Macro-scale System Research Articles

On-Chip Dynamic Mode Atomic Force Microscopy: A Silicon-on-Insulator MEMS Approach

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is an invaluable scientific tool; however, its conventional implementation as a relatively costly macroscale system is a barrier to its more widespread use. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) approach to AFM design has the potential to significantly reduce the cost and complexity of the AFM, expanding its utility beyond current applications. This paper presents an on-chip AFM based on a silicon-on-insulator MEMS fabrication process. The device features integrated xy electrostatic actuators and electrothermal sensors as well as an AlN piezoelectric layer for out-of-plane actuation and integrated deflection sensing of a microcantilever. The three-degree-of-freedom design allows the probe scanner to obtain topographic tapping-mode AFM images with an imaging range of up to 8μm × 8μm in closed loop.

Stabilization of ion concentration polarization layer using micro fin structure for high-throughput applications.

Ion concentration polarization (ICP) has been extensively researched concerning new fundamentals in nanoscale electrokinetics and novel engineering applications. While biomedical and environmental ICP applications have a number of advantages compared to conventional methods, the technique has suffered from the critical limitation of low processing capacity because it has been usually presented in a micro/nanofluidic platform. In this paper, we devised micro fin structures inside a macroscale high-throughput ICP device and successfully demonstrated a stable formation of ICP layer and its performance. Since the fin structures created surface conductive fluidic circumstances and assisted in physically suppressing undesirable electrokinetic vortices generated in this fluidic regime, ICP was stably generated even in this macroscale system. Finally, batch-type droplet ICP preconcentrator and continuous-type ICP separator were introduced as examples for high-throughput millimeter-scale ICP devices using the implanted fin structures.

Eco-efficiency and its determinants at a tourism destination: A case study of Huangshan National Park, China

This study creates a comprehensive evaluation index system, including undesirable outputs and a Slacks-Based Measure-Data Envelopment Analysis model, to analyse the characteristics and evolution of eco-efficiency at an individual tourism destination. This study also empirically identifies the determinants of eco-efficiency. Huangshan National Park, one of the most iconic and highly visited national parks in China, was chosen as the study site. The study results indicate that eco-efficiency has improved continuously. Pure technical efficiency is higher than scale efficiency, while eco-efficiency is more relevant to scale efficiency than to pure technical efficiency. The evolution of eco-efficiency undergoes four stages: an initial inefficient stage, a rapid growth stage, a mature efficient stage and a downside risk stage. Moreover, tourism development, industrial structure and technical level have significantly positive impacts on eco-efficiency, but investment level displays the opposite trend. Environmental regulation emphasizing waste control does not effectively promote eco-efficiency. Finally, theoretical and practical contributions of the findings are discussed in the context of eco-efficiency at a tourism destination. For instance, an eco-efficiency analysis of a destination should treat the tourism destination as a macro-scale system with complex evolutionary rules and should combine this perspective with theory, such as the tourist area cycle of evolution proposed by Butler in 1980.

A multi-scale analysis of drug transport and response for a multi-phase tumour model

In this article, we consider the spatial homogenisation of a multi-phase model for avascular tumour growth and response to chemotherapeutic treatment. The key contribution of this work is the derivation of a system of homogenised partial differential equations describing macroscopic tumour growth, coupled to transport of drug and nutrient, that explicitly incorporates details of the structure and dynamics of the tumour at the microscale. In order to derive these equations, we employ an asymptotic homogenisation of a microscopic description under the assumption of strong interphase drag, periodic microstructure, and strong separation of scales. The resulting macroscale model comprises a Darcy flow coupled to a system of reaction–advection partial differential equations. The coupled growth, response, and transport dynamics on the tissue scale are investigated via numerical experiments for simple academic test cases of microstructural information and tissue geometry, in which we observe drug- and nutrient-regulated growth and response consistent with the anticipated dynamics of the macroscale system.

