The feasibility of producing electronic circuit boards, flexible circuits, and integrated circuit packages using inkjet technology will be evaluated. if successful, this method could be interfaced with computer aided design systems to produce rapid turnaround of prototypes. packaging is currently… More

The investigators will use phase i data to assess the economthis proposal concerns the development of a new technology for administering drugs and other biologically active fluidsto living cells and tissues in vitro or in vivo. the new technology is based on ink-jet printing, in which… More

Injecting biologically active solutions into cells and tissues is an integral part of most biomedical research, but the instrumentation available for these procedures is crude, cumbersome, and imprecise. microfab technologies, inc., has developed a solid-state piezoelectric 'pump' that could replace… More

The use of high speed (1-10m/s) 25-200fm diameter droplets merging in flight will be used to measure enzyme kinetics in the 50fs-1ms range. two extremely repeatable droplet streams are produced using techniques developed for ink-jet printing systems. the two droplet streams merge and a reaction will… More

The research proposed in this document addresses solder application to printed circuit boards and other substrates with a new flexible approach that could be employed in numerous applications, directed application of molten solderdroplets, on the order of 30-100mum, using ink-jet printing… More

Contemporary research on neural networks and neural systems demands versatile techniques for sampling electrical and biochemical parameters of neural activity. an especially pressing technical problem is that of measuring multiple chemical or electrical changes simultaneously within a functioning… More

This grant concerns the development of a superior laser surgical tool. We have found that laserablation is enhanced when tissue are pretreated with microdrops of dye, nominally 50um in diameter.The use of dye to couple the laser energy to the tissue has two advantages: (i) energy absorption… More

We will develop a new low cost, data driven manufacturing technique for direct printing of micro-optical elements onto optical substrates and devices. We will apply our ink-jet printing technology to form and place microscopic droplets of optical materials, such as UV-cured resins and sol-gel… More

This proposal concerns the development of a new method for etching, contouring, and cavitating teeth. The method consists of microdispensing a photoabsorptive dye onto the surface of tooth then focusing a laser beam on the dye spot, which is 75-200mum in diameter. By the appropriate choice of… More

We will develop a new kind of pump for biomedicine. The pump is a small, piezoelectric device that has no conventional moving parts and is only a few mm in overall size. Digital electrical pulses produce individual pumping "strokes," and the pump can be operated at up to 20,000 hz. In our prototype,… More

We will develop a new low cost, data driven, manufacturing technique for constructing micro-optical elements and optical integrated circuits. Specifically, we will apply ink-jet printing technology to form and place microscopic droplets of passive and active optical materials, such as uv-cured… More

Not Available The proposed work involves a new unstructured macro-cell algorithm for computational aeroacoustics (CAA), which may be two to three orders of magnitude more efficient than most current methods. The unstructured macro-cell algorithm has features of both st

We propose to develop a rapid prototyping/manufacturing technology for the direct-write fabrication of optical components, including GRIN (Gradient index of Refraction) lenses up to 6 inches in diameter. We will build a GRIN Lens Printing Platform whichwill utilize a 3D ink-jet printing approach… More

We propose to develop a rapid prototyping/manufacturing technology for the direct-write fabrication of optical components, including GRIN (Gradient index of Refraction) lenses up to 6 inches in diameter. We will build a GRIN Lens Printing Platform whichwill utilize a 3D ink-jet printing approach… More

APPLICANT?S DESCRIPTION: We will develop an ink-jet based microdispensing system for in situ synthesis of oligonucleotides in a microarray format for gene expression studies (expression chip). Multi-channel ink-jet devices will be utilized to increase throughput by an order of magnitude over… More

DESCRIPTION: We will construct bifurcated (Y-shaped), three-dimensional, biologically active and bioabsorbable polymer-based nerve conduits using ink-jet microdispensing technology for the purpose of facilitating peripheral nerve repair through methods of tissue… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I (SBIR) project will use ink-jet printing technology to fabricate precision biodegradable microspheres, 20-200m in diameter, for sustained-release of bioactive substances. The microspheres will be fabricated at specific diameters, as determined by the… More

