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Nature Jul 2006We describe devices in which optics and fluidics are used synergistically to synthesize novel functionalities. Fluidic replacement or modification leads to... (Review)
Review
We describe devices in which optics and fluidics are used synergistically to synthesize novel functionalities. Fluidic replacement or modification leads to reconfigurable optical systems, whereas the implementation of optics through the microfluidic toolkit gives highly compact and integrated devices. We categorize optofluidics according to three broad categories of interactions: fluid-solid interfaces, purely fluidic interfaces and colloidal suspensions. We describe examples of optofluidic devices in each category.
Topics: Animals; Lasers; Microfluidics; Optics and Photonics; Quantum Dots
PubMed: 16871205
DOI: 10.1038/nature05060 -
Current Opinion in Biotechnology Feb 2014Microfluidic techniques allow precise control of fluids and particles at the nanoliter scale and facilitate simultaneous manipulation and analysis of cultured cells,... (Review)
Review
Microfluidic techniques allow precise control of fluids and particles at the nanoliter scale and facilitate simultaneous manipulation and analysis of cultured cells, starting from a single cell to larger populations and to intact tissues. The use of integrated microfluidic devices has considerably advanced the fields of quantitative and systems biology. In this review, we survey the recent developments in microfluidic cell culture, and discuss not only the advantages but also limitations of using such systems, and give an outlook on potential future developments.
Topics: Animals; Cell Culture Techniques; Cells, Cultured; Humans; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 24484886
DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2013.10.005 -
Lab on a Chip Feb 2024Microbial life is at the heart of many diverse environments and regulates most natural processes, from the functioning of animal organs to the cycling of global carbon.... (Review)
Review
Microbial life is at the heart of many diverse environments and regulates most natural processes, from the functioning of animal organs to the cycling of global carbon. Yet, the study of microbial ecology is often limited by challenges in visualizing microbial processes and replicating the environmental conditions under which they unfold. Microfluidics operates at the characteristic scale at which microorganisms live and perform their functions, thus allowing for the observation and quantification of behaviors such as growth, motility, and responses to external cues, often with greater detail than classical techniques. By enabling a high degree of control in space and time of environmental conditions such as nutrient gradients, pH levels, and fluid flow patterns, microfluidics further provides the opportunity to study microbial processes in conditions that mimic the natural settings harboring microbial life. In this review, we describe how recent applications of microfluidic systems to microbial ecology have enriched our understanding of microbial life and microbial communities. We highlight discoveries enabled by microfluidic approaches ranging from single-cell behaviors to the functioning of multi-cellular communities, and we indicate potential future opportunities to use microfluidics to further advance our understanding of microbial processes and their implications.
Topics: Animals; Microfluidics; Ecology
PubMed: 38344937
DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00784g -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2017Digital microfluidics has emerged in the last years as a promising liquid handling technology for a variety of applications. Here, we describe in detail how to build up...
Digital microfluidics has emerged in the last years as a promising liquid handling technology for a variety of applications. Here, we describe in detail how to build up an electrowetting-on-dielectric-based digital microfluidic chip with unique advantages for performing single-molecule detection. We illustrate how superparamagnetic particles can be printed with very high loading efficiency (over 98 %) and single-particle resolution in the microwell array patterned in the Teflon-AF surface of the grounding plate of the chip. Finally, the potential of the device for its application to single-molecule detection is demonstrated by the ultrasensitive detection of the biotinylated enzyme β-Galactosidase captured on streptavidin-coated particles in the described platform.
Topics: Equipment Design; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Nanotechnology; beta-Galactosidase
PubMed: 28044289
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6734-6_7 -
Journal of Visualized Experiments : JoVE 2007Microfluidics can be integrated with standard electrophysiology techniques to allow new experimental modalities. Specifically, the motivation for the microfluidic brain...
Microfluidics can be integrated with standard electrophysiology techniques to allow new experimental modalities. Specifically, the motivation for the microfluidic brain slice device is discussed including how the device docks to standard perfusion chambers and the technique of passive pumping which is used to deliver boluses of neuromodulators to the brain slice. By simplifying the device design, we are able to achieve a practical solution to the current unmet electrophysiology need of applying multiple neuromodulators across multiple regions of the brain slice. This is achieved by substituting the standard coverglass substrate of the perfusion chamber with a thin microfluidic device bonded to the coverglass substrate. This was then attached to the perfusion chamber and small holes connect the open-well of the perfusion chamber to the microfluidic channels buried within the microfluidic substrate. These microfluidic channels are interfaced with ports drilled into the edge of the perfusion chamber to access and deliver stimulants. This project represents how the field of microfluidics is transitioning away from proof-of concept device demonstrations and into practical solutions for unmet experimental and clinical needs.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Electrophysiology; Equipment Design; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Neurotransmitter Agents; Perfusion
PubMed: 18989410
DOI: 10.3791/301 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2024Self-powered microfluidics presents a revolutionary approach to address the challenges of healthcare in decentralized and point-of-care settings where limited access to...
Self-powered microfluidics presents a revolutionary approach to address the challenges of healthcare in decentralized and point-of-care settings where limited access to resources and infrastructure prevails or rapid clinical decision-making is critical. These microfluidic systems exploit physical and chemical phenomena, such as capillary forces and surface tension, to manipulate tiny volumes of fluids without the need for external power sources, making them cost-effective and highly portable. Recent technological advancements have demonstrated the ability to preprogram complex multistep liquid operations within the microfluidic circuit of these standalone systems, which enabled the integration of sensitive detection and readout principles. This chapter first addresses how the accessibility to in vitro diagnostics can be improved by shifting toward decentralized approaches like remote microsampling and point-of-care testing. Next, the crucial role of self-powered microfluidic technologies to enable this patient-centric healthcare transition is emphasized using various state-of-the-art examples, with a primary focus on applications related to biofluid collection and the detection of either proteins or nucleic acids. This chapter concludes with a summary of the main findings and our vision of the future perspectives in the field of self-powered microfluidic technologies and their use for in vitro diagnostics applications.
