Abstract

The Microfluidic Toolbox – A Fast-track Towards Integrated Lab-on-a-Chip Systems

Claudia Gärtner, CEO, Microfluidic ChipShop GmbH

Lab-on-a-chip technology is the key to a novel way to gather analytical data enabling a “sample-in-result” out operation of the total analytical process The advantages of a modular approach combining different functional units for the development of integrated Lab-on-a-Chip systems will be demonstrated. Lab-on-a-chip technology offers the unique possibility of combining all analytical processes on a small footprint, without or an extremely limited number of handling steps, embedding all reagents directly in a consumable device and being, due to miniaturization and the integration level of the consumable, laboratory independent. Several single modules covering individual steps of an analytical assay are combined in a lab-on-a-chip device. For the development phase individual modules can be combined in a LEGO like fashion for evaluation purposes generating reliable data to design an integrated system fulfilling the complete bioanalytical workflow. As an example making use of this “Microfluidic Toolbox” approach, the development and the later fully operational mode of a detection system for biological pathogens with an immunoassay will be presented.