dispensing robot was created using multiple x-y stages in combination and the system was controlled using a spreadsheet based scripting language.
My Roles:
* Project Manager
* Microfluidic Design Engineer
* Control Scripting
* Fluidic modeling: Developed a novel mathematical approach combining both surface tension and bulk-fluid-flow models to design and dimension the dispensing ports to provide for equal, parallel and simultaneous dispensing of reagents to wells. Dispensing required careful attention to fluidic inertance to provide for proper release from dispensing device.
* Designed a well plate based on a 384- well microtitre pitch that held synthesis substrate and allowed for proper reagent flow for synthesis.
* Managed a team in designing an enclosure for the system, creating the dispense robot, creating a scripting language, and testing the device.
* Fabrication methods: Standard machining, laser ablation of small holes into Teflon tubing.
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Scoping and tasking of the project with focus on meaningful milestones.
* Tracking of project and maintaining targeted schedule.
* Mathematical modeling used to guide microfluidic design for effective parallel filling of small wells.
* Management of interdisciplinary team through design, fabrication and testing of prototypes.
* Fabrication methods: Standard machining, laser ablation of small holes into Teflon tubing.
Project Scope:
Design and development of a high-throughput dispensing head that simultaneously delivered 800 nanoliters to each well in a 384-well microtitre plate. Each well contained a printed 16 spot array of DNA probes.
My Roles:
* Project Manager
* Mechanical Design Engineer
* Microfluidic Design Engineer
* Fluidic modeling: Developed a novel mathematical approach combining both surface tension and bulk-fluid-flow models to design and dimension the dispensing channels to provide for quick and consistent filling of all 384 wells in parallel.
* Created three different prototypes for the device designed to work with a gasket made from closed-cell foam material. Facilitated testing of the device and tailored prototypes to allow for testing of important variables and project risks.
* Prototypes served as a means of testing three different fabrication methods for the final device: DRIE in silicon combined with wet etching of borosilicate glass and subsequent anodic bonding, standard machining in acrylic combined with thermo-compression bonding, and laser ablation of Kapton combined with pressure sensitive adhesive
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Scoping and tasking of the project with focus on meaningful milestones.
* Tracking of project and maintaining targeted schedule.
* Mathematical modeling used to guide microfluidic design for effective parallel filling of small wells.
* Mechanical design for effective sealing of wells against plate surface.
* Management of laboratory technical personnel in testing of prototypes.
* Fabrication Methods: Laser Ablation, Standard Machining, DRIE, anodic bonding, anisotropic wet-etch of borosilicate glass
Project Scope:
Design and development of a silicon-based micropump for subsequent integration into a lab-on-a-chip system.
For more information go to http://lettuce.me.washington.edu/micropump/
My Roles:
* Microfluidic Design Engineer
* Microfluidic Test Engineer
* Fluidic modeling: Developed a novel approach to input test data (e.g. resonance of pump diaphragm movement, fluid pressure and fluid flows) into a mathematical model used to optimize pump dimensions for maximum output.
* Fabrication methods: Anodic Bonding, micromachining, DRIE
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Development of mathematical models to represent micropump system.
* Experimental design and subsequent data collection for input into micropump system model.
* Correlating mathematical models to working pumps and determining optimal operating parameters.
Project Scope:
Design and development of a disposable clinical device used to house a microslide with 8, 200 microliter wells. Each well contains a printed 184-spot microarray of DNA probes. Product was taken through preliminary prototype testing to industrial design for mass-manufacture.
My Roles:
* Project Manager
* Mechanical Design Engineer
* Microfluidic Design Engineer
* Created two different prototypes for the device and also a gasket out of closed-cell foam material. Facilitated testing of the device and tailored prototypes to allow for testing of important variables and project risks.
* Managed the transfer of specifications to industrial design.
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Scoping and tasking of the project with focus on meaningful milestones.
* Tracking of project and maintaining targeted schedule.
* Microfluidic design for effective filling of small wells.
* Mechanical design for effective sealing of wells against slide surface.
* Mechanical design to compensate for sealing forces while minimizing amount of plastic.
* Transfer of specifications to external vendor for industrial design and managing external efforts.
* Fabrication Methods: Laser Ablation, Standard Machining, Stereolithography, Injection Molding
Project Scope:
Design and development of a convection-based microtitre plate heater for integration into a robotic high-throughput system. Targeted heating a microtitre plate from room temperature to 60C in 30 seconds using air.
My Roles:
* Project Manager
* Fluidic/Heat Design Engineer
* Heat Transfer combined with Fluidic modeling: Used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD ACE+) to guide system design.
* Transferred concepts to mechanical design engineer for subsequent design and fabrication.
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Scoping and tasking of the project.
* Computational-fluid-dynamic modeling used to guide system design for effective heat transfer.
* Fabrication Methods: Standard Machining
Project Scope:
Design and development of a synthesizer capable of automatically and simultaneously synthesizing 50 microarrays in a 24-hour period. Managed the development using a design team external of the company and managed the transfer of the developed technology to my company. Further managed a team taking the instrument through optimization, qualification and safety testing. Project resulted in the placement of the synthesizer at a large pharmaceutical company in Europe within the context of a collaboration.
My Roles:
* Project Manager
* Fluidic Design Engineer
* Control Scripting
* Fluidic modeling: Utilized bulk fluid flow mathematics to estimate pressure and flows within the synthesizer system.
* Facilitated the U.L. based safety testing for the instrument before external placement.
Required Technical Proficiencies:
* Scoping and tasking of the project with focus on meaningful milestones.
* Tracking of project and maintaining targeted schedule.
* Mathematical modeling used to guide fluidic design to minimize reagent usage and time to manufacture a microarray.
* Management of interdisciplinary team through design, fabrication and testing of prototypes and final instrument.
* Fabrication methods: Standard machining