Are you currently facing challenges with low sample volumes, long analysis times, or the need for highly sensitive detection platforms for non-blood biological samples? Creative Biolabs' Microfluidic Chip Development Service helps you overcome these hurdles and achieve rapid, precise, and cost-effective analysis through our innovative lab-on-a-chip technology and bespoke design expertise.
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Background
Microfluidics, the science of manipulating fluids at the microscale, has emerged as a transformative technology for analytical and biological applications. Traditional laboratory methods often require large sample volumes, are labor-intensive, and may lack the sensitivity required for detecting biomarkers at low concentrations. Microfluidic "lab-on-a-chip" systems overcome these limitations by integrating multiple laboratory functions onto a single, miniaturized platform.
Fig.1 The advantages of a microfluidic chip for cancer biomarker detection.1,3
Research continues to underscore the considerable potential of microfluidic systems in evaluating alternative biofluids such as saliva, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and tears. These readily accessible, low-intrusion samples contain abundant biomarkers relevant to diverse health conditions—including infections, cancers, and neurological illnesses. For instance, microfluidic platforms have enabled quantification of urinary proteins and glucose, identification of Alzheimer's biomarkers in spinal fluid, and examination of antiseptic interactions within saliva. Such systems provide exact manipulation over flow behavior and reaction conditions, which is essential when processing intricate, variable samples and obtaining highly consistent outcomes.
Applications
The versatility of microfluidics allows for a wide range of applications, especially when analyzing biological fluids beyond blood. Our services can be applied to:
Point-of-Care (POC) Diagnostics
Creating portable, rapid diagnostic devices for infectious diseases, cancer biomarkers, and metabolic disorders, using non-invasive samples like saliva or urine.
Drug Discovery and Screening
Developing high-throughput platforms for screening drug candidates, analyzing drug-target interactions, and assessing toxicity using minimal sample volumes.
Cellular and Molecular Analysis
Enabling individual cell analysis, cell sorting, and manipulation, as well as nucleic acid and protein analysis from various bodily fluids.
Personalized Medicine
Designing microdevices for monitoring an individual's unique biomarker profile over time, aiding in personalized health and treatment strategies.
Environmental and Food Safety Testing
Creating portable platforms for detecting pathogens, toxins, and other contaminants in water or food samples.
What We Can Offer
Creative Biolabs is your partner for microfluidic innovation. We provide a complete portfolio of offerings tailored to accelerate your scientific discoveries:
We offer bespoke design and manufacturing services, from simple channels to complex, multi-layered systems, tailored to your specific experimental needs.
An integrated service that includes device design, prototyping, manufacturing, and assay integration, streamlining your entire development process.
Microfluidic Platforms for Cell Analysis
Advanced systems for precise control of cellular microenvironments, including perfusion systems, co-culture models, and organ-on-a-chip platforms.
We offer pre-fabricated, validated microfluidic chips ready for immediate use. These chips are designed for common applications such as individual cell encapsulation, droplet generation, and cell sorting, saving you valuable time and resources.
Leverage our specialized benefits—Request a quotation today
Workflow
Why Choose Us
Creative Biolabs stands out as a leader in microfluidic innovation due to our deep scientific expertise and client-focused approach. Our chips are designed to provide superior performance, reliability, and ease of use. Published data and our clients' success stories speak to our capabilities.
Key Advantages
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Low Sample Volume: Our chips operate on microliter-to-nanoliter volumes, conserving precious samples.
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High Sensitivity and Specificity: We engineer platforms that enable highly sensitive detection of target biomarkers, even at low concentrations.
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Rapid Analysis: Miniaturized channels and short diffusion distances significantly accelerate reaction times, leading to faster results.
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Reduced Reagent Costs: The minimal sample and reagent consumption translates to substantial cost savings over large-scale analysis.
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Customization and Integration: We provide a fully customizable service, integrating multiple analytical steps—from sample preparation to detection—onto a single chip.
