Abstract: Provided is a blood plasma separator for separating blood plasma and blood cells from whole blood without an additional complicated structure by passing the whole blood through a micro channel having a predetermined shape to make the whole blood flow turbulently and cause a velocity difference or deflection between flows of the blood plasma and the blood cells of the whole blood, and a blood plasma separation method thereof. The blood plasma separator includes: a body; a micro channel formed in the body to allow blood to pass therethrough; a separation member formed at the micro channel to make flow of blood cells or blood plasma turbulent to separate the blood cells from the blood plasma; an inlet connected to the micro channel and configured to introduce blood into the micro channel; and an outlet connected to the micro channel and configured to discharge blood from the micro channel.

Abstract: Provided is a natural convection-driven polymerase chain reaction (PCR) apparatus and method, which can periodically change temperature of a sample to make a natural convection-driven flow in a loop-shaped channel on a disposable polymer chip and contacting heating metal members maintained at different temperatures with channels. The natural convection-driven PCR apparatus includes: a polymer chip having a plurality of channels connected together to form a loop-shaped microchannel, a sample being filled inside the channels; a plurality of heating metal members contacting the loop-shaped microchannel of the polymer chip and transferring heat; a temperature controller connected to the heating metal members to maintain the heating metal members at different temperatures; a plurality of heaters connected to the heating metal members and the temperature controller to supply heat to the heating metal members; and temperature sensors connected to the heating metal members and the temperature controller.

Abstract: Provided is a micro filtration device for separating blood plasma from whole blood without external actuation, and a method for fabricating the micro filtration device. The micro filtration device for separating blood plasma from whole blood includes: a whole blood inlet through which whole blood is introduced; a blood plasma outlet through which blood plasma separated from whole blood is discharged; a micro channel for connecting the whole blood inlet and the blood plasma outlet; a micro pump formed under the whole blood inlet to generate an air pressure without external actuation for moving whole blood from the whole blood inlet toward the blood plasma outlet through the micro channel; and a microstructure formed in the micro channel for separating blood plasma from the whole blood.

Abstract: There is provided a surface plasmon resonance imaging sensor capable of performing absolute calibration comprising: a transparent substrate; a first prism and a second prism formed at one surface of the substrate and symmetrically positioned with reference to the center axis of the substrate; an optical system for providing light to the first and second prisms; and a light receiving part for detecting the light reflected from the substrate, wherein a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) angle change of an object to be measured by the first prism is measured, and a refractive index change on each pixel of the object is obtained as a two-dimensional difference image by the second prism.

Abstract: Provided is a method for modifying the surface of cycloolefin copolymer substrates, which includes oxygen plasma treatment and acid treatment for immobilizing a variety of functional groups or compounds having the functional groups onto the surface so that the surface can be easily modified, or can have hydrophilic property or biocompatibility. The method for modifying surface of cycloolefin copolymer substrates includes the steps of: a) treating the surface of a cycloolefin copolymer substrate with oxygen plasma to form hydroxyl groups on the surface; b) treating the oxygen plasma treated surface with an acid; and c) immobilizing one or more compounds having a functional group to the acid treated surface.

Abstract: Provided are a microfluidic device and a microfluidic network formed by connecting such microfluidic devices. The microfluidic device can equalize the flow of multiple microfluids in a chamber in parallel to thereby have an equal flow rate when the microfluids transferred through different flow channels join in the chamber having a changing cross-sectional area. The microfluidic device includes: multiple flow channels formed between an upper substrate and a lower substrate to transfer the microfluids and including inlets for injecting the microfluids in one side and fluid stopping surfaces for stopping the flow of the microfluids in the other side; a pressure controlling flow channel for removing a pressure difference between the microfluids; a fluid converging part for converging the microfluids; and a chamber composed of hydrophilic surfaces and hydrophobic surfaces disposed alternately in a flow direction so that the microfluids join and flow in parallel and equal.

Abstract: Provided are a microfabricated thermal device using a thin plastic substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, a silicon micro-chamber, a double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) amplification chip employing the microfabricated thermal device and the silicon micro-chamber, and a manufacturing method thereof, and a DNA amplification chip array, and a method for manufacturing the DNA amplification chip array. The microfabricated thermal device using a thin plastic substrate can be used for DNA amplification, i.e., a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is essential to DNA related diagnosis and analysis. The plastic-based microfabricated thermal device, includes: a plastic substrate; a heating unit disposed on the top surface of the plastic substrate to supply heat to the plastic substrate; a sensing unit disposed on the top surface of the plastic substrate to detect heat; and a diffusing unit disposed on the bottom surface of the plastic substrate to diffuse heat to the plastic substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a planar focusing grating coupler, comprising: a light waveguide including a cladding layer and a core layer formed on a substrate and maintaining incident laser light in a single mode; and a focusing grating coupler formed to have a predetermined grating pitch at a certain area over the core layer, wherein the light using to the light waveguide forms a focal point with the grating layer in the direction perpendicular to the focusing grating coupler, whereby an ultra small pickup head for a mobile optical disk can be used.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for controlling the flow of a micro amount of fluid is provided. The microfluidic device is manufactured by binding a sensing substrate including a sensing electrode, an electrode interconnect, and a electrode pad, with a channel substrate including at least two fluid inlet ports, a chamber, and a channel, wherein a first fluid injected via one of the fluid inlet ports flows by natural capillary force, and a second fluid injected via another fluid inlet port is forced to flow by an external pump. The microfluidic device controls fluid flow and flow stoppage by a combination of natural capillary flow and an externally applied pressure as a result of the action of a pump.

