NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc.
2 Davis Drive, PO Box 13169
Research Triangle Park ,NC 27709 - 3169
(919) 990 - 8566

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Vamsee K Pamula
vkp@liquid-logic.com
2 Davis Drive PO Box 13169
Research Triangle Park, NC  27709 -3169
(919) 990 - 8566

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Advanced Liquid Logic proposes to develop a very capable analyzer based on its digital microfluidic technology. Such an analyzer would be:

 Capable of both simple and complex biological assays
 Small, lightweight, power efficient, and easy to operate
 Fully programmable and remotely reprogrammable

Under NIH funding we have demonstrated clinical chemistry blood diagnostic testing on our lab-on-a-chip platform. Our vision is to develop a portable diagnostic analyzer that performs the same tests as central lab-based analytical equipment with even broader functionality by integrating hematology, pathology, molecular diagnostics, cytology, microbiology, and serology onto the same platform. These diverse tests would be multiplexed to use the same very small body fluid or solid sample. We believe that digital microfluidics is uniquely capable of meeting NASA's requirements because:

 We will be able to address a larger breadth of tests than conventional microfluidics on even smaller sample volumes
 Our technology miniaturizes both the assay and the associated equipment
 Our droplet-based technology provides positive control of each droplet
 Our lab-on-a-chip can be designed for multiple uses, reducing or eliminating the need for disposable components
 Our platform could be integrated with implanted or automated minimally invasive sample extraction techniques

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA requires a small, lightweight, broadly capable, easy-to-use device for body chemistry assessment for its crew, especially for long missions. Current technologies, even microfluidic technologies, can not deliver the breadth of capability required and rely on disposable components, relatively high power consumption, and manual sample preparation. Droplet-based digital microfluidics technology can likely provide the basis for a portable analyzer that can meet all of NASA's requirements.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
A broadly capable and robust portable analyzer would be a commercial success in such diverse applications as bioterrorism detection, food processing and security, medical diagnostics, and research. NASA's contribution to the timely development this powerful platform technology would be quite direct, as many of the requirements and subsystem developments, even a large number of the precise sample materials of interest, would be the same in these other markets.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Biochemical Biomedical and Life Support Biomolecular Sensors Data Input/Output Devices Highly-Reconfigurable Human-Computer Interfaces Optical Sterilization/Pathogen and Microbial Control Teleoperation Ultra-High Density/Low Power