A biomimetic mass-flow transducer utilizing all-optofluidic generation of self-digitized, pulse code-modulated optical pulse trains

作者：Lee Jiwon; Paek Jungwook; Kim Jaeyoun^*

来源：Lab on a Chip, 2012, 12(19): 3766-3773.

DOI：10.1039/c2lc40468k

We present a new mass-flow transducer producing responses in the form of optical pulse trains that are encoded with information on the strength and position of the stimulus. We implemented the self-digitization and encoding capabilities all-optofluidically, without involving external electronics, by integrating one optical fiber cantilever with multiple polymer optical waveguides on a microfluidic platform. The transducer can also be configured to respond only to transitional stimuli. These features closely mimic the rate-coding, action potential labeling, and rapid adaptation processes observed in biological mechanoreceptors and allow multiple transducers to transmit signals over a single, shared channel. We fabricated the transducer using polymer-based soft-lithography techniques. Its characterization confirmed the stimulus strength-dependent generation of optical pulses and the feasibility of multiplexing 2(n-1) to 2(n) transducers using n waveguides.

• 出版日期2012