Determining iron oxide nanoparticle heating efficiency and elucidating local nanoparticle temperature for application in agarose gel-based tumor model

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) have been developed for magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) cancer therapy, where cancer cells are treated through the heat generated by application of a high frequency magnetic field. This heat has also been proposed as a mechanism to trigger release of chemotherapy agents. In each of these cases, MNPs with optimal heating performance can be used to maximize therapeutic effect while minimizing the required dosage of MNPs. In this study, the heating efficiencies (or specific absorption rate, SAR) of two types of MNPs were evaluated experimentally and then predicted from their magnetic properties. MNPs were also incorporated in the core of poly(ethylene glycol-b-caprolactone) micelles, co-localized with rhodamine B fluorescent dye attached to polycaprolactone to monitor local, nanoscale temperatures during magnetic heating. Despite a relatively high SAR produced by these MNPs, no significant temperature rise beyond that observed in the bulk solution was measured by fluorescence in the core of the magnetic micelles. MNPs were also incorporated into a macro-scale agarose gel system that mimicked a tumor targeted by MNPs and surrounded by healthy tissues. The agarose-based tumor models showed that targeted MNPs can reach hyperthermia temperatures inside a tumor with a sufficient MNP concentration, while causing minimal temperature rise in the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.

Construction of Modular Hydrogel Sheets for Micropatterned Macro-scaled 3D Cellular Architecture.

Hydrogels can be patterned at the micro-scale using microfluidic or micropatterning technologies to provide an in vivo-like three-dimensional (3D) tissue geometry. The resulting 3D hydrogel-based cellular constructs have been introduced as an alternative to animal experiments for advanced biological studies, pharmacological assays and organ transplant applications. Although hydrogel-based particles and fibers can be easily fabricated, it is difficult to manipulate them for tissue reconstruction. In this video, we describe a fabrication method for micropatterned alginate hydrogel sheets, together with their assembly to form a macro-scale 3D cell culture system with a controlled cellular microenvironment. Using a mist form of the calcium gelling agent, thin hydrogel sheets are easily generated with a thickness in the range of 100 - 200 µm, and with precise micropatterns. Cells can then be cultured with the geometric guidance of the hydrogel sheets in freestanding conditions. Furthermore, the hydrogel sheets can be readily manipulated using a micropipette with an end-cut tip, and can be assembled into multi-layered structures by stacking them using a patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) frame. These modular hydrogel sheets, which can be fabricated using a facile process, have potential applications of in vitro drug assays and biological studies, including functional studies of micro- and macrostructure and tissue reconstruction.

Construction of Modular Hydrogel Sheets for Micropatterned Macro-scaled 3D Cellular Architecture

Hydrogels can be patterned at the micro-scale using microfluidic or micropatterning technologies to provide an in vivo-like three-dimensional (3D) tissue geometry. The resulting 3D hydrogel-based cellular constructs have been introduced as an alternative to animal experiments for advanced biological studies, pharmacological assays and organ transplant applications. Although hydrogel-based particles and fibers can be easily fabricated, it is difficult to manipulate them for tissue reconstruction. In this video, we describe a fabrication method for micropatterned alginate hydrogel sheets, together with their assembly to form a macro-scale 3D cell culture system with a controlled cellular microenvironment. Using a mist form of the calcium gelling agent, thin hydrogel sheets are easily generated with a thickness in the range of 100 - 200 µm, and with precise micropatterns. Cells can then be cultured with the geometric guidance of the hydrogel sheets in freestanding conditions. Furthermore, the hydrogel sheets can be readily manipulated using a micropipette with an end-cut tip, and can be assembled into multi-layered structures by stacking them using a patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) frame. These modular hydrogel sheets, which can be fabricated using a facile process, have potential applications of in vitro drug assays and biological studies, including functional studies of micro- and macrostructure and tissue reconstruction.

Line-Scan Macro-scale Raman Chemical Imaging for Authentication of Powdered Foods and Ingredients