Topics: Humans; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Nucleic Acids; Point-of-Care Systems; Point-of-Care Testing; Proteins
PubMed: 38753138
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3850-7_1 -
Lab on a Chip Aug 2014Microfluidics has experienced massive growth in the past two decades, and especially with advances in rapid prototyping researchers have explored a multitude of channel... (Review)
Review
Microfluidics has experienced massive growth in the past two decades, and especially with advances in rapid prototyping researchers have explored a multitude of channel structures, fluid and particle mixtures, and integration with electrical and optical systems towards solving problems in healthcare, biological and chemical analysis, materials synthesis, and other emerging areas that can benefit from the scale, automation, or the unique physics of these systems. Inertial microfluidics, which relies on the unconventional use of fluid inertia in microfluidic platforms, is one of the emerging fields that make use of unique physical phenomena that are accessible in microscale patterned channels. Channel shapes that focus, concentrate, order, separate, transfer, and mix particles and fluids have been demonstrated, however physical underpinnings guiding these channel designs have been limited and much of the development has been based on experimentally-derived intuition. Here we aim to provide a deeper understanding of mechanisms and underlying physics in these systems which can lead to more effective and reliable designs with less iteration. To place the inertial effects into context we also discuss related fluid-induced forces present in particulate flows including forces due to non-Newtonian fluids, particle asymmetry, and particle deformability. We then highlight the inverse situation and describe the effect of the suspended particles acting on the fluid in a channel flow. Finally, we discuss the importance of structured channels, i.e. channels with boundary conditions that vary in the streamwise direction, and their potential as a means to achieve unprecedented three-dimensional control over fluid and particles in microchannels. Ultimately, we hope that an improved fundamental and quantitative understanding of inertial fluid dynamic effects can lead to unprecedented capabilities to program fluid and particle flow towards automation of biomedicine, materials synthesis, and chemical process control.
Topics: Algorithms; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry, Physical; Convection; Equipment Design; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Microspheres; Models, Chemical; Pliability; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Viscosity
PubMed: 24914632
DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00128a -
Biotechnology Progress 2009With the introduction of microtechnology and microfluidic platforms for cell culture, stem cell research can be put into a new context. Inside microfluidics,...
With the introduction of microtechnology and microfluidic platforms for cell culture, stem cell research can be put into a new context. Inside microfluidics, microenvironments can be more precisely controlled and their influence on cell fate studied. Microfluidic devices can be made transparent and the cells monitored real time by imaging, using fluorescence markers to probe cell functions and cell fate. This article gives a perspective on the yet untapped utility of microfluidic devices for stem cell research. It will guide the biologists through some basic microtechnology and the application of microfluidics to cell research, as well as highlight to the engineers the cell culture capabilities of microfluidics.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Models, Theoretical; Stem Cells
PubMed: 19205022
DOI: 10.1002/btpr.171 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2010The use of biocatalysts for the production of both consumer goods and building blocks for chemical synthesis is consistently gaining relevance. A significant... (Review)
Review
The use of biocatalysts for the production of both consumer goods and building blocks for chemical synthesis is consistently gaining relevance. A significant contribution for recent advances towards further implementation of enzymes and whole cells is related to the developments in miniature reactor technology and insights into flow behavior. Due to the high level of parallelization and reduced requirements of chemicals, intensive screening of biocatalysts and process variables has become more feasible and reproducibility of the bioconversion processes has been substantially improved. The present work aims to provide an overview of the applications of miniaturized reactors in bioconversion processes, considering multi-well plates and microfluidic devices, update information on the engineering characterization of the hardware used, and present perspective developments in this area of research.
Topics: Biocatalysis; Bioreactors; Microfluidics
PubMed: 20479988
DOI: 10.3390/ijms11030858 -
Lab on a Chip Aug 2016Microfluidic systems enable rapid diagnosis, screening and monitoring of diseases and health conditions using small amounts of biological samples and reagents. Despite... (Review)
Review
Microfluidic systems enable rapid diagnosis, screening and monitoring of diseases and health conditions using small amounts of biological samples and reagents. Despite these remarkable features, conventional microfluidic systems rely on bulky expensive external equipment, which hinders their utility as powerful analysis tools outside of research laboratories. 'Self-contained' microfluidic systems, which contain all necessary components to facilitate a complete assay, have been developed to address this limitation. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of self-contained microfluidic systems. We categorise these systems based on their operating mechanisms into three major groups: passive, hand-powered and active. Several examples are provided to discuss the structure, capabilities and shortcomings of each group. In particular, we discuss the self-contained microfluidic systems enabled by active mechanisms, due to their unique capability for running multi-step and highly controllable diagnostic assays. Integration of self-contained microfluidic systems with the image acquisition and processing capabilities of smartphones, especially those equipped with accessory optical components, enables highly sensitive and quantitative assays, which are discussed. Finally, the future trends and possible solutions to expand the versatility of self-contained, stand-alone microfluidic platforms are outlined.
Topics: Animals; Equipment Design; Humans; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Microfluidics; Point-of-Care Testing
PubMed: 27425637
DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00712k