Abstract: A personal portable content player with an aroma function and a content reproducing method thereof are provided. The personal portable content player includes a storage unit storing content, an aroma chip, which is inserted into a predetermined position of the personal portable content player and diffuses an aromatic material when the content is reproduced, an aromatic material number detector detecting the number of the aromatic material included in the content, and a control unit controlling the aroma chip to diffuse the aromatic material corresponding to the aromatic material number detected by the aromatic material number detector. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a personal portable content player with an aroma function and a content reproducing method thereof capable of providing an aroma function in addition to video and audio functions.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for controlling fluid-heating using a polymer disk, which includes: a pump for discharging fluid at a uniform flow rate; a fluid-heating module including a polymer disk to convey the fluid discharged from the pump to allow a temperature of the fluid to periodically vary; and a controller for controlling the temperature of the fluid-heating module, whereby it is possible to be adapted to a fluid device for biochemical reaction such as DNA amplification, and simply used as a disposable device, which is low cost and readily manufactured in a multiple manner.

Abstract: Provided is a focusing waveguide grating coupler using a leaky mode which can form single output beam while relieving the dependency on manufacturing processes.

Abstract: A leaky plasmon mode directional coupler and a polarization detection module for a magneto-optical pickup head, which uses the leaky plasmon mode directional coupler, are provided. The leaky plasmon mode directional coupler is manufactured by integrating a planar waveguide and a leaky plasmon mode waveguide, which share a cladding layer with each other, into one body. The polarization detection module includes the leaky plasmon mode directional coupler, a first photo diode, which is formed on the leaky plasmon mode directional coupler, and a second photo diode, which is located at an output port of the planar waveguide.

Abstract: Provided is a focusing waveguide grating coupler using a leaky mode which can form single output beam while relieving the dependency on manufacturing processes.

Abstract: An active ion-doped waveguide-plasmon resonance (AID WPR) sensor based on plasmon surface resonance (PSR) and an imaging system using the sensor are provided. An additional dielectric thin film doped with active ions and acting as a waveguide is formed on a metal thin film. The active ions are excited by an incident light beam and fluoresce light of a shorter wavelength than the incident light beam through upconversion coupled to surface plasmon resonance, thereby increasing fluorescence intensity variations with respect to incident light angle variations. The AID WPR sensor and the imaging system can detect a minor refractive index variation of a sample, which could not be measured using an existing SPR sensor, or a trace adsorbed material, with 100 times larger refractive index resolution than the existing SPR sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed is to a device for exchanging minimum amount of the fluid only by using surface tension of the fluid instead of external force like a pump. According to the device, an additional pump and power supply is not needed, thereby the device can be small sized and portable, and not only manufacturing cost decreases and yield increases but the device is hardly out of order.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for controlling the flow of a micro amount of fluid is provided. The microfluidic device is manufactured by binding a sensing substrate including a sensing electrode, an electrode interconnect, and a electrode pad, with a channel substrate including at least two fluid inlet ports, a chamber, and a channel, wherein a first fluid injected via one of the fluid inlet ports flows by natural capillary force, and a second fluid injected via another fluid inlet port is forced to flow by an external pump. The microfluidic device controls fluid flow and flow stoppage by a combination of natural capillary flow and an externally applied pressure as a result of the action of a pump.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sensor system for measuring the changes of refractive index and for the thickness variation of a sample medium, and the variations in concentration of a liquid sample using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or a sensor chip constituting the surface plasmon microscope (SPM). The surface plasmon resonance sensor system comprises a sensor chip having a sensor element on which a measuring sample is located, the sensor element is composed of a first adhesion layer, a conductive thin film, a second adhesion layer and a transparent thin film sequentially stacked on a transparent substrate; a prism attached under the sensor chip; a light source for providing light to the sensor chip through the prism; and a light-detecting element for measuring variations in the refractive index caused by resonance of surface plasmon on the conductive thin film.

Abstract: An active ion-doped waveguide-plasmon resonance (AID WPR) sensor based on plasmon surface resonance (PSR) and an imaging system using the sensor are provided. An additional dielectric thin film doped with active ions and acting as a waveguide is formed on a metal thin film. The active ions are excited by an incident light beam and fluoresce light of a shorter wavelength than the incident light beam through upconversion coupled to surface plasmon resonance, thereby increasing fluorescence intensity variations with respect to incident light angle variations. The AID WPR sensor and the imaging system can detect a minor refractive index variation of a sample, which could not be measured using an existing SPR sensor, or a trace adsorbed material, with 100 times larger refractive index resolution than the existing SPR sensor.

Abstract: A method for evaluating a structural strength of cancellous bone and a computer readable media incorporating a program for implementing the method therein. The method includes the steps of acquiring an x-ray image and defining a region of interest on the acquired x-ray image; extracting a bone trabecular pattern in the defined region of interest; and setting an index of the structural strength of the cancellous bone using an area density of the extracted bone trabecular pattern.