Adulteration and fraud for powdered foods and ingredients are rising food safety risks that threaten consumers’ health. In this study, a newly developed line-scan macro-scale Raman imaging system using a 5-W 785-nm line laser as excitation source was used to authenticate food powders. The system was used to collect hyperspectral Raman images in a wave number range of 102–2865 cm−1 from three representative food powders mixed with selected chemical adulterants with a concentration of 0.5 %, including milk powder and melamine, wheat flour and benzoyl peroxide, and corn starch and maleic anhydride. An acoustic mixer that generates high-intensity acoustic waves was used to create food-adulterant mixtures. Maximum penetration depths of the line laser through powders of milk, flour, and starch were all estimated at 3 mm using layered food-on-adulterant samples. All the mixed samples were placed in sample holders with a surface area of 50 mm × 50 mm and a depth of 3 mm to ensure the adulterant particles at the very bottom can still be detected. Raman spectral and image processing algorithms were developed based on fluorescence correction and single-band images at unique Raman peaks of the individual adulterants. Chemical images were created to show identification, spatial distribution, and morphological features of the adulterant particles mixed in the food powders. The potential of estimating mass concentrations of the adulterants using the percentages of the adulterant pixels in the chemical images (i.e., volume concentrations) was also demonstrated.

An Electrochemical Micro-System for Clozapine Antipsychotic Treatment Monitoring

Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic medication for schizophrenia, but it is underutilized because of the inability to effectively monitor its treatment efficacy and side effects. In this work, we demonstrate the first analytical micro-system for real-time monitoring of clozapine serum levels. An electrochemical lab-on-a-chip is developed and integrated with a catechol-chitosan redox cycling system. The microfabricated device incorporates 4 electrochemical reaction chambers with the capability of analyzing microliter-volume samples. Integration of the catechol-chitosan film amplifies the clozapine oxidative signal and improves the signal-to-noise ratio, which addresses sensitivity and selectivity challenges. Optimization of the redox cycling system fabrication parameters and analysis of various electrochemical techniques and data processing approaches is implemented to maximize clozapine detection performance. The device is tested with buffer samples containing clozapine and demonstrates a sensitivity of 54μCmLcm−2μg−1 and a limit-of-detection of 0.8μgmL−1, a sensing performance similar to a counterpart macro-scale benchtop system. Importantly, the feasibility to differentiate between 0.33μgmL−1 and 3.27μgmL−1 clozapine concentrations in human serum without any preceding dilution or filtering procedures is demonstrated, a significant step towards utilizing point-of-care testing micro-systems for schizophrenia treatment management. With these micro-systems, we envision more effective and safe treatment that will enable fewer visits to the clinicians, decrease costs and patient burden.

粘弾性流体により掃引されるマイクロキャビティ内の慣性弾性不安定

Inertio-elastic instability characteristics of visco-elastic fluids sweeping a micro-cavity mounted in a micro-duct have been investigated in order to develop a effective micro mixer. The cavity depth, the cavity length and the width of the wider flow path were fixed at 200, 1,000 and 400 μm, respectively while the solvent Reynolds number was changed from 0.100 to 100. As a visco-elastic fluid, a cationic surfactant/counter-ion system was applied. The molar ratio of counter-ion to surfactant was changed from 1.5 to 10 in order to control rheological characteristics of the fluid. Flow visualization experiments were performed with a high-speed camera mounted on a microscope. From the results, it was that a tonguing motion of the separation fluid bubble tip formed in the downstream region in the cavity occurs at a certain Weissenberg number larger than 200 due to the inertio-elastic instability. The fluctuating bulge structure was also observed on the upstream side wall of the cavity in a higher range of the Weissenberg number. These characteristics were considered to be effective for a mixing process. It was also found that the separation bubble size is determined with Weissenberg number for all fluids treated in this study, but the previous correlation suggested for a macro-scale system does not agree with the present results. This indicated that some different relaxation structure exists in a micro-scale system.

Energetic particles and multi-scale dynamics in fusion plasmas

The role of energetic particles (EPs) in fusion plasmas is unique as they could act as mediators of cross-scale couplings. More specifically, EPs can drive instabilities on the macro- and meso-scales and intermediate between the microscopic thermal ion Larmor radius and the macroscopic plasma equilibrium scale lengths. On one hand, EP driven shear Alfvén waves (SAWs) could provide a nonlinear feedback onto the macro-scale system via the interplay of plasma equilibrium and fusion reactivity profiles. On the other hand, EP-driven instabilities could also excite singular radial mode structures at SAW continuum resonances, which, by mode conversion, yield microscopic fluctuations that may propagate and be absorbed elsewhere, inducing nonlocal behaviors. The above observations thus suggest that a theoretical approach based on advanced kinetic treatment of both EPs and thermal plasma is more appropriate for burning fusion plasmas. Energetic particles, furthermore, may linearly and nonlinearly (via SAWs) excite zonal structures, acting, thereby, as generators of nonlinear equilibria that generally evolve on the same time scale of the underlying fluctuations. These issues are presented within a general theoretical framework, discussing evidence from both numerical simulation results and experimental observations. Analogies of fusion plasmas dynamics with problems in condensed matter physics, nonlinear dynamics, and accelerator physics are also emphasized.

