In-vitro evaluation of the evaporation retardation by Meibomian lipids in homogeneous and non-homogeneous evaporation.

Hypothesis: An important function of the Tear Film Lipid Layer (TFLL) is the retardation of evaporation. We propose two micro-scaled systems to quantify the influence of the TFLL in evaporation for single patients, which may contribute as an improvement on the diagnosis of Meibomian Gland Dysfunctions (MGD).

Experiments: Meibum was extracted from 10 patients with hypersecretory MGD and 9 healthy controls.

Photomechanical Polymer Nanocomposites for Drug Delivery Devices.

We demonstrate a novel structure based on smart carbon nanocomposites intended for fabricating laser-triggered drug delivery devices (DDDs). The performance of the devices relies on nanocomposites' photothermal effects that are based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with carbon nanoparticles (CNPs). Upon evaluating the main features of the nanocomposites through physicochemical and photomechanical characterizations, we identified the main photomechanical features to be considered for selecting a nanocomposite for the DDDs.

An optopneumatic piston for microfluidics.

We demonstrate an optopneumatic piston based on glass capillaries, a mixture of PDMS-carbon nanopowder, silicone and mineral oil. The fabrication method is based on wire coating techniques and surface tension-driven instabilities, and allows for the assembly of several pistons from a single batch production. By coupling the photothermal response of the PDMS-carbon mixture with optical excitation via an optical fiber, we demonstrate that the piston can work either as a valve or as a reciprocal actuator.