- Author : Tianqi Chen
- Publisher :
- Release : 2021
- ISBN :
- Pages : 0 pages
3D printed Microfluidics for Cancer Diagnostics and Selforganization of Benzoquinone Particle Flocks
Download or read book 3D printed Microfluidics for Cancer Diagnostics and Selforganization of Benzoquinone Particle Flocks written by Tianqi Chen and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cancer is the second leading cause of death over the world. Early detection is the key to improve the patients' survival with more effective treatment and better recovery, compared to being diagnosed at a late cancer stage. So far, the mostly used and gold-standard cancer diagnostic method is the combination of imaging tests e.g., CT scan and pathological exams after the biopsy. Both techniques require specialized, bulky, and expensive instruments, trained personnel, and long report-waiting time with limited spatial resolution and sensitivity that can miss small lesion of a few cancer cells at the early stage and lead to false negative results. Testing of bodily fluids for cancer biomarkers represents a newer approach that can detect cancers at stages before tumors are measurable. Point-of-care (POC) testing and 3D-printed microfluidics miniaturize the testing, reduce costs and use simplified procedures, offering accessible diagnostic tools for early detection to people in both developed and developing countries. The first part of this thesis is devoted to the development of 3D-printed POC microfluidic immunoarrays for the sensitive detection of various cancer protein biomarkers in a low-cost, rapid, and user-friendly manner. Collective self-organization is a mysterious yet interesting phenomenon observed in many living systems, from flocks of birds organizing into different patterns in the sky to clusters of cells building tissues and organs in the human body. Similar motion can also be found in non-living systems composed of artificial active particles. Non-living systems can be used as simplified models to provide insights into self-organized motion in living systems. Nonlinear thermodynamic forces and flows have been proved to drive the self-organized motion, e.g., Marangoni effect and Marangoni flows. However, energy foraging behavior, a fundamental feature of living systems, has lacked clear demonstrations in non-living systems. The second part of this thesis investigates energy foraging behavior in a system of multiple benzoquinone particles, self-organizing into flocks and seeking for interfacial free energy at the air-water interface.