Jordan Bendler -- Development of a microfluidic device

Mr. Jordan Bendler worked this past summer in Dr. Ronghui Ma’s laboratory at UMBC.  He and a graduate student, Mr. Myo Min Zaw, designed and prototyped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices for studying the dispersal of nanoparticles through a porous membrane.  The devices will allow for future research in the biomedical fields, particularly in targeted cancer drug delivery.  Mr. Bendler said that the experience gained was invaluable, and the acquired skills are not traditionally taught in regular ME courses.

Starting from rudimentary information, they researched and tested different methods of mixing, curing, and bonding the PDMS material, ending with a suitable process for prototyping our devices.  Using Solidworks, a new casting mold for the devices was generated.  It was then sent to a local engineering company for subtractive manufacturing.  After completing a device, they used a syringe pump to continuously pump red dye water through the microchannels.   From analyzing the performance of the device, they could identify technical issues and improve upon future manufacturing process.