Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chia-Ying Lee, Tsuimin Tsai, Po-Chun Peng, Chin-Tin Chen
Summary: In this study, doxorubicin-loaded lipid-based nanocarriers were developed using microfluidic technology based on electrostatic interaction. The nanocarriers showed high loading capacity and efficient drug release in an acidic environment. Different lipid compositions were optimized to achieve preferred drug release in acidic environments, leading to improved therapeutic efficacy compared to PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin in vivo.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Libo Gao, Ying Han, James Utama Surjadi, Ke Cao, Wenzhao Zhou, Hongcheng Xu, Xinkang Hu, Mingzhi Wang, Kangqi Fan, Yuejiao Wang, Weidong Wang, Horacio D. Espinosa
Summary: Efforts have been made to improve the sensitivity and working range of flexible pressure sensors for precise measurement of pressure variations. A novel sensor using a magnetic field-induced porous elastomer with micropillar arrays as sensing materials and a patterned nickel fabric as an electrode has been developed, showing ultrahigh sensitivity and a wide working range. The integrated wireless recharging system further enhances the performance and potential applications of the sensor.
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Peng Ma, Shanshan Wang, Jie Wang, Yu Wang, Yue Dong, Shunji Li, Huiying Su, Peng Chen, Xiaojun Feng, Yiwei Li, Wei Du, Bi-Feng Liu
Summary: Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (mu PADs) have the potential to be powerful analytical platforms in various fields due to their low cost and substrate properties for biosensing. However, current fabrication methods have limitations in resolution and material properties. In this study, a bottom-up approach is demonstrated to fabricate paper-based chip arrays with controlled thickness and high resolution. This technology provides a versatile platform for various applications.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ying Hou, Yajing Zheng, Xiaonan Zheng, Yucheng Sun, Xizhen Yi, Zengnan Wu, Jin-Ming Lin
Summary: A method combining cell membrane engineering and droplet microfluidic techniques is designed to fabricate multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs) with uniform size and composition. The method allows for artificial cell aggregation and fabrication of spheroids within alginate microcapsules. It is applicable for various cancer cell lines and allows for the production of composite cancer spheroids with predetermined cell ratios and uniform distributions. The generated MCTSs are assessed using ELISA and UPLC-MS/MS techniques, revealing differences in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance in monotypic and cocultured colon cancer models.
Article
Polymer Science
Xiaozhi Ouyang, Cheng Huang, Sha Cheng, Pengchao Zhang, Wen Chen
Summary: In this study, a microfluidic-based strategy for the continuous fabrication of ultrathin hydrogel films was proposed. This strategy allows for precise control over the thickness of the hydrogel films and can be scaled up. The method shows advantages in producing high uniformity and structural integrity of the hydrogel films without the need for supporting substrates and sophisticated equipment. Therefore, this strategy provides a facile route to produce advanced thin polymer films and promotes their applications in biosensors and wearable electronics.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alice Lunghi, Anna Mariano, Michele Bianchi, Nikita Bhupesh Dinger, Mauro Murgia, Eliana Rondanina, Andrea Toma, Pierpaolo Greco, Michele Di Lauro, Francesca Santoro, Luciano Fadiga, Fabio Biscarini
Summary: This study presents a straightforward approach for fabricating soft interfaces featuring 3D PEDOT:PSS micropillars on a flexible substrate. The 3D micropillars show increased capacitance compared to planar electrodes and support cell adhesion, growth, and influence neurite outgrowth direction. Soft micropillars also act as excellent anchoring loci for elongating neurites, increasing the contact points between cells and electrodes.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junyu Ge, Bin Ding, Shuai Hou, Manlin Luo, Donguk Nam, Hongwei Duan, Huajian Gao, Yee Cheong Lam, Hong Li
Summary: The authors have developed a room-temperature ultrasonic nanoimprinting technique, named nanojackhammer, which addresses the challenges faced by nanoimprinting in imprinting hard materials at low or room temperature and in fabricating complex nanostructures rapidly by capitalizing on the concentration of ultrasonic energy flow at nanoscale.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Robotics
Zihou Wei, Xiao Yu, Shuibin Chen, Rong Cong, Huaping Wang, Qing Shi, Toshio Fukuda, Tao Sun
