Integration of functionality into polymer-based microfluidic devices produced by high-volume micro-moulding techniques
Integration of functionality into polymer-based microfluidic devices produced by high-volume micro-moulding techniques
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DOI：
10.1007/s00170-009-2345-8
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发表时间：
2010-06-01
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Alcock, Jeffrey R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Attia, Usama M.;Alcock, Jeffrey R.
集成功能元件的微流控装置近年来受到越来越多的关注。已经制造和测试了许多涵盖广泛应用的原型，特别是在化学和生物医学科学领域。然而，集成微流控装置仍远未作为具有成本效益的商业产品广泛使用，这往往是因为它们的制造方法不适合大规模生产。最近引入了几种具有成本效益的大批量生产微特征塑料部件的方法，例如微注射成型和热压印。这些方法已广泛用于制造商业规模的简单一次性微流控芯片，但尚未类似地应用于生产集成微流控器件。本文综述了采用高成本效益的大批量复制工艺生产的集成微流控装置的最新进展。以微注射成型和热压成型两种工艺为例。几种类型的元素根据它们的功能进行分类，相对于它们的物理输入和输出进行定义。对它们的集成水平进行了审查。此外，还从制造的角度讨论了元素是否易于通过复制技术或后端流程产生。提出并讨论了集成中当前和未来的挑战。
Microfluidic devices with integrated functional elements have gained increasing attention in recent years. Many prototypes covering a wide range of applications have been fabricated and tested, especially in the fields of chemical and biomedical sciences. Nevertheless, integrated microfluidic devices are still far from being widely used as cost-efficient commercial products, often because they are produced by fabrication methods that are not suitable for mass production. Several methods have been recently introduced for cost-efficient high-volume production of micro-featured plastic parts, such as microinjection moulding and hot embossing. These methods have been widely used for fabricating simple disposable microfluidic chips on a commercial scale, but have not yet been similarly applied for producing integrated microfluidic devices. This review paper aims at presenting the state of the art in integrated microfluidic devices produced by cost-efficient high-volume replication processes. It takes microinjection moulding and hot embossing as its two process examples. Several types of elements are classified according to their functions, defined relative to their physical inputs and outputs. Their level of integration is reviewed. In addition, elements are discussed from a manufacturing viewpoint in terms of being readily produced by replication techniques or by back-end processes. Current and future challenges in integration are presented and discussed.