What are Microfluidics used for?
Microfluidics allows for handling of liquid with volumes typically in the range of nano- to microliters (10− 9 to 10− 6 L) or smaller. Microfluidics is key to advancing molecular sensors based on bioassays including immunoassay, cell separation, and DNA amplification and analysis, among many other examples.
Who invented Microfluidics?
Frederick Stanley Kipping
Frederick Stanley Kipping, the British chemist considered the father of silicon chemistry. The first microfluidic devices were usually made of silicon and glass since the fabrication techniques derived from microelectronics were well known [3].
Who uses Microfluidics?
Microfluidics are also used in research as they allow for innovation in food chemistry and food processing. An example in food engineering research is a novel micro-3D-printed device fabricated to research production of droplets for potential food processing industry use, particularly in work with enhancing emulsions.
What are microfluidic biochips?
Introduction. Digital microfluidic biochip (DMFB) is an emerging tech- nology that aims to miniaturize and integrate droplet-based, functions on a chip. By manipulating droplets with micro- volumes or nano-volumes, the DMFB provides higher sensi- tivity and less human errors compare to benchtop procedures.
What are the advantages of microfluidics?
The reduced turnaround time and increased productivity with a small device footprint allows for ease of integration into a variety of experimental setups. The increased portability makes it ideal for point-of-care devices. The ease of use and low production cost also make microfluidic devices attractive.
How are microfluidics made?
Microfluidic chips are usually fabricated by making thin grooves or small wells on the surface of a layer, and then enclosing those features by means of a second layer to form microchannels or chambers. Channels need to be leak-proof thus the layers must be properly bonded.
What is Microfluidics IVF?
What is the Microfluidics IVF technique? Microfluidics is a new alternative to the conventional sperm processing and separation method. Microfluidics is based on the principle that sperms with low motility contain more damaged DNA, and highly motile sperms are less likely to carry damaged DNA.
What is the meaning of Microfluidics?
Definition of microfluidics Microfluidics is both the science which studies the behaviour of fluids through micro-channels, and the technology of manufacturing microminiaturized devices containing chambers and tunnels through which fluids flow or are confined.
What are Microfluidics made of?
Microfluidic chips are made from thermoplastics such as acrylic, glass, silicon, or a transparent silicone rubber called PDMS.
How do microfluidic devices work?
Microfluidics systems work by using a pump and a chip. Different types of pumps precisely move liquid inside the chip with a rate of 1 μL/minute to 10,000 μL/minute. For comparison, a small water drop is ~10 microliter (μL).
What is the role of Microfluidics technology in the society?
Microfluidic technology has the potential to be used as a platform to investigate interactions between drug carriers and cells, and also the treatment effects of active compounds and drugs. Thus, these platforms can be helpful for filling the gap between animal studies and human clinical trials.
What is microfluidics IVF?
What is sperm chip?
Sperm chip is a method to select and prepare the sperm in IUI (insemination), ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) treatments.
What is microfluidic sperm sorting?
FERTILE® Microfluidic Sperm Sorting Chip. Chemical-free method of sorting sperm using a disposable chip. The method is based on the principle of natural sperm selection in a passage through micro-barriers imitating natural environment of female reproductive system (fallopian tubes).
What is microfluidic made of?
What are microfluidic products?
A microfluidic chip is a set of micro-channels etched or molded into a material (glass, silicon or polymer such as PDMS, for PolyDimethylSiloxane). The micro-channels forming the microfluidic chip are connected together in order to achieve the desired features (mix, pump, sort, or control the biochemical environment).
What is the future of Microfluidics?
As well as laboratory-based research, the future of microfluidic devices is likely to involve their direct integration with the human body. This poses several challenges, not least the basic incompatibility between solid electrical components, and the flexible, dynamic nature of tissue.
What are the advantages of Microfluidics?
What is ZyMot IVF?
ZyMot is a device, also called a chip, which can be used in the IVF laboratory to prepare and select sperm for insemination by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). ZyMot relies on the sperm actively swimming through the membrane filter in the chip, demonstrating motility.