devices
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Biology
Low viscosity oil enhances microfluidic devices, allowing for safer cell research and gradient generation
This graph shows the maximum pneumatic pressure (KPA burst pressure) that a PDMS slip chip device can withstand. The device was cured at various temperatures (50°C to 120°C) and lubricated with 120 MPa.S silicone oil. This test shows that cure temperature (for example, 50°C) results in significantly higher sealing strength using rhodamine solutions. Credit: Toyohashi Institute of Technology Researchers from…
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Physics
Torsional monopole barrier heterojunction devices simplify optical imaging and sensing
A practical application of devices as optical receivers in dual communication coding. Credit: Advanced Materials (2025). doi:10.1002/adma.202500572 Polarized light is the fundamental property of light, along with intensity, wavelength and phase. Enhance imaging contrast and resolution compared to traditional intensity-based methods. On-chip polarizers rely on complex 4-pixel arrays or external polarizers. Current solutions face two important challenges: limited spectral responses…
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Nanotechnology
Dialysis devices using nanoelectrokinetic technology can be used as portable artificial kidneys
3D ion concentration polarization dialysis type dialysis device based on two-dimensional microfluidic technology (scale bar: 1 cm). Credit: Journal of Nanobiotechnology, originally featured in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology The research team has developed a compact peritoneal dialysis device that can be used as a portable artificial kidney. The study was published in the Journal Journal of Nanobiotechnology on March 29th.…
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Nanotechnology
Double with Metasurface: Double layer devices can control many forms of polarization
Scanning electron microscope images of titanium dioxide metatras. Credit: Capasso Group / Harvard Seas Almost a decade ago, Harvard engineers introduced Lulatai’s thin flat device, the world’s first visible spectral metasurface, patterned with nanoscale structures that allow precise control of light behavior. Today, a powerful alternative to traditional bulky optical components, Metasurfaces enables compact, lightweight, multifunctional applications ranging from imaging…
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Nanotechnology
Utilizing gravity to create low-cost microfluidic devices for rapid cell analysis
Slug flow driven microfluidic chip. Credit: Denis Soward/Rice University A team of researchers at George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University has developed an innovative, low-cost AI-enabled device for creating flow cytometry. The prototypes identify and count cells from unpurified blood samples with similar accuracy to more expensive and bulky traditional flow cytometers, providing results within…
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Chemistry
Graphyne’s transformation: a new carbon form with the potential of electronic devices
Orthogonal to sheet plane views of stacked arrangements of graphine AA, AB1, AB2, and ABC. Only the AA and AB1 packing modes are consistent with the interplanar reaction of triple bonds forming polycetylene chains in the reacted graphine. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). doi:10.1073/pnas.2413194122 Graphine is a different carbon crystalline form than both diamond and graphite.…
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Space & Cosmos
Laser-powered devices tested on Earth could help detect microbial fossils on Mars
Credit: CC0 Public Domain The first life on Earth was formed 4 billion years ago as microorganisms that live in pools and oceans. What if the same thing happened on Mars? If so, how would we prove it? Scientists who want to identify evidence of fossils of life in ancient Martian microorganisms now find a way to test their hypothesis…
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Science
Flexible metafiber devices can generate optical skyrmions with designer topological textures and subwavelength features
Figure 1: Artistic image of a metafiber producing optical skyrmions with configurable topological textures. Credit: Yuan Meng, Tiantian He, Yijie Shen, Qirong Xiao Skyrmions are known for their complex spin configurations and have fascinated researchers as topological quasiparticles with great potential in data storage and information technology. Recently, optical skyrmions, the light-based counterpart of these quasiparticles, have emerged as a…
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Chemistry
Distorting the atomic arrangement of materials could lead to cleaner, smarter devices
Credit: Advanced Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202408664 What’s the best way to precisely manipulate a material’s properties to the desired state? According to a team led by researchers at Penn State University, it may be putting stress on the material’s very atoms. Researchers have discovered that by “spray painting” atoms of potassium niobate, a material used in advanced electronics, they can…
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Nanotechnology
The road to new quantum devices: electrically defined quantum dots in zinc oxide
Structure of zinc oxide (ZnO) device. A two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is formed at the (Mg, Zn)O/ZnO interface. By applying voltage to the gate electrode, electrons can be confined within the quantum dot. (b) SEM image of the fabricated ZnO quantum dot device. Quantum dots are generated in the circled area. Credit: Quoted from Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53890-2 Researchers…
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