PROJECT EXAMPLES
Case Study

MEMS device development

A multi-national consumer products company developed a test to be used to help sell one of their products. As developed, the test was performed on capital equipment by Ph.D. biochemists. It was designed to help their customers evaluate if their product would be useful, how much product to use, and its effectiveness. They felt they could sell more of the product involved if their users could perform the test on a simple device. Goals for the device included that it be disposable, safe, intuitive to use, reliable, fool proof, safe, accurate, and inexpensive. The company felt that if a MEMS device could meet these goals, its projected usage would be 10,000 tests per month. After 18 months of unsuccessful in-house research, they were about to abandon the project believing it was not feasible.

To help evaluate whether or not to continue the investment, they contracted Medical and Biotech Developments, Inc. (MBD) to study the feasibility of developing such a MEMS device.

As a feasibility start point, a straight forward design was envisioned and the probability of that design being brought to market was investigated. Research included the technologies needed to be developed, uncertainties with those technologies, experts who could research resolving those uncertainties, possible vendors for each phase, and the estimated costs involved (including the development project, production tooling, and cost-of-goods-sold). Next, alternate designs were suggested to address various possible market and production questions. The feasibility of success of these alternative designs was then investigated. The study found a moderate to high probability for at least some of the designs to meet the stated goals if the chemistry could be modified to meet the requirements imposed by MEMS designs. These requirements included small fluid volumes, time constraints, fluid movements, room temperature operations. In the conclusion, the study proposed a development plan including budgets and timelines.

The study was well received by the contracting company and they commissioned investigation of one of the envisioned designs. The project started with MBD running a brainstorming session including representatives of the contracting company's Marketing, Chemistry, and Application Scientists. The session recommended that the chemistries be investigated before developing any MEMS devices. After simulation tests were run, they concluded that the chemistry requirements could be met. MBD designed trial MEMS chips and devised procedures to deposit the chemistries needed. Through Associated Facilities, trial MEMS devises were fabricated and tests were run. Videos were made using dyes to highlight micro fluidic activities. Based on these, designs were detailed for production oriented MEMS chips, chemistry deposition, packaging, and usage procedures. The company has requested that no additional product details be discussed here until the product involved reaches market.