Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are an important area of cancer research.  They could provide clinically relevant information about a patient’s prognosis.  However, these cells are extremely rare (r...
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Silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) work well for optical- and physical-sensing applications, and can be fabricated very precisely by using standard integrated circuit technology. Howe...
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Over the last eight years, academic researchers have been developing a new set of spectroscopic techniques that are multidimensional versions of visible and infrared spectroscopies, such as two-dimens...
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Embedding sensors into a mass of material allows them to assess the material in a way that is not often possible with surface-mounted sensors. In addition, it is frequently necessary to embed sensors ...
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Current methods for isolating and culturing primary (stem/progenitor) cells remain unsatisfactory because most primary cells die when transferred to culture, and the remaining cells usually develop mu...
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PIN diodes are semiconductor devices that include an undoped intrinsic semiconductor region between the p-type and n-type regions. These diodes are commonly integrated as photodetectors on silicon CMO...
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Measurements of emission and absorption spectra provide a valuable means of identifying and analyzing gases, liquids and solids. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and grating spectrometers are two com...
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Many industries including electronics, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and healthcare have been exploring the use of superior super-nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. Altho...
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Currently, most schemes for detecting bioagents or other biological molecules are based on relatively complex electronic, photonic and/or electrochemical methods, or on more elegant biomolecular metho...
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Preparing cover slips for optical cell imaging is labor intensive and current methods are limited to one treatment per slip. Imaging multiple cover slips is also cumbersome, due to the time needed to ...
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Atomic force microscopes (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) and scanning microwave microscopes are three different instruments used to create images of nano-structures. Currently, the three i...
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Terahertz (THz) radiation holds tremendous potential for applications ranging from medical imaging technology to security and public safety. So far, the use of THz radiation beams has been limited by ...
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Mass spectroscopy is a widely used technique for detecting and analyzing molecules, including biochemical entities such as amino acids, proteins, short nucleic acids, metabolites and other small molec...
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Computer chips, composed of silicon (Si) semiconductors, store and transmit information as electrons.  The negative charge on electrons, however, hinders the speed with which information can be trans...
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Internal combustion engines are a major contributor to atmospheric pollution, emitting carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides.  Federally mandated emission regulations effective in 2010 are...
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Systems based on terahertz (THz) radiation technology show promise for communication and imaging applications.  These systems can penetrate through many materials and are sensitive enough to resonate...
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Because potential biological attacks against civilian populations have become an important issue for homeland security, practical and efficient biosensors are needed. However, no currently available b...
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Most schemes for detecting toxins or other chemicals are based on complex electronic, photonic and/or electrochemical methods, or on more elegant biomolecular methods, such as ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Imm...
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Sensors currently used for detecting the presence of a given analyte, such as a toxin, in solution or in air require direct contact with a power supply. Distributed sensing systems or “sensor networ...
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Liquid crystals have been widely explored for applications such as display and sensing technologies. Lyotropic liquid crystals, which become more ordered as they become more concentrated within a solv...
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Although knowing gas composition and temperature in an engine combustion cylinder is important for engine research and development, current methods for obtaining this information are qualitative and i...
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A UW-Madison researcher previously developed an inexpensive, real-time wireless microsensor for detecting biological agents in water supply networks and other aqueous environments, such as the milk su...
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Compact, electrically actuated valves may be used in applications ranging from drug delivery to metering cryogenic gases in cooling systems for space missions.  Such valves must be highly reliable, e...
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Quantum-entanglement is a phenomenon in which the quantum states of two objects become correlated and remain correlated, even when the objects are physically separated from each other. Quantum-entangl...
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Microfluidic devices have been proven useful for exploring a variety of biological questions, such as how cell-derived soluble signaling affects cellular processes. Passive pumping is a common method ...
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