Jie Xu
University of Illinois, Chicago
The objective of this project is to develop a Piezoelectric Instrument for Precision Exploration Sampling (PIPES). PIPES is a miniaturized liquid sample acquisition and handling system, which looks like a straw and is powered by a hand-held box. The “straw” contains multiple flow paths for parallel sampling. Enabled by 3D printing, PIPES integrates acoustic actuation to achieve multiple sampling functions, including pumping, filtering, and mixing, in one compact unit. The PIPES system seeks to fill a gap in NASA’s current in-flight sensing capabilities: the lack of miniaturized fluidic sampling and handling systems. The PIPES will make dramatic improvements at the system level in terms of weight, cost and operational simplicity. Moreover, as a versatile micro- to meso-scale fluidic sampling system, the PIPES can work with multiple meso- and micro-scale detection technologies such as electrochemical sensors, micromachined chromatographs and miniature mass spectrometers. Therefore, PIPES has great crosscutting potential in biomedical and environmental applications.