Patterned Release Paper Microfluidics as a Platform Technology in Biomedical Applications: Customer Discovery
PI: Howell, Caitlin
Abstract: The purpose of this project is to identify and contact potential customers to explore and identify the most promising pathway(s) to the integration of release-paper microfluidic platforms into current and future point-of-care (POC) medical diagnostic devices. An ongoing industry-university collaboration between the Release Paper Group at Sappi North America and the Howell Lab in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering has identified the breakthrough potential of patterned release paper, currently used primarily to add texture to fabrics, as a low-cost method of producing microfluidic channels for a wide range of applications in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The next steps will be to reach out to potential customers such as IDEXX, Alere, and Katahdin Analytical Services to further develop this technology in a market-compatible direction. The project stands to significantly benefit Sappi North America (which currently employs 1,300 Mainers) and will enable the company to expand into a growing market and will demonstrate how academic-industrial partnerships can be used to help local industries innovate and grow.