Detection of distributed static and dynamic loads with electrolyte-enabled distributed transducers in a polymer-based microfluidic device

Abstract

This paper reports on the use of electrolyte-enabled distributed transducers in a polymer-based microfluidic device for the detection of distributed static and dynamic loads. The core of the device is a polymer rectangular microstructure integrated with electrolyte-enabled distributed transducers. Distributed loads acting on the polymer microstructure are converted to different deflections along the microstructure length, which are further translated to electrical resistance changes by electrolyte-enabled distributed transducers. Owing to the great simplicity of the device configuration, a standard polymer-based fabrication process is employed to fabricate this device. With custom-built electronic circuits and custom LabVIEW programs, fabricated devices filled with two different electrolytes, 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide electrolyte, are characterized, demonstrating the capability of detecting distributed static and dynamic loads with a single device. As a result, the polymer-based microfluidic device presented in this paper is promising for offering the capability of detecting distributed static and dynamic loads in biomedical/surgical, manufacturing and robotics applications.