Summary: Microfluidic printing provides a new tool for the bulk assembly of artificial skeletal muscle structure. However, the poor controllability of microfiber deposition position hinders the realization of anisotropic assembly. In this study, a magnetically-assisted microfluidic printing system was developed to solve this problem. Magnetic nanoparticles were encapsulated in the microfibers, and a spiral magnet was used as the deposition substrate. The method demonstrated the novel micromanipulation strategy of magnetic attraction for stable deposition in a liquid environment and showed high biocompatibility for the fabrication of anisotropic skeletal muscle tissue.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rongjing Zhang, Jaap den Toonder, Patrick R. Onck
Summary: In this study, we investigate the metachronal beating of nonidentical, magnetically-programmed artificial cilia and study their application in microfluidic devices for fluid transport and mixing. Our results show that different metachronal driving patterns lead to different flow characteristics, and left-beating and right-beating metachrony can significantly enhance the mixing rate.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lu Zheng, Mingyu Fang, Wanqun Chen, Dehong Huo, Haitao Li
Summary: Surface textures have a significant impact on surface-functional properties, offering an alternative method for precise control of microfluidic flows. This study investigates the modulation ability of fish-scale surface textures on microfluidic flow behavior based on previous research on vibration machining-induced surface wettability variation. By modifying the wall of the microchannel at the T-junction with different surface textures, a microfluidic directional flow function is proposed. The experimental results demonstrate that the fish-scale surface textures generated by vibration-assisted micromilling can achieve directional liquid flow within a specific input pressure range and greatly improve the mixing efficiency of microfluidics.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Clement Cointe, Adrian Laborde, Lionel G. Nowak, Dina N. Arvanitis, David Bourrier, Christian Bergaud, Ali Maziz
Summary: This study presents a novel batch fabrication approach for flexible intracerebral probes that are ultrathin and versatile. The probes consist of a silk-parylene bilayer, with the silk layer providing temporary stiffening during insertion. The researchers demonstrate successful ex vivo insertion of the probe and high-fidelity recordings of epileptic seizures in mouse brain slices. This technological solution shows great potential for both brain research and clinical therapies.
MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Wang, Ahmed A. Aboalhassan, Chuang Zhu, Liang Zhang, Guang Li, Jianhua Yan, Jianyong Yu, Bin Ding
Summary: A strategy of controlling graphite sheet structures in carbon nanofibers (CNFs) has been reported for the scalable fabrication of silk-like flexible CNF films that can be arbitrarily folded in any shape and can undergo thousands of dynamic bending deformation cycles.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Yong Hou, Yu Wang, Guo-Hua Zhang, Kuo-Chih Chou
Summary: The study successfully synthesized completely dense magnetite-based aluminosilicate glass ceramics with adjustable magnetic properties using the method of hot pressing. The research analyzed the influences of sintering conditions and magnetite contents on magnetic properties and microstructure of samples, finding that optimizing sintering parameters could achieve fully dense microstructure of the glass ceramics.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Md Ehtashamul Haque, Alvaro J. J. Conde, William N. N. MacPherson, Stephen R. R. Knight, Richard M. M. Carter, Maiwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas
Summary: A finger-actuated blood lysate preparation device based on acoustofluidic micromixer is developed for effective red blood cell lysis, which has potential applications in various blood-based diagnostic tests. The device features innovative design and user-friendly operation, offering opportunities for the development of low-cost microfluidic-based diagnostics.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Chuan-Fu Deng, Shi-Hao Yang, Rui Xie, Xiao-Jie Ju, Zhuang Liu, Da-Wei Pan, Jianhong Xu, Guangsheng Luo, Wei Wang, Liang-Yin Chu
Summary: A strategy based on stepwise nesting of basic fractal networks is proposed for modular microfluidic integration, which enables more flexible choices of microchannel dimensions for uniform flow distribution. Compared to the control group, the nested fractal networks can significantly improve the monodispersity of droplet size.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Yanxiao Ren, Jianfeng Cai, Ho Cheung, Hongyu Shao, Kunwa Au, Tszpong Chow, Weijia Wen, Li Ling, Shuyu Chen
Summary: This study proposed a low-cost and easy-to-operate testing protocol to evaluate the long-term antimicrobial performance of a novel WOx paint. The analysis of microbial activity on walls with and without the WOx paint showed that the WOx paint demonstrated effective reduction of microbial activities in the long-term.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sen Ding, Ziyi Dai, Ge Chen, Ming Lei, Qi Song, Yibo Gao, Yinning Zhou, Bingpu Zhou
