Tutorial 1: Lab-on-a-chip based on CMOS technology: Parts, applications, challenges and future trends

Lab-on-a-Chip technology promises many advantages compared to existing medical diagnostic tools including better and improved performance, portability, reliability and cost reduction. The Lab-on-a-Chip technology changed the traditional way by which biological samples are inspected in laboratories during analyses. A Lab-on-a-Chip is composed of four main parts; actuation, sensing, electronics and microfluidic packaging. Typically, hybrid technologies are used for the four parts, which represent difficulties in integration and increased cost. On the other hand, Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology allows the use of a single homogeneous technology to develop a fully integrated lab-on-a-chip. CMOS technology is a very well-established mass-production and cheap technology. Therefore, any viable Lab-on-a-Chip based on CMOS technology will have direct commercial value and application. This tutorial will cover the following aspects: • Quanttive, the four main parts of the Lab-on-a-chip (i.e. Actuation, Sensing, Read-out circuit and microfluidic packaging) • Concepts and State of the art in the area of CMOS Technology • Survey of the most common Lab-on-a-Chip techniques based on CMOS technology • Lab-on-a-chip architectures used for different biomedical applications, such as: DNA, PCR, biocells identification and characterization • Challenges and Future trends face the CMOS Based Lab-on-a-chip technology • The tutorial also will present the research results and microsystems that are developed and funded by Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Egypt, Project titled “A Microfluidic platform for liver cancer cells identification and characterizations”.