Abstract

Microfluidic Platforms for Diagnostics – From Idea to Production

Nils Paust, Head of Division Microfluidic Platforms, Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft für Angewandte Forschung eV

Several decades of microfluidic research and development are now behind us and I would like to share some strategies of commercialization that are used at Hahn-Schickard. We attempt to cover the complete value chain from idea to production. Microfluidic design, research labs equipped with biosafety, and rapid prototyping facilities are required for the first proof of concepts. However, in total, four manufacturing lines are needed to accompany the development from idea to production.  In a next step, we need to improve the level of confidence by scaling up production and test in clinical environments. For market entry, a certified production line should provide thousands of cartridges and eventually, fully automated high throughput manufacturing should provide cartridges for low prices. Simultaneously, a processing device must be developed, first as a measurement set-up, then as a functional model, and eventually as a product. In this talk, on the example of centrifugal microfluidic platforms, I will discuss applications and share our experiences on the different levels of microfluidic development.