Sridharamurthy SS, Cadwell KD, Abbott NL, et al., Smart Materials & Structures 17 (1): Art. No. 012001 FEB 2008. The authors report on the implementation of a microstructure comprising an array of micropillars to create a thin and stable film of nematic liquid crystal (LC), 5CB: 4'-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl, and the use of the microsystem for the colorimetric detection of vapor analytes. The microstructure potentially offers a simple and portable solution to toxic gas detection.
Sridharamurthy SS, Liang D, Hongrui J, Measurement Science & Technology 18 (1): 201-207 Jan 2007. A microfluidic system to sense chemical and biological analytes using membranes dissolvable by the analyte is demonstrated. The scheme to detect the dissolution of the membrane is based on the difference in optical absorption of the membrane and the fluidic sample being assayed.
Liang D, Hongrui J, Applied Physics Letters 89 (21): 2111201-3 Nov 2006. The authors report on variable-focus liquid microlenses self-adaptive to environmental pH.
Sridharamurthy SS, Agarwal AK, Beebe DJ, et al., Lab on a Chip 6 (7): 840-842 July 2006. The authors demonstrate a chemical and biological sensing mechanism in microfluidics that transduces chemical and biological signals to electrical signals with large intrinsic amplification without need for complex electronics. The sensing mechanism involves a dissolvable membrane separating a liquid sample chamber from an interdigitated electrode.