The ability to pattern multilayered polymers on a micro-level is valuable to a large number of applications in microelectronic manufacturing. Applications range from printing dielectric coatings and polymer resistors to printing active devices such as polymer LEDs and polymer transistors. The… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a new method for fabricating lensed fibers used in optical interconnects. An inkjet printing technique will be used to print optical polymers onto the tips of optical fibers, directly or via collets, to form microlenses. The… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop enabling technology for construction of a small, low cost fiber optic switch. The switch will be based upon vertical cavity surface emitting laser arrays and PIN photodiode arrays, both coupled directly to a silicon… More

"Large-displacement actuators, which are light, resilient and low power, offer enabling technologies for high tech applications in the area of biological muscles. Electroactive Polymers are becoming practical for emulation of biological muscles thatallow the production of highly maneuverable,… More

MicroFab Technologies has developed a method and equipment for making uniform populations of multi-micron plastic microsphere to a desired size. The technology developed at MicroFab will be directly applied to the problem stated in AF03-145 ofincorporating nanometric reactive particle mixtures into… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will design and build a reloadable printhead for ink-jet deposition of biological fluids into microarrays. Production of mid range microarrays (hundreds of different fluids) is not best addressed by the existing tools. Photolithography… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will construct a LC Microdispenser system for rapid liquid chromatography and high throughput loading of digested protein samples onto MALDI-TOF MS targets. This system will incorporate automated preparation of the reversed phase column, including automatic… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop low cost / high volume manufacturing methods for plastic organic solar cells. Ink jet printing will be utilized because it is an additive technology with low pollution, that is non-contact and digitally controlled… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop an environmentally friendly, low cost, fine pitch and high reliability flip chip interconnect for the electronic industry. The ultimate goal of this technology is to develop a process that begins with a semiconductor integrated… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will construct a LC Microdispenser system for rapid liquid chromatography and high throughput loading of digested protein samples onto MALDI-TOF MS targets. This system will incorporate automated preparation of the reversed phase column, including automatic… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Paralysis and loss of nerve function through trauma highlight the need for implantable device capable of restoring nerve function, without increasing tissue damage by requiring autologous nerve grafts. This study focuses on enhancing nerve regeneration in two… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Paralysis and loss of nerve function through trauma highlight the need for implantable device capable of restoring nerve function, without increasing tissue damage by requiring autologous nerve grafts. This study focuses on enhancing nerve regeneration in two… More

Using ink-jet printing technology, MicroFab Technologies can create uni-modal, multi-micron size mi-crospheres containing reactive nano-particles. This ability will enable the uniform incorporation of nano-powders in explosive casting mixes. Phase I demonstrated the feasibility of producing uniform… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this project, MicroFab will develop a high throughput ink-jet based system to screen for the initial signs of crystallization of membrane proteins, while maximizing the conservation of limited protein samples. Investigators can then repeat successful… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this project, MicroFab will develop an ink-jet based system for coating of cardiovascular stents with polymer-drug solutions. Previous clinical trials have proven drug coated stents to be superior to the uncoated stents by significantly reducing the restenosis… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aimes to design and build a digitally-controlled vapor generator that will enable field calibration of vapor trace detectors for explosives. The technology risk-elements concern precisely delivering, under digital control, a dilute explosive… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We will develop a system for the microdeposition of multiple phosphorylation site-specific antibodies onto protein bands of 1D or spots of 2D SDS-PAGE blots in the performance of protein phosphorylation studies. We will design and build a low volume loading print… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this project, MicroFab will build a prototype system capable of depositing matrix solutions onto the tissue sections with high resolution using picoliter volumes (nanoliter volumes via the accretion of drops) for the purposes of MALDI MS imaging. The system… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to design and build a liquid metal droplet generator that will enable high power Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) sources for photolithography. The methods for EUV generation currently being developed do not satisfy the projected power… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this project, MicroFab will design and fabricate a prototype ink-jet based protein crystal screening platform (CrystalJet(tm)) with emphasis on membrane proteins that are difficult to crystallize, but critical to cel lular function. The prototype platform will… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to use digitally controlled vapor generators for calibration and test of explosive. Two systems will be created: a research oriented system, targeting manufacturers, for development of new explosive vapor trace detectors and… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this project, we propose to develop new instrumentation to perform crystallization screening of brain-derived G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and other membrane proteins to obtain highly ordered crystals for X-ray diffraction and molecular structure… More