4 Conclusion
The first generation of microfluidic POC sensors is already available in the market:
blood glucose tests, rapid streptococcal tests, and pregnancy tests, just to name a
few. The crucial aspects for commercializing microfluidic devices are powerful
microscale technologies and low-cost materials for portable analyses. Although, the
development of these technologies is currently the focus of many research groups,
the selection of material and expensive manufacturing process bottleneck limiting
the transfer of technologies from research to commercial products. Silicon/glass
and PDMS are the commonly used materials in research laboratories while plastics
and paper are more promising for commercializing microfluidic devices. Each
material has its pros and cons (Table6.2). Silicon, glass, and Teflon represent the
most inert materials to chemicals and solvents; PDMS is easy to prototype, making
it easy to fabricate complicated fluid circuits with various integrated components;
normal thermoplastics are excellent for commercial mass production of standard
microfluidic devices; hydrogels are more suitable for biological applications; and
paper is highly promising for commercial disposable bioassays. Finally, all the
materials can be modified or combined to fabricate more powerful devices for
specific aims.
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