Microfluidics: The Future of Testing?

Abstract

The past few decades have seen a promising trend in point-of-care diagnostics, with microfluidic technologies at the cornerstone of this emerging field. Microfluidic devices are platforms the size of a microscope slide, or smaller, that are comprised of various circuits connected by miniature tubing systems. These technologies can be coupled to many common analytical detection techniques and promise rapid simultaneous analyses and automatic reporting, while utilizing minute volumes of samples and reagents (1). Microfluidic chips are typically made out of a transparent polymer, polydimethylsiloxane, through a process called photolithography. A silicon plate is covered with a printed “photomask.” With exposure to UV light, the pattern on the photomask is transferred to a light-sensitive chemical “photoresist” on the silicon substrate. The photoresist resists subsequent …