DX Directions: Developing Microfluidic Applications for IVDs

Since their emergence in the early 1990s, microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip technologies were widely anticipated to revolutionize numerous industries through the development of a new generation of small, more efficient, and easier to use products. Today, it is evident that microfluidic products have so far only found success in certain niche applications, such as ink-jet printing and DNA sequencing. Nonetheless, recent advances in product design and material selection and engineering are revitalizing interest in microfluidics in IVD markets. Microfluidic products have the potential to meet significant unmet clinical needs and could have a dramatic effect on improving the cost-effectiveness and decentralization of healthcare. IVD microfluidic product-driven decentralization is a growing trend that deserves attention from not only product development groups, but also senior executives in the IVD and laboratory industries who must take the lead in ensuring long term strategic plans are suitable for a changing business landscape.

This special report will include the following feature articles that discuss the application of the latest, cutting edge microfluidic technologies in IVDs:

• Microfluidics Immunoassay on Disposable, Polymeric Microchips for Clinical Diagnosis
  Demonstrates that the application of a microfluidics-based device can provide high-quality data in terms of speed, reproducibility, linearity, and sensitivity.
  Authors: William W.P. Chang and Chen Li of Wako Pure Chemical Industries, and Chiaki Kagebayashi and Shinji Satomura of Diagnostics Research Laboratories
   
• Overview of Microfluidic Applications in IVDs
  Discusses how microfluidics will have a material impact on molecular diagnostics and how microfluidics will change how molecular diagnostics companies compete with one another by enabling new, more-open business models.
  Authors: Harry Glorikian, Toby Zaleski, and Brian Clancy of Scientia Advisors
   
• Jet Dispensing of Phase Change Materials for Microfluidics
  Explores how automating the manufacture of microfluidic devices for commercialization has been enabled by the use of automated fluid dispensing systems that use jet dispensing.
  Author: Brad Perkins of Asymtek
   
• Microfluidics for Biological Analysis: Triumphs & Hurdles of CD Platforms, Part 3 - A Vision for Tomorrow
  Looks at the remaining challenges to developing a microfluidic nucleic acid IVD device and describes a forward-looking system that can be used both in and out of clinical settings.
  Authors: Jonathan Siegrist of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Régis Peytavi and Michel Bergeron of Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, Université Laval, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, and Marc Madou of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine