Diagnostics Cartridge and Instrument
A miniaturized blood lab
At Wainamics, I developed a microfluidic system which seamlessly integrated with our clients diagnostics sensor board and provided consistent bubble-free all in a package smaller than your thumb.
- Prototyping
- Technician Training
- Procedure Creation
- Operations
Challenge
Our client aimed to transform how doctors and first responders detect traumatic brain injury. They created an electrochemical sensor which could detect key markers in minutes but needed help packaging their sensor into a system that could reliably deliver patient samples to their sensor, that's where we came in.
Approach
I utilized my experience with microfluidic flow to create a flow cell geometry which reduced the likelihood of bubble ingress and could maintain the necessary flow rate.
Engineering Decisions
I leveraged the existing manufacturing equipment my company had to get prototypes to our client faster than if we had order them from a vendor. This accelerated our client's development timeline and grew the trust between our organizations.
Prototyping Process
I designed and fabricated prototypes in-house using laser cutting and 3D printing, creating a system that could deliver the proper flow profile for our client's sensor to operate properly.
Manufacturing Considerations
I had to carefully layout the components in order to facilitate cartridge and PCB assembly. With small margins I had to know what the minimum distances were for each cartridge feature that allowed the cartridge to remain durable.
Results
Our system met the clients needs and was easily operated by their staff to improve the experimental throughput needed to take a biotech startup from a cool concept to a groundbreaking product.
- Accounted for
- Dimensional Constraints
- Fabrication capability
- In-house
- Created & standardized
- Procedures
Next project
Battery Cell Laser Welding