Microfluidic Devices and Their Applications to Lab-on-a-Chip

Abstract

Various microfluidic components and their characteristics, along with the demonstration of two recent achievements of lab-on-chip systems are reviewed and discussed. Many microfluidic devices and components have been developed during the past few decades, as introduced earlier for various applications. The design and development of microfluidic devices still depend on the specific purposes of the devices (actuation and sensing) due to a wide variety of application areas, which encourages researchers to develop novel, purpose-specific microfluidic devices and systems. Microfluidics is the multidisciplinary research field that requires basic knowledge in fluidics, micromachining, electromagnetics, materials, and chemistry for various applications.