From batch to continuous manufacturing of micro-biomedical and micro-analytical devices

We demonstrate how manufacturing of miniaturized biosensors, fluidic platforms, drug delivery systems and other micro biomedical devices is relying more and more on non-Si micromanufacturing techniques. The new methodologies are hybrid in nature and merge IC fabrication methods (e.g. lithography) with more traditional manufacturing (e.g, lamination, plastic molding and electroplating). These proposed methods may involve large sheets of materials or may even be continuous, i.e., the number of devices that can be produced per single substrate is larger than that of a Si batch. The techniques are also modular rather than integrated and involve methods such as lamination, drop delivery, pick and place, laser drilling and cutting and other methods borrowed from the IC packaging and PC board industries. These new processes will afford for the first time miniaturized sensors, fluidics and other micro-biomedical devices at a cost that will enable them to become pervasive in our daily lives. The greater modularity in combining different components and the wider choice of materials with the required properties ( e.g. biocompatibility, toughness, and optical transparency) will further accelerate the advent of many more innovative micro biomedical devices. In this paper we first discuss four important technology needs crucial to the realization of inexpensive disposable micro biomedical devices and then show early results obtained in our own laboratories towards the manufacture of three micro-biomedical and micro-analytical devices: disposable biosensors, CD based microfluidic platforms and responsive drug delivery pills.