The role of microfluidic systems in biological and medical sciences

JULIO A. LUNA; IGNACIO M. HELBLING

Organic and Medicinal Chemistry International Journal

Juniper Publishers Inc

Año: 2017 vol. 1 p. 1 - 8

2474-7610

Microfluidics is a young discipline. Duringits beginning, it was mainly an academic field in where researchers study the behaviorof fluids at micro scale and how it can be modified with operative andexperimental variables. Then, the focus was placed on studying devicefabrication process and how to optimize them to lower costs and time, and toenhance system features. After a period of maturation, microfluidic researchersbegan to evaluate system usefulness and the possibility of use them indifferent areas. Microfluidics became a multidisciplinary field combining conceptsof biological and medical sciences and engineering. Diagnostic test,microparticles fabrications, contaminant detection, and medical analyses werefirst goals. Then, its uses expanded exponentially to other areas opening aworld of possibilities. With the advances in miniaturization and materialsciences as well as the boom in micro and nanotechnology, manufacturing processbecame highly precise. New applications in biochemistry, biotechnology, biologyand medical sciences were appearing attracting the interest of the industrialsector. Since then, projects are aimed to develop microfluidic systems withindustrial applications. The present contribution describes the characteristicsof the three major type of microfluidic systems: chip-based, capillary-basedand paper-based systems. Advantages and limitations of each one are mentioned.In addition, their most important applications in biological and medicalsciences are presented.