Yuebing Zheng and University of Texas colleagues have developed a “bubble pen lithography” device and technique to quickly, gently and precisely handle nanoparticles. This can support the creation of accurate and highly sensitive biomedical sensors for drug delivery or imaging, among other applications.
The method relies on micro bubbles to inscribe nanoparticles onto a surface. A laser is focused underneath a sheet of gold nanoislands to generate a hotspot that creates a microbubble out of vaporized water. The bubble attracts and captures a nanoparticle through gas pressure, thermal and surface tension, surface adhesion and convection. The laser steers the microbubble to move the nanoparticle on a site on the surface. When the laser is turned off, the microbubble disappears, leaving the particle on the surface.
Existing methods, used to etch materials on a substrate, cannot precisely apply nanoparticles to a specific location. Bubble-pen lithography can also use a 3D printer-like program, depositing nanoparticles in a pre-programmed pattern in real-time.
Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center
NeuroTech San Francisco – April 6, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center
Wearable Tech + Digital Health NYC – June 7, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences
NeuroTech NYC – June 8, 2016 @ the New York Academy of Sciences