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Microfluidics for Processing Surfaces and Miniaturizing Biological Assays
Author(s) -
Delamarche E.,
Juncker D.,
Schmid H.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200501129
Subject(s) - microfluidics , nanotechnology , materials science , biomolecule , microchannel , analyte , context (archaeology) , lithography , capillary action , soft lithography , optoelectronics , fabrication , chromatography , chemistry , medicine , paleontology , alternative medicine , pathology , composite material , biology
This review is an account of our efforts to develop a versatile and flexible microfluidic technology for surface‐processing applications and miniaturizing biological assays. The review is presented in the context of current trends in microfluidic technology and addresses some of the major challenges for confining chemical and biochemical processes on surfaces: the sealing of a microchannel with a surface, the world‐to‐chip interface, the displacement of liquids in small conduits, the sequential delivery of multiple solutions, the accurate patterning of surfaces, the coincident detection of various analytes, and the detection of analytes in a small and dilute sample. Our solutions to these problems include the use of reversible sealing, capillary phenomena for powering and controlling liquid transport, and non‐contact microfluidics for spotting and drawing (on surfaces) with flow conditions. These solutions offer many advantages over conventional techniques for handling minute amounts of liquids and may find applications in lithography, biopatterning (e.g., the patterning of biomolecules), diagnostics, drug discovery, and also cellular assays.