Project Summary
October 1, 2015
Microscale technology is an emerging interdisciplinary area combining life sciences and engineering. More recently, the utilization of microfluidic devices as a point of care diagnostic platform has emphasized the strengths of this technology and its potential applications in medicine.
Fabrication of these microscale devices require specialized cleanroom facilities and expensive soft lithography equipment. Limiting the access of this technology only to a small number of research institution with appropriate infrastructure. Therefore low-cost alternatives are necessary to make this technology accessible to health professionals and resource limited institutions.
A mask aligner is the heart of microfabrication facilities. The principle investment and subsequent upkeep is exorbitant, which limits its accessibility in clinical settings and institutions with limited resources. We propose to develop a stand-alone and low-cost mask aligner for the fabrication of microdevices. Our system will be enclosed inside a particle free chamber, eliminating the requirement of a cleanroom facility, and offering the only microfabrication capability at George Mason University.