On the design of an energy-harvesting protocol stack for Body Area Nano-NETworks

Body Area Nano-NETworks (BANNETs) consist of integrated nano-machines, diffused in the human body for collecting diagnostic information and tuning medical treatments. Endowed with communication capabilities, such nano-metric devices can interact with each other and the external micro/macro world, thus enabling advanced health-care services (e.g., therapeutic, monitoring, sensing, and telemedicine tasks). Due to limited computational and communication capabilities of nano-devices, as well as their scarce energy availability, the design of powerful BANNET systems represents a very challenging research activity for upcoming years. Starting from the most significant and recent findings of the research community, this work provides a further step ahead by proposing a hierarchical network architecture, which integrates a BANNET and a macro-scale health-care monitoring system and two different energy-harvesting protocol stacks that regulate the communication among nano-devices during the execution of advanced nano-medical applications. The effectiveness of devised solutions and the comparison with the common flooding-based communication technique have been evaluated through computer simulations. Results highlight pros and cons of considered approaches and pave the way for future activities in the Internet of Nano-Things and nano-medical research fields.

Self-consistent modeling of the influence of texture on thermal expansion in polycrystalline TATB

This paper presents a modeling approach for simulating the anisotropic thermal expansion of polycrystalline (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) TATB-based explosives which utilizes microstructural information including the porosity, crystal aspect ratio and processing-induced texture. A self-consistent homogenization procedure is used to relate the macroscopic thermoelastic response to the constitutive behavior of single-crystal TATB. The model includes a representation of the grain aspect ratio, porosity and, crystallographic texture attributed to the consolidation process. A quantitative model is proposed for describing the evolution of the preferred orientation of basal planes in TATB during consolidation and an algorithm constructed for developing a discrete representation of the associated orientation distribution function. Analytical and numerical solutions using this model are shown to produce textures consistent with previous measurements and characterization for isostatically and uniaxially ‘die-pressed’ specimens.Predicted thermal strain versus temperature results for textured specimens are shown to be in agreement with corresponding experimental measurements. Results from these simulations are used to identify qualitative trends. Key conclusions from this work include the following. Both porosity and grain aspect ratio have an influence on the thermal expansion of polycrystal TATB, considering realistic material variability. The preferred orientation of the single-crystal TATB [0 0 1] poles within a polycrystal gives rise to pronounced anisotropy of the macroscopic thermal expansion. The extent of this preferred orientation depends on the magnitude of the deformation and, consequently, is expected to vary spatially throughout manufactured components much like the porosity. The modeling approach presented here has utility toward bringing spatially variable microstructural features into macroscale system engineering models.

Near-grazing dynamics of base excited cantilevers with nonlinear tip interactions

In this article, nonsmooth dynamics of impacting cantilevers at different scales is explored through a combination of analytical, numerical, and experimental efforts. For off-resonance and harmonic base excitations, period-doubling events close to grazing impacts are experimentally studied in a macroscale system and a microscale system. The macroscale test apparatus consists of a base excited aluminum cantilever with attractive and repulsive tip interactions. The attractive force is generated through a combination of magnets, one located at the cantilever structure’s tip and another attached to a high-resolution translatory stage. The repulsive forces are generated through impacts of the cantilever tip with the compliant material that covers the magnet on the translatory stage. The microscale system is an atomic force microscope cantilever operated in tapping mode. In this mode, this microcantilever experiences a long-range attractive van der Waals force and a repulsive force as the cantilever tip comes close to the sample. The qualitative changes observed in the experiments are further explored through numerical studies, assuming that the system response is dominated by the fundamental cantilever vibratory mode. In both the microscale and macroscale cases, contact is modeled by using a quadratic repulsive force. A reduced-order model, which is developed on the basis of a single mode approximation, is employed to understand the period-doubling phenomenon experimentally observed close to grazing in both the macroscale and microscale systems. The associated near-grazing dynamics is examined by carrying out local analyses with Poincare map constructions to show that the observed period-doubling events are possible for the considered nonlinear tip interactions. In the corresponding experiments, the stability of the observed grazing periodic orbits has been assessed by constructing the Jacobian matrix from the experimentally obtained Poincare map. The present study also sheds light on the use of macroscale systems to understand near-grazing dynamics in microscale systems.

