What is Microfluidics used for?
What is Microfluidics used for?
Microfluidic systems are widely used in procedures such as capillary electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, immunoassays, flow cytometry, sample injection in mass spectrometry, PCR amplification, DNA analysis, separation and manipulation of cells, and cell patterning.
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 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.
Why is laminar flow important in microfluidics?
Laminar flow provides a means by which molecules can be transported in a relatively predictable manner through microchannels. Note, however, that even at Reynolds numbers below 100, it is possible to have momentum-based phenomena such as as flow separation.
Who discovered microfluidics?
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].
When was microfluidics first used?
PARENTS OF MICROFLUIDICS These techniques, developed from the 1950s and 60s, allow the separation of chemical compounds or biomolecules by flowing small amounts of a sample in narrow tubes or capillaries, reaching high sensitivity and resolution (Figure 4).
What is the Reynolds number in microfluidics?
Based on these features, common knowledge is that the critical Reynolds number—Rec—is 2100–2300 in pipe flow. In microfluidics, turbulence is hard to be generated unless the pressure head is high enough.
Why is laminar flow importance in microfluidics?
This allows the fluid flow to be laminar even at higher velocities, making processes faster. Because layers are not disrupted in laminar flow, microfluidic devices can control particular separations or mixing at desired points.
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.
Are microfluidics expensive?
Overall, the methods used involve minimal capital costs (<$10,000) as well as minimal training and minimal running costs, which makes microfluidics research accessible to a wider community.
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.
How do microfluidic valves work?
Microfluidic valves help control the flow of small volumes of fluid. This control enables microfluidic devices to become more complex and more automated depending on the need of the application.
What are the different types of fluid control components?
Fluid Control Components • Pumps, valves, channels – Pumps and valves of similar design – No perfect pumps or valves • Generally require mechanical actuation • Valve types – A: restriction perpendicular to flow – B: restriction parallel to flow – C: combination of A and B – D: phase change (freezing) Microvalve Microvalve Microvalve
What are phaseguides?
Phaseguides: a paradigm shift in microfluidic priming and emptying Phaseguide technology gives complete control over filling and emptying of any type of microfluidic structures, independent of the chamber and channel geometry. The technique is based on a step-wise advancement of the liquid-air interface using the meniscus pinning effect.
What is a microfluidic device?
The very purpose of microfluidics devices is to deal with samples often dissolved in an aqueous phase and then, manipulate the system through characteristic analytical procedures such as heating, mixing and separation. Subsequently, processed solutions may be transported to some form of a detector or sensor and the data is acquired.