Summary: This study introduces a simplified approach to fabricate a flexible superhydrophobic film with tunable hierarchical micro/nanostructures, enabling rapid droplet detachment. By optimizing the structure and regulating the energy-transfer process, pancake rebound is achieved on microcones and microcilia, resulting in reduced contact time.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ziyi Dai, Kai Feng, Mingrui Wang, Ming Lei, Sen Ding, Jianyi Luo, Qingsong Xu, Bingpu Zhou
Summary: This study develops a flexible sensor that can perceive bidirectional stimuli and achieve ternary inputs, bringing new possibilities for communication between humans and machines, and has many application advantages.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yujun Shi, Kaijun Zhang, Sen Ding, Zhaoyang Li, Yuhao Huang, Yucong Pi, Dazhe Zhao, Yaowen Zhang, Renkun Wang, Binpu Zhou, Zhi-Xin Yang, Junwen Zhong
Summary: This paper proposes a self-powered piezoelectret sensor based on foamed plastic garbage, which has the advantages of easy fabrication, excellent flexibility, and high equivalent piezoelectric coefficient. The stability of the output is verified through experiments, and the sensor is successfully applied to measure human pressure signals as well as real-time monitoring of human sitting information.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Yuzhang Wei, Qian Zhou, Ziqiang Chi, Bing Ji, Bingpu Zhou, Qingsong Xu
Summary: In this paper, a new force-sensing microinjector with compliant mechanism is introduced. It offers high sensitivity in force sensing through a small stiffness in the direction of microinjection, while providing sufficient load-bearing capability in the lateral direction. The microinjector incorporates a combination of positive-stiffness and negative-stiffness mechanisms to achieve the desired small stiffness. Experimental results demonstrate a two-fold improvement in sensitivity compared to previous work. The developed microinjector has been successfully applied in detecting microinjection force during zebrafish larvae injection, showing promise in regulating the microinjection force.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON AUTOMATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Diqing Su, Joseph Um, Julian Moreno, Zohreh Nemati, Karthik Srinivasan, Junyang Chen, M. Reza Zamani Kouhpanji, Daniel Shore, Kai Wu, Jurgen Kosel, Jaime F. Modiano, Rhonda Franklin, Jian-Ping Wang, Bethanie Stadler
Summary: Magnetic nanowires (MNWs) were explored as potential magnetic tags for cell detection using GMR biosensors. A single MNW provided a signal 2500 times larger than a single magnetic iron oxide nanobead, making it suitable for ultra-low concentration cell detection. The orientation of MNWs with respect to the GMR sensor was found to impact detection performance. OSCA-8 cells tagged with Ni MNWs were successfully detected, with a limit of detection of 133 cells in aqueous solution.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Yuzhang Wei, Zehao Wu, Ziyi Dai, Bingpu Zhou, Qingsong Xu
Summary: A new pre-strained MAE inchworm millirobot with micropillars is proposed in this paper, which uses pre-strained elastomer as a pre-load muscle to contract the soft body and micropillars as tiny feet to anchor the body during locomotion. The robot achieves locomotion capabilities comparable to existing magnetic inchworm robots, demonstrating its potential for various terrains and environments.
Article
Biophysics
Ting Wang, Bing Ji, Zehua Cheng, Ling Chen, Mai Luo, Jinchao Wei, Yuefei Wang, Liang Zou, Yuanzhe Liang, Bingpu Zhou, Peng Li
Summary: Researchers propose a strategy to develop highly reliable and sensitive SERS substrates by constructing Au cores with incompletely wrapped Prussian blue (PB). The balance between signal self-calibration and enhancement is achieved by the approximate semi-wrapping configuration of PB layers on Au cores. The SW-Au@PB nanoparticles show high performance in calibrated SERS signals and enable the detection of hazardous pesticide residues in herbal plants.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Review
Acoustics
Yu Liu, Qiu Yin, Ziyu Huang, Quansheng Cheng, Wenming Zhang, Bingpu Zhou, Yinning Zhou, Zhichao Ma
Summary: Manipulation of micro-objects, specifically in biochemical analysis or clinical diagnostics, is crucial. Acoustic methods, such as sub-MHz acoustic waves, offer various advantages including biocompatibility, tunability, and contactless control. These systems have been widely used in micro-analysis due to their low cost and accessibility from common acoustic devices. The applications of sub-MHz acoustic micromanipulation technologies, which are based on acoustic phenomena like cavitation and acoustic radiation force, hold great promise in biomedical fields for tasks like mixing, pumping, droplet generation, separation, patterning, rotation, propulsion, and actuation. The reviews of recent progresses in these systems highlight their potential for enhancing biomedicines and attracting further investigation.
ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yizhou Li, Zhiming Chen, Youbin Chen, Hao Yang, Junyong Lu, Zhennan Li, Yongyao Chen, Dongyi Ding, Cuiying Zeng, Bingpu Zhou, Hongpeng Liang, Xingpeng Huang, Jiajia Hu, Jingcheng Huang, Jinxiu Wen, Jianyi Luo
Summary: Bio-robot with tactile sensors can simulate human touch on surface characteristics of an object, but obtaining subsurface information is difficult. In this study, a smart bionic finger with subsurface tactile tomography capability is introduced. The bionic finger has an integrated tactile feedback system that allows it to quantitatively respond to force. By setting up force thresholds, the bionic finger can generate layer-by-layer slice images of materials to reveal their internal structures. The feasibility of this subsurface tactile tomography is demonstrated by reconstructing a subsurface 3D profile of artificial human tissue and a flexible circuit system. This bionic finger opens up a nonoptical method for nondestructive testing of the human body and flexible electronics.
CELL REPORTS PHYSICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dan Fang, Sen Ding, Ziyi Dai, Junwen Zhong, Bingpu Zhou
Summary: The merging of flexible technologies with human machine interaction is revolutionizing communication with electrical terminals. A self-powered and wearable HMI interface has been developed using Faraday's law of induction to distinguish the axial directions of in-plane force. This interface design inspires the development of flexible and wearable devices with robustness, accuracy, and reliability in HMI applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Altynay Kaidarova, Nathan R. Geraldi, Rory P. Wilson, Juergen Kosel, Mark G. Meekan, Victor M. Eguiluz, Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, Atif Shamim, Hanguang Liao, Mani Srivastava, Swapnil Sayan Saha, Michael S. Strano, Xiangliang Zhang, Boon S. Ooi, Mark Holton, Lloyd W. Hopkins, Xiaojia Jin, Xun Gong, Flavio Quintana, Adylkhan Tovasarov, Assel Tasmagambetova, Carlos M. Duarte
Summary: Human societies rely on marine ecosystems, which are still experiencing degradation. This article discusses the adaptation of sensors and wearable technology developed for humans to improve marine monitoring. It highlights the barriers to transitioning this technology from land to sea, updates on sensor developments for ocean observation, and advocates for wider use of wearables on marine organisms. The authors propose that widespread use of wearables could contribute to an 'internet of marine life' and inform strategies for marine conservation and restoration.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Johanna Zikulnig, Lukas Neumaier, Martin Lenzhofer, Sandro Carrara, Juergen Kosel
Summary: This article reports on the development and characterization of resistive humidity sensors based on Chitosan on a glass substrate. The sensor electrodes are made of laser-induced graphene derived from Chitosan, which eliminates the need for additional materials during fabrication, representing a sustainability advancement. The Chitosan-based sensors exhibit high sensitivity in a wide range of humidity levels and good stability, making them an attractive solution for various humidity sensing applications.
IEEE SENSORS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
C. Bran, J. A. Fernandez-Roldan, J. A. Moreno, A. Fraile Rodriguez, R. P. del Real, A. Asenjo, E. Saugar, J. Marques-Marchan, H. Mohammed, M. Foerster, L. Aballe, J. Kosel, M. Vazquez, O. Chubykalo-Fesenko
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of domain walls in cylindrical magnetic Ni nanowires with geometrical notches. Experimental results show that larger current densities induce domain wall nucleation, while smaller currents preferentially move domain walls in the antiparallel direction to the current. Thermal modeling suggests that larger current densities temporarily raise the temperature in the nanowire above the Curie temperature, resulting in the nucleation of domain walls during system cooling. Micromagnetic modeling reveals that for intermediate current densities, Bloch point domain walls with chirality parallel to the Oersted field propagate antiparallel to the current direction.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Jing Liu, Fei Liao, Zhiming Chen, Renhao Zhou, Xiaoming Zhong, Bo Liu, Zaijun Wang, Mingyi He, Hongxu Lin, Zibin Zhang, Shengsheng Lu, Leyi Zeng, Bingpu Zhou, Guoning Chen, Jingchen Huang, Aiping Huang, Jianyi Luo
Summary: By introducing a bending sensor, a humanoid robot can learn to be more dexterous. This sensor can detect human motion and enable the robot to imitate human actions. It can recognize the movement of finger joints and record the grasping process of the upper limb, allowing for the grasping of objects with different sizes and weights.
ADVANCED INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS
(2023)
