ABSTRACT

Paper, as a ubiquitous material in everyday life, has been re-engineered into low-cost yet effective platforms for developing new types of physical/biological sensors and electronic devices.  In this talk, I will present our recent work on developing paper-based sensors and electronics, including: (i) paper-based biosensors for point-of-care diagnosis; and (ii) paper-based physical sensors for consumer electronics.  I will first introduce our previous and ongoing projects on paper-based microfluidic devices for multiplexed detection of metabolic and protein markers.  Paper device design, fabrication, and performance testing will be discussed.  I will then present our exploratory work on using paper as the structural material for construction of piezoresistive and piezoelectric force/touch sensors.  The working principle of this type of sensors is based on the piezoresistive/piezoelectric effects generated by functional materials integrated on a paper substrate.  Signal conditioning circuits can be co-fabricated with the sensor on a single paper substrate.  The entire fabrication process can be completed in hours using simple laboratory tools, without requiring expensive cleanroom facilities.  In addition, paper can be readily folded into three-dimensional structures, representing a unique characteristic not shared by other solid-state materials for micro sensor construction.  These devices are suitable for applications that require moderate sensing capabilities and have cost constraints.  Finally, I will highlight some new directions that we are currently focusing on at McGill.

 

BIOGRAPHY

Xinyu Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University.  He also holds the positions of Canada Research Chair in Microfluidics and BioMEMS and Chwang-Seto Faculty Scholar.  He received his B.Eng. and M.Eng degrees from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2002 and 2004, respectively; and his Ph.D. degree from University of Toronto in 2009.  Prior to joining McGill in 2011, he was a NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University.  At McGill, he is leading the Biomedical Microsystems Laboratory, with active research projects in microfluidics, BioMEMS, and flexible electronics.  He received the Canadian Rising Star in Global Health Award, the 2012 Douglas R. Colton Metal for Research Excellence (sole awardee nationwide), the 2013 Award of Excellence for Basic Science Research of Montreal General Hospital, and several best paper awards at major engineering and biomedical conferences.  He is a co-inventor of 11 US/PCT patents (issued or pending).