A key challenge in biosensing technology is to develop integrated approaches with the multiple capabilities of bio-sampling, fluid manipulation, high-precision detection and wireless operation. In this work, we present a new concept of integrated biosensing technology using the functionalities of electromagnetic metamaterials and acoustofluidic technology onto a single platform. The new concept of using a single structure to perform microfluidic functions at acoustic frequencies and to detect the characteristics of liquid at microwave frequencies will enable the development of improved lab-on-a-chip devices. As a case study, we demonstrated efficient acoustofluidic functions of mixing and pumping using the designed surface acoustic wave (SAW) device on a LiNbO3 substrate in an experimental setup that also allows the measurement of the electromagnetic characteristics of the interdigitated transducer (IDT) pattern of the same device. We demonstrated microfluidic functions at 10-25 MHz. The device also exhibits electromagnetic resonance at 4.4 GHz with a quality factor value of 294. We showed the device can be used for glucose detection with a good sensitivity of 28 MHz/(mg/ml).

In this work, transmission characteristics of rectangular split-ring resonators with single-split and two-splits are analyzed at microwave frequencies. The resonators are coupled with monopole antennas for excitation. The scattering parameters of the devices are investigated under different polarizations of E and H fields. The magnetic resonances induced by E and H fields are identified and the differences in the behavior of the resonators due to orientations of the fields are explained based on simulation and experimental results. The addition of the second split of the device is investigated considering different configurations of the excitation vectors. It is demonstrated that the single-split and the two-splits resonators exhibit identical transmission characteristics for a certain excitation configuration as verified with simulations and experiments. The presented resonators can effectively function as frequency selective media for varying excitation conditions.

Versatile, in situ sensing and continuous monitoring capabilities are critically needed, but challenging, for components made of solid woven carbon fibers in aerospace, electronics, and medical applications. In this work, we proposed a unique concept of integrated sensing technology on woven carbon fibers through integration of thin-film surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology and electromagnetic metamaterials, with capabilities of noninvasive, in situ, and continuous monitoring of environmental parameters and biomolecules wirelessly. First, we fabricated composite materials using a three-layer composite design, in which the woven carbon fiber cloth was first coated with a polyimide (PI) layer followed by a layer of ZnO film. Integrated SAW and metamaterials devices were then fabricated on this composite structure. The temperature of the functional area of the device could be controlled precisely using the SAW devices, which could provide a proper incubation environment for biosampling processes. As an ultraviolet light sensor, the SAW device could achieve a good sensitivity of 56.86 ppm/(mW/cm 2 ). On the same integrated platform, an electromagnetic resonator based on the metamaterials was demonstrated to work as a glucose concentration monitor with a sensitivity of 0.34 MHz/(mg/dL).

In this paper, we report an embroidered rectangular split-ring resonator (SRR) operating at S band for material characterization based on the differences in dielectric parameters. We designed, fabricated and characterized SRR sensors on a conventional fabric that can be conformally attached over the surface of samples under investigation. The structures are made of conductive threads and can be embroidered on any dielectric fabric at low cost using conventional embroidery methods. We have demonstrated material characterization capability of the sensors using a specific design with a length of 60 mm and a width of 30 mm. We wrapped the sensors on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bottles filled with deionized (DI) water and common solvents (ethanol, methanol, isopropanol and acetone) in our experiments. We measured the nominal resonant frequency of a specific sensor wrapped around an empty bottle as 2.07 GHz. The shifts in resonant frequencies when the bottle was filled with the solvents follow the dielectric constants of the solvents.

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A key challenge in developing lab-on-a-chip devices is to integrate various functionalities such as liquid manipulation and sensing on a single platform, which conventionally requires different technologies to be separately...

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are generally fabricated on rigid substrates that support the propagation of waves efficiently. Although very challenging, the realisation of SAW devices on bendable and flexible substrates can lead to new generation SAW devices for wearable technologies. In this paper, we report flexible acoustic wave devices based on ZnO thin films coated on various substrates consisting of thin layers of metal (e.g., Ni/Cu/Ni) and/or polymer (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, PET). We comparatively characterise the fabricated SAW devices and demonstrate their sensing applications for temperature and ultraviolet (UV) light. We also investigate their acoustofluidic capabilities on different substrates. Our results show that the SAW devices fabricated on a polymer layer (e.g. ZnO/PET, ZnO/Ni/Cu/Ni/PET) show enhanced temperature responsivity, and the devices with larger wavelengths are more sensitive to UV exposure. For actuation purposes, the devices fabricated on ZnO/Ni/Cu/Ni layer have the best performance for acoustofluidics, whereas insignificant acoustofluidic effects are observed with the devices fabricated on ZnO/PET layers. We propose that the addition of a metallic layer of Ni/Cu/Ni between ZnO and polymer layers facilitates the actuation capability for the acoustofluidic applications while keeping temperature and UV sensing capabilities, thus enhancing the integration of sensing and acoustofluidic functions.

Acoustofluidic devices have been demonstrated effectively for liquid manipulation functionalities. Likewise, electromagnetic metamaterials have been employed as highly sensitive and wireless sensors. In this work, we introduced a new design combining the concepts of acoustofluidics and electromagnetic metamaterials on a single device realised on a flexible PVDF substrate. We characterise the operation of the device at acoustic and microwave frequencies. The device can be used in wearable biosensors with integrated liquid sampling and continuous wireless sensing capabilities.