• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.475-479
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• 2012

We present a novel polymer fabrication process involving direct UV patterning of a hyperbranched polymer, AEO3000. Compared to PDMS, which is the most widely used polymer in bioMEMS devices, the present polymer has advantages with regard to electrode integration and fast fabrication. We designed a four-chip microelectrofluidic bench having three electrical pads and two fluidic I/O ports. We integrated a microfluidic mixer and a cell separator on the bench to characterize the interconnection performance and sample manipulation. Electrical and fluidic characterization of the microfluidic bench was performed. The measured electrical contact resistance was $0.75{\pm}0.44{\Omega}$, which is small enough for electrical applications, and the pressure drop was 8.3 kPa, which was 39.3% of the value in the tubing method. By performing yeast mixing and a separation test in the integrated module on the bench, we successfully showed that the interconnected chips could be used for bio-sample manipulation.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.831-841
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• 2010

The conventional vertical probe has the thin and long signal path that makes transfer characteristic of probe worse because of the S-shaped structure. So we propose the new vertical probe structure that has branch springs in the S-shaped probe. It makes closed loop when the probe mechanically connects to the electrode on a wafer. We fabricated the proposed vertical probe and measured the transfer characteristic and mechanical properties. Compared to the conventional S-shaped vertical probe, the proposed probe has the overdrive that is 1.2 times larger and the contact force that is 2.5 times larger. And we got the improved transfer characteristic by 1.4 dB in $0{\sim}10$ GHz. Also we developed the simulation model of the probe card by using full-wave simulator and the simulation result is correlated with measurement one. As a result of this simulation model, the cantilever probe and PCB have the worst transfer characteristic in the probe card.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.273-273
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• 2013

Recently, Point-of-care (POC) testing microdevices enable to do the patient monitoring, drug screening, pathogen detection in the outside of hospital. Immunochromatographic strip (ICS) is one of the diagnostic technologies which are widely applied to POC detection. Relatively low cost, simplicity to use, easy interpretations of the diagnostic results and high stability under any circumstances are representative advantages of POC diagnosis. It would provide colorimetric results more conveniently, if the genetic analysis microsystem incorporates the ICS as a detector part. In this work, we develop a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) microfluidic device integrated with a ROSGENE strip for colorimetric influenza H1N1 virus detection. The integrated RT-PCR- ROSGENE device is consist of four functional units which are a pneumatic micropump for sample loading, 2 ${\mu}L$ volume RT-PCR chamber for target gene amplification, a resistance temperature detector (RTD) electrode for temperature control, and a ROSGENE strip for target gene detection. The device was fabricated by combining four layers: First wafer is for RTD microfabrication, the second wafer is for PCR chamber at the bottom and micropump channel on the top, the third is the monolithic PDMS, and the fourth is the manifold for micropump operation. The RT-PCR was performed with subtype specific forward and reverse primers which were labeled with Texas-red, serving as a fluorescent hapten. A biotin-dUTP was used to insert biotin moieties in the PCR amplicons, during the RT-PCR. The RT-PCR amplicons were loaded in the sample application area, and they were conjugated with Au NP-labeled hapten-antibody. The test band embedded with streptavidins captures the biotin labeled amplicons and we can see violet colorimetric signals if the target gene was amplified with the control line. The off-chip RT-PCR amplicons of the influenza H1N1 virus were analyzed with a ROSGENE strip in comparison with an agarose gel electrophoresis. The intensities of test line was proportional to the template quantity and the detection sensitivity of the strip was better than that of the agarose gel. The test band of the ROSGENE strip could be observed with only 10 copies of a RNA template by the naked eyes. For the on-chip RT-PCR-ROSGENE experiments, a RT-PCR cocktail was injected into the chamber from the inlet reservoir to the waste outlet by the micro-pump actuation. After filling without bubbles inside the chamber, a RT-PCR thermal cycling was executed for 2 hours with all the microvalves closed to isolate the PCR chamber. After thermal cycling, the RT-PCR product was delivered to the attached ROSGENE strip through the outlet reservoir. After dropping 40 ${\mu}L$ of an eluant buffer at the end of the strip, the violet test line was detected as a H1N1 virus indicator, while the negative experiment only revealed a control line and while the positive experiment a control and a test line was appeared.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.290-298
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• 1999

A study on the application of impedance phase angle for redox titration, acid-base titration, chelate titration and precipitation titration has been carried out. A constant alternating current was passed between two platinum electrodes. One of them was a polarizable micro-electrode of $0.1cm^2$ or $0.026cm^2$ surface area and the other a non-polarizable large electrode of $1cm^2$ surface area dipped in the solution to be titrated. The impedance and the phase angle of the titration cell were measured with lock-in amplifier to obtain well behaved titration curve respectively. In titration of oxalic acid vs. potassium permanganate, the end-point was obtained successfully from the phase angle titration curve. In this experiment, the concentration of 0.0005 M to 0.05 M, the current of $50{\mu}A$ and the frequency of near 50 Hz were used. In titration of phosphoric acid vs. sodium hydroxide, the first end-point was obtained successfully on the optimum experimental condition of 0.001 M concentration, $50{\mu}A$ current and 25~97 Hz frequency. However, the end-point in titration of cupric sulfate vs. disodium-EDTA couldn't be obtained clearly. The end-point was obtained with the out-of-phase impedance curve on the experimental condition of 0.01 M concentration, $100{\mu}A$ current, 5~35 Hz frequency range. In titration of sodium chloride vs. silver nitrate, the end-point was obtained successfully on the experimental condition of 0.1 M concentration, $100{\mu}A$ current and 5~47 Hz frequency range. This study showed that the impedance phase angle was applicable for the detection of the end-points in redox titration curve, acid-base titration curve, chelate titration curve and precipitation titration curve.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.513-521
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• 2009

