D7.2 - System Integration of Sensors for Fluorescence Based Lab on a Chip Systems

Abstract

Lab on a chip (LOC) devices are small microfluidic systems which can partly replace big laboratories for clinical diagnosis [1]. Especially in applications where rapid analysis is important, LOCs can increase the patient’s ability to heal. They have a lot of advantages over standard laboratories, such as fast processing and high portability [2]. Besides the chip itself, all instrumentation which is necessary to control the fluids and the analysis is a very fundamental part of the whole system. This is why the system integration of fluidic components and sensors have to be a part of the development process of a lab on a chip device. This article will describe the integration of fiber optical sensors in an analysis module for lab in a chip systems. It expands further on the specific challenges of the integration process, which is for example a definite and repeatable positioning of the chip relative to the sensors.