Response Measurement Accuracy for Off-Resonance Excitation in Atomic Force Microscopy

Displacement measurement in atomic force microscopy (AFM) is most commonly obtained indirectly by measuring the slope of the AFM probe and applying a calibration factor. Static calibration techniques operate on the assumption that the probe response approximates single mode behavior. For off-resonance excitation or different operating conditions the contribution of higher modes may become significant. In this paper, changes to the calibrated slope-displacement relationship and the corresponding implications on measurement accuracy are investigated. A model is developed and numerical simulations are performed to examine the effect of laser spot position, tip mass, quality factor and excitation frequency on measurement accuracy. Free response conditions and operation under nonlinear tip-sample forces are considered. Results are verified experimentally using a representative macroscale system. A laser spot positioned at a nominal position between x = 0.5 and 0.6 is determined to minimize optical lever measurement error under conditions where the response is dominated by contributions from the first two modes, due to excitation as well as other factors.

OFF-RESONANCE CANTILEVER DYNAMICS IN THE PRESENCE OF ATTRACTIVE AND REPULSIVE TIP INTERACTION FORCES

In dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM), as the tip of the base-excited micro-cantilever approaches the sample surface, this cantilever tip typically experiences long-range attractive and short-range repulsive forces. Due to the strongly nonlinear nature of these tip-sample interaction forces, various nonlinear phenomena including grazing contact-related phenomena have been observed. With the aim of obtaining a better understanding of such phenomena, a macro-scale experimental system has been constructed with attractive and repulsive tip interactions. In this arrangement, the macro-scale cantilever structure is harmonically excited at its base, a combination of magnets is used to generate the attractive forces, and impacts with a compliant surface are used to produce the repulsive forces. The separation between the tip and the compliant surface is used as a control parameter and the associated qualitative changes in the system dynamics are studied on Poincaré sections constructed by using the excitation frequency as the clock frequency. Off-resonance excitations are considered and a period- doubling window is observed for near-grazing impacts when the excitation frequency is in between the first and the second natural frequencies of the system. To explore the experimental observations further, a reduced-order model of the macro-scale system is developed with Derjaguin–Muller–Toporov (DMT) contact mechanics. The dynamics of the reduced-order system is found to agree well with the corresponding experimental observations. The nonlinear phenomenon observed during off-resonance excitations can form a basis for engineering grazing (zero-speed) impacts or low-speed impacts between a tapping mode AFM cantilever tip and the considered sample. In addition, the macro-scale experimental arrangement can serve as a vehicle to understand the dynamics of elastic structures subjected to different combinations of attractive and repulsive tip forces.

MEMS 가속도계의 성능분포 및 제조수율 예측

모든 기계 시스템의 변수는 불확실성을 가지고 이는 시스템 성능에 직접적인 영향을 미칠 뿐 아니라 생산성 감소를 야기한다. 특히 MEMS 시스템의 크기는 매우 작으므로 일반적인 기계 시스템에 비해 제조 공차는 상대적으로 커질 수 밖에 없다. 이 제조 공차에 의한 시스템 변수 불확실성은 MEMS 시스템의 성능과 제조 수율에 영향을 미친다. 본 연구에서는 두 가지의 불확실성 해석법을 이용하여 MEMS 가속도계의 시스템 변수 불확실성에 의한 성능의 불확실성 해석을 수행하고 성능분포 및 제조수율을 예측하였다.