The primary goal of this research was to develop an optimized analytical procedure for soil analysis based on ion-selective microelectrodes for agricultural purposes, which can perform on-site measurement of various ions in soil easily and rapidly. For the simple and rapid on-site diagnosis, an analysis of soil chemicals was performed employing a multicomponent-in-situ-extractant and an evaluation of ionselective microelectrodes were conducted through the regressive correlation method with a standard analytical approach widely employed in this area. Examination of sensor responses between various soil nutrient extractants revealed that 0.01M HCl and 1M LiCl provided the most ideal Nernstian response. However, 1M LiCl deteriorated the selective response for analytes due to high concentration (1M) of lithium cation. Thus, employing either 0.1M HCl as an extractant followed by 10 times dilution, or 0.01M HCl as an extractant without further dilution was chosen as the optimal extractant composition. A study of regressive correlation between results from ion-selective microelectrodes and those from the standard analytical procedure showed that analyses of $K^+$, $Na^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $NO_3{^-}$ showed the excellent consistency between two methods. However, the response for $NH_4{^+}$ suffered the severe interference from $K^+$. In addition, the selectivity for $Mg^{2+}$ over $Ca^{2+}$ was not sufficient enough since available ionophores developed so far do not provide such a high selectivity for $Mg^{2+}$. Therefore, as an agricultural on-site diagnostic instrument, the device in development requires further research on $NH_4{^+}$ analysis in the soil sample, development of $Mg^{2+}$-selective ionophore, and more detailed study focused on potassium, one of the most important plant nutrients.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.209-217
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• 2010

Retinal prostheses are being developed to restore vision for the blind with retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Since retinal prostheses depend upon electrical stimulation to control neural activity, optimal stimulation parameters for successful encoding of visual information are one of the most important requirements to enable visual perception. Therefore, in this paper, we focused on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) responses to different voltage stimulation parameters and compared threshold charge densities in normal and rd1 mice. For this purpose, we used in vitro preparation for the retina of normal and rd1 mice on micro-electrode arrays. When the neural network of rd1 mouse retinas is stimulated with voltage-controlled pulses, RGCs in degenerated retina also respond to voltage amplitude or voltage duration modulation as well in wild-type RGCs. But the temporal pattern of RGCs response is very different; in wild-type RGCs, single peak within 100 ms appears while in RGCs in degenerated retina multiple peaks (~4 peaks) with ~10 Hz rhythm within 400 ms appear. The thresholds for electrical activation of RGCs are overall more elevated in rd1 mouse retinas compared to wild-type mouse retinas: The thresholds for activation of RGCs in rd1 mouse retinas were on average two times higher ($70.50{\sim}99.87\;{\mu}C/cm^2$ vs. $37.23{\sim}61.65\;{\mu}C/cm^2$) in the experiment of voltage amplitude modulation and five times higher ($120.5{\sim}170.6\;{\mu}C/cm^2$ vs. $22.69{\sim}37.57\;{\mu}C/cm^2$) in the experiment of voltage duration modulation than those in wild-type mouse retinas. This is compatible with the findings from human studies that the currents required for evoking visual percepts in RP patients is much higher than those needed in healthy individuals. These results will be used as a guideline for optimal stimulation parameters for upcoming Korean-type retinal prosthesis.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.218-226
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• 2018

The aim of this study was to compare fluoride release and surface changes according to different orthodontic bracket adhesives the application of fluoride products. We used non-fluoridated composite resin Transbond fluoridated composite resins Blugloo and LightBond, resin-modified glass ionomer Rely $X^{TM}$ Luting 2, and conventional glass ionomer Fuji $I^{(R)}$. Fluoride release of five orthodontic bracket adhesives and fluoride release ability after application of three fluoride products (1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride gel, Tooth Mousse $Plus^{(R)}$, Fluor Protector, and a toothbrush with sodium fluoride-containing toothpaste) were measured using a fluoride electrode that was connected to an ion analyzer. After 4 weeks of fluoride application, the surface roughness and surface morphology were examined using a surface roughness tester and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The amounts of fluoride release were observed not only on application of Tooth Mousse $Plus^{(R)}$ and Fluor Protector on resin-modified glass ionomer Rely $X^{TM}$ Luting 2 and Fuji $I^{(R)}$, but also during tooth brushing using fluoride-containing toothpaste. After application of Tooth Mousse $Plus^{(R)}$, except Transbond XT, the surface roughness increased, and all orthodontic adhesives showed a partial drop of micro-particle filler. On application of 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride gel on all orthodontic bracket adhesives, their surface roughness increased. To bond the orthodontic bracket, resin-modified glass ionomer Rely $X^{TM}$ Luting 2 and Fuji $I^{(R)}$ adhesives are highly recommended if the amount of fluoride release is considered to confer a preventative effect on dental caries, and among the fluoride products, Tooth Mousse $Plus^{(R)}$ and Fluor Protector are better than 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride gel, and these are expected to prevent dental caries even during tooth brushing with fluoride-containing toothpaste.