Bio-opto-micro-fluidic devices for cell interrogations

Abstract

Advances inmanufacturing technologies and control of fluid flows on the micron-scale have made possible devices that can be used to great advantage in miniaturizing and automating testing processes in chemical and biological experiments, such as cell analysis [10], immunoassays [5] or DNA analysis [31]. The paradigm has been to reduce an entire laboratory to the size of a computer chip (a “lab on a chip”). In this project we analyze and try to improve the design for the integrated microfluidic device presented by Chung and co-workers [11] intended to create a better simulated and controlled in vivo environment for biological cells by allowing a steady flow-through of nutrients and analyte.