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Lab on a Chip (LOC) -- Advances in Microfluidics
Frost & Sullivan, Sep 2004
Development of Microfluidics and TAS Shifts Lab-on-a-Chip Technology from the Realm of Laboratory Testing to Practical Applications
Microfluidic and µTAS technologies, which move microscopic and nano-scale drops of fluid, are finally penetrating potentially lucrative commercial applications. High-throughput screening of drug candidates and point-of-care testing rank among the most exciting applications. The distinct advantages that they bestow on applications are pushing LOCs’ commercial potential. They are inexpensive, portable and allow rapid assay procedures, and they require relatively small research samples compared with sample sizes needed by competing technologies. Microfluidic and uTAS LOCs are making their mark in the defense and public health sectors. Bioanalytical LOCs, for example, can detect biowarfare agents that contaminate water or food.
This Frost & Sullivan research analyzes emerging developments that will enable LOCs to move from the laboratory into the commercial world. The research studies the latest advances in microfluidics and µTAS LOC technologies developed by researchers and successful companies, including small start-ups. It also identifies major technology drivers and challenges, and readers can easily identify potential collaborators to stay ahead of the competition, and stay shoulder-to-shoulder with critical developments.
Integration and Modularity are Key to SimpleUseful LOCs
In one of the most important trends in this area, researchers are attempting to make LOCs more modular. “Products are becoming more open and modular both in the sense of combining multiple chips and in integrating chips with existing laboratory instrumentation and equipment,” notes the analyst. In fact, multiple functions such as enzymatic reactions, filtration, and electrospray ionization are frequently incorporated onto the same chip. Additionally, electronics, microfluidics, and data layers have been sandwiched together on many microfluidics products, including CD platforms.
In a recent development, microelectronic integrated circuits have been adopted to improve microfluidic component fabrication and integration and create easy-to-use LOCs. Use of integrated circuits provides flexibility. You can alter a bioassay procedure, for example, without redesigning the entire chip. Simply plug the required component into another module to achieve different functionalities within a single system.
Understanding Exact Market Needs Is Crucial to Step Up Commercialization
Researchers have lost sight of the big picture and what the market actually needs in their constant bid to improve the design mechanics for microfluidics and µTAS. Many of the target customers have already installed expensive dispensers and high-throughput screening (HTS) systems, which means that the market for LOC microfluidic systems is likely to be limited unless the technology demonstrates sufficient benefits to justify additional investment. “Since LOC technology is expected to penetrate drug development and clinical settings, it will have to perform at greater accuracy levels and achieve higher levels of throughput than standard, macro-scale, automated equipment,” explains the analyst.
Researchers also need to improve on the existing microfluidic and µTAS technologies that have been either too complicated in design or extremely expensive to integrate into a final system. They have, therefore, turned to semiconductor fabrication techniques, computer-aided design, and injection molding for polymer-laminated LOCs to create practical systems and accelerate commercialization.
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