"Embedded Systems Utilizing Microfluidic Devices for Biomedical Applications, with Emphasis on Respiratory Problems"

The purpose of the PhD thesis is to create an autonomous device designed to help patients monitor their pulmonary disease as well as doctors-researchers in the diagnosis and control of pneumonological diseases.

In the context of the dissertation a fluid-mechanical device will be developed which will analyze samples and, in this case, also biological fluids. The aim of this device will be the on-site analysis of the biological fluid for specific cells and bacteria. This will be achieved by dissolving specimens with specific substances, and passing from specific bio-receptors and cellular tissues from various cellular groups of the lungs. The next stage will be the measurement of electrical signals from biological samples by means of electronic micro-sensors (flow, temperature, conductivity, pressure, etc.). The sensors will be fabricated on flexible and rigid substrates of various types. In this way, the device will be able to analyze biological fluids and deliver results targeted to patients with asthma. In addition, it will be able to assess the level of risk of the disease. Additionally, there will be developed a fluid-mechanical device, which will be able to record the breathing rate, the maximum inhalation and exhalation and the cough, of a patient. The fluid-mechanic system, along with an accelerometer, will sense the posture during sleep, with the aim of monitoring patients with apnea. The combination of these systems will result in an integrated system for the overall assessment of a patient with respiratory problems.