Optical fiber chemical sensing of Hg(II) ions in aqueous samples using a microfluidic device containing a selective tripodal chromoionophore-PVC film

A novel methodology for the determination of Hg(II) ions was developed based on optical fiber chemical sensing in a microfluidic device containing a selective tripodal chromoionophore (i.e. tris[2-(4-phenyldiazenyl)phenylamino)ethoxy]cyclotriveratrylene/TPPECTV)-PVC film. Absorbance detection was performed by incorporating a single optical fiber on the top and the bottom of the detection zone of the microfluidic device. In this micro-sensing system, the intensity of the absorption maximum at 495 nm of the TPPECTV–Hg(II) complex linearly increases as a function of the Hg(II) ion concentration in the range 1.0 × 10 −6 to 2.5 × 10 −4 M, with a detection limit of 0.5 μM. Interference from other heavy metal ions was not observed at significant levels. The absorbance results of the detection of Hg(II) ions in environmental water samples (river water) are in good agreement with those obtained by a macro-scale system (cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry/CVAAS).

Noise influenced elastic cantilever dynamics with nonlinear tip interaction forces

In this work, the authors study the influence of noise on the dynamics of base-excited elastic cantilever structures at the macroscale and microscale by using experimental, numerical, and analytical means. The macroscale system is a base excited cantilever structure whose tip experiences nonlinear interaction forces. These interaction forces are constructed to be similar in form to tip interaction forces in tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM). The macroscale system is used to study nonlinear phenomena and apply the associated findings to the chosen AFM application. In the macroscale experiments, the tip of the cantilever structure experiences long-range attractive and short-range repulsive forces. There is a small magnet attached to the tip, and this magnet is attracted by another one mounted to a high-resolution translatory stage. The magnet fixed to the stage is covered by a compliant material that is periodically impacted by the cantilever’s tip. Building on their earlier work, wherein the authors showed that period-doubling bifurcations associated with near-grazing impacts occur during off-resonance base excitations of macroscale and microscale cantilevers, in the present work, the authors focus on studying the influence of Gaussian white noise when it is included as an addition to a deterministic base excitation input. The repulsive forces are modeled as Derjaguin–Muller–Toporov (DMT) contact forces in both the macroscale and microscale systems, and the attractive forces are modeled as van der Waals attractive forces in the microscale system and magnetic attractive forces in the macroscale system. A reduced-order model, based on a single mode approximation is used to numerically study the response for a combined deterministic and random base excitation. It is experimentally and numerically found that the addition of white Gaussian noise to a harmonic base excitation facilitates contact between the tip and the sample, when there was previously no contact with only the harmonic input, and results in a response that is nominally close to a period-doubled orbit. The qualitative change observed with the addition of noise is associated with near-grazing impacts between the tip and the sample. The numerical and experimental results further motivate the formulation of a general analytical framework, in which the Fokker–Planck equation is derived for the cantilever-impactor system. After making a set of approximations, the moment evolution equations are derived from the Fokker–Planck equation and numerically solved. The resulting findings support the experimental results and demonstrate that noise can be added to the input to facilitate contact between the cantilever’s tip and the surface, when there was previously no contact with only a harmonic input. The effects of Gaussian white noise are numerically studied for a tapping mode AFM application, and it is shown that contact between the tip and the sample can be realized by adding noise of an appropriate level to a harmonic excitation.

A coupling methodology for mesoscale-informed nuclear fuel performance codes

This study proposes an approach for capturing the effect of microstructural evolution on reactor fuel performance by coupling a mesoscale irradiated microstructure model with a finite element fuel performance code. To achieve this, the macroscale system is solved in a parallel, fully coupled, fully-implicit manner using the preconditioned Jacobian-free Newton Krylov (JFNK) method. Within the JFNK solution algorithm, microstructure-influenced material parameters are calculated by the mesoscale model and passed back to the macroscale calculation. Due to the stochastic nature of the mesoscale model, a dynamic fitting technique is implemented to smooth roughness in the calculated material parameters. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on a simple model of a reactor fuel pellet. In the model, INL’s BISON fuel performance code calculates the steady-state temperature profile in a fuel pellet and the microstructure-influenced thermal conductivity is determined with a phase field model of irradiated microstructures. This simple multiscale model demonstrates good nonlinear convergence and near ideal parallel scalability. By capturing the formation of large mesoscale voids in the pellet interior, the multiscale model predicted the irradiation-induced reduction in the thermal conductivity commonly observed in reactors.