Microfluidics allows for handling of fluid with volumes typically in the range of nano- to microliters or smaller. The attractive and advantageous characteristics of microfluidics include down-scaling and miniaturization. Microfluidics utilizes and consumes less fluid volumes, and requires fewer materials to make the actual device, making the device and procedures more cost-effective and allowing for mass production. Creative Biolabs is dedicated to establishing the most exquisite microfluidic platform for our clients and the one-stop microfluidic solutions can provide comprehensive technical support for advancing our clients’ projects.
Microfluidic Chip Development for Small Molecule Solution
Microfluidic chips offer various possibilities for performing biochemical assays. These range from the separation of biomolecules, in particular of small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids, to the preparation and analysis of biofluids, such as blood, sweat, and other biological fluids. The molecules in these biofluids can serve as “biomarkers” (biological markers), which are indicators of biological states that can provide information to assist diagnosis, monitor disease progress, assess treatment responses, and identify the risk factors for disease prevention.
Fig. 1 The diverse microfluidic devices used to study biological processes occurring in vascular, respiratory, nervous, digestive and excretory systems.1,3
Services Creative Biolabs Offer
At Creative Biolabs, we offer comprehensive microfluidic chips development services for small molecules analysis, including but not limited to the following three aspects:
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Blood Analysis on Microfluidic Chips
Blood is the most commonly collected sample for clinical diagnostics. As most cell and tissue excretory products present in the blood, it contains a mixture of classic plasma proteins, secreted proteins, and foreign proteins, along with metabolites and electrolytes - many of which can be correlated to disease diagnosis, progression ad treatment response. Microfluidic chips are enabling tools for separation and analysis of blood cells precisely without altering their state. In parallel, microfluidic chips are also new tools for discovery given their potential to perform comprehensive analysis from small molecules, down to a single cell.
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Sweat Analysis on Microfluidic Chips
Sweat is a body fluid naturally produced during physical exercise and emotional stress, and it is essentially a filtrate of blood plasma containing many substances such as sodium, chloride, and lactate. Through the analysis of its composition, it is possible to obtain useful information about the physiological condition of the body. Microfluidic chips for health monitoring should consist of reliable systems capable of monitoring physical and biochemical conditions in real-time. Furthermore, the requirements such as low cost, flexibility, and long term stability are essential characteristics that these chips need to satisfy.
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Other Biological Fluids Analysis on Microfluidic Chips
Other biological fluids, such as tear, saliva, and urine, are also commonly collected samples for health monitoring, especially due to the ease of collection, without the need for invasive procedures. For example, the integration of microfluidic chips into in-dwelling urinary catheters can be used to provide early warning of infection. The key advantage of such systems is that a real-time and continuous indication can be provided, without relying on active participation by the testers.
Creative Biolabs has been involving in the field of microfluidic chips for many years and we are committed to completing your project with high quality. We can provide you with the best services to ensure your requirements are met. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more details.
Published Data
The findings discussed in the articles related to small molecule detection on microfluidic chips are presented.
1. Soft, skin-interfaced microfluidic systems with integrated immunoassays, fluorometric sensors, and impedance measurement capabilities
Fig 2. Schematic of the skin-interfaced wireless microfluidic device.2,3
Sungbong Kim et al. introduced a multifunctional microfluidic device that can be applied to the skin and can collect and analyze biomarkers in trace amounts of sweat, with immunoassay, fluorescence detection capabilities and wireless functions.2,3 The article focuses on the concentration of vitamin C, cortisol and glucose, as well as sweat rate and skin galvanic response, which are stress-related parameters specifically used to monitor physical and mental stress. The microfluidic chip mainly consists of serpentine microchannels, integrated electrodes and LFIA for cortisol measurement. These polyurethane-based microfluidic structures greatly reduce the evaporation rate of collected and stored sweat compared to traditional elastomer-based systems.
References
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Perastrelo, Aguas, et al. " Microfluidic Organ/Body-on-a-Chip Devices at the Convergence of Biology and Microengineering." Sensors 15.12 (2015): 31142-31170.
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Kim, Sungbong, et al. "Soft, skin-interfaced microfluidic systems with integrated immunoassays, fluorometric sensors, and impedance measurement capabilities." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117.45 (2020): 27906-27915.
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Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.