Published Data
Fig.2 Microfluidic system overview.2,3
The study titled "Automated Electrical Detection of Proteins for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in an Integrated Microfluidic Chip Using Multi-Frequency Impedance Cytometry and Machine Learning" investigated a fully automated, label-free method for protein detection. The researchers designed an integrated microfluidic chip with two main components: serpentine channels for fluid mixing and a microfluidic pore with integrated gold electrodes. This setup was used in conjunction with a programmable fluid control system built from off-the-shelf components, including a syringe pump and a selector valve. The experiment used multi-frequency impedance cytometry to measure electrical impedance as bead-protein complexes passed through the microfluidic pore. This data was then processed using a machine learning algorithm for automated detection and classification. The results demonstrated the system's ability to accurately and automatically detect proteins in an integrated microfluidic environment. The combination of an electrical-based detection system with machine learning proved effective, highlighting a pathway toward a portable, cost-effective, and fully automated diagnostic tool for detecting specific disease biomarkers in biological fluids.
FAQs
Q: What are the key technical advantages of microfluidic systems over traditional lab methods?
A: Microfluidics offers unparalleled precision, allowing for highly controlled fluid manipulation and reaction environments. The miniaturized scale drastically reduces reagent consumption, leading to significant cost savings and enabling experiments with limited sample material. Additionally, microfluidic systems facilitate parallelization and automation, which dramatically increases experimental throughput for tasks like high-throughput screening and individual cell analysis.
Q: What materials are commonly used for microfluidic chip fabrication?
A: The most common material for rapid prototyping is Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a flexible polymer that is biocompatible and optically transparent. For more demanding applications, glass offers superior chemical resistance and durability, while thermoplastics are often used for large-scale, cost-effective manufacturing via injection molding.
Q: How does microfluidic technology enable high-throughput screening?
A: By miniaturizing assays to the microliter or nanoliter scale, microfluidic chips allow for thousands of reactions to be performed on a single device simultaneously. This parallel processing, combined with automated fluid control, means a vast number of compounds or conditions can be tested in a fraction of the time and with a fraction of the sample volume required by conventional methods.
Q: What are the typical considerations when designing a custom microfluidic chip?
A: Successful chip design involves optimizing channel geometry for desired fluid behavior, such as mixing or laminar flow, and selecting materials with appropriate surface properties to prevent non-specific binding. Other key considerations include the integration of on-chip components for detection or cell handling, as well as ensuring compatibility with external instrumentation for fluid delivery and control.
Q: How can microfluidic systems be integrated into existing research workflows?
A: Integration is often achieved by designing a modular system. Microfluidic chips can be paired with standard lab equipment like microscopes, pumps, and temperature controllers. Data acquisition can be streamlined using software that integrates with existing analysis pipelines. This allows researchers to incorporate microfluidics without a complete overhaul of their laboratory setup.
Featured Services
Feature Products
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CAT No
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Material
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Product Name
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Application
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MFCH-001
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Glass
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Herringbone Microfluidic Chip
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Processing samples and reagents in Nucleic acid analysis, blood Analysis, immunoassays, and point-of-care diagnostics.
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MFMM-0723-JS12
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Glass
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Double Emulsion Droplet Chip
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Our double emulsion microfluidic chip, incorporating localized modifications and a classic flow-focusing structure, is specifically designed to generate stable and uniform double emulsion droplets.
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MFCH-005
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PDMS
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3D Cell Culture Chip-Neuron
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Neuron cell culture and study of axon transport, axon protein synthesis, axon damage/regeneration, signal transduction of axon to somatic signal.
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MFCH-009
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PDMS
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Synvivo-Idealized Co-Culture Network Chips (IMN2 radial)
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SynBBB 3D Blood Brain Barrier Model/SynRAM 3D Inflammation Model/SynTumor 3D Cancer Model/SynTox 3D Toxicology Model.
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MFMM1-GJS4
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COC
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BE-Doubleflow Standard
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Studying circulating particles, cell interactions, and simple organ-on-a-chip system construction.
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MFMM1-GJS6
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COC
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BE-Transflow Custom
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Used to construct a cell interface or Air-Liquid interface (ALI) to study more complex culture systems.
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Click Here to Explore Our Complete Product Catalog.
For detailed inquiries regarding our offerings, reach out to our specialists.
References
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Guo, Qiao-Ru et al. "Multifunctional microfluidic chip for cancer diagnosis and treatment." Nanotheranostics vol. 5,1 73-89. 1 Jan. 2021, https://doi.org/10.7150/ntno.49614
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Tayyab, Muhammad et al. "Automated Electrical Detection of Proteins for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in an Integrated Microfluidic Chip Using Multi-Frequency Impedance Cytometry and Machine Learning." Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 25,5 1566. 4 Mar. 2025, https://doi.org/10.3390/s25051566
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Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.
