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Macro, Micro, andNano
Lab-on-a-Chip Technology UnderDiffering Flow Regimes
Anthony Salvagno, Brittany Branch, Darin Leonhardt, Martin Donovan12/17/2008
There are major differences when one compares fluid flow at different scales. Here we take acloser look at many of the various differences of each regime: macroscale (larger than 100 um),microscale (100 um to 100 nm), and the nanoscale(fewer than 100 nm). We will also presentapplications of each scale in order to demonstrate the usefulness of developing Lab-on-a Chiptechnologies.
 
Introduction
 The need for analysis of biological specimens utilizing as little sample aspossible has created an offshoot branch of MEMS (aptly named BioMEMS)utilizing liquid flow on the very small scale. The research performed in thisfield has created many advances in the technology and has allowed for thecreation of laboratory-on-a-chip (LOC) type setups. In the early stages of development, these devices were constructed to handle chemical analysis onthe order of a lab. This was the creation of the first Micro Total AnalysisSystems (µTAS). The improvementof fluidics technologies allowed researchers to do so muchmore on a single chip than just chemical sensing and analysis. Shortly after,creation and development of pumps, valves, mixers, motors, and anythingelse that could be used in a fluidics lab was miniaturized to the microscopicscale and further enhanced fluidics [1-4]. People began to realize that thiscould be applied to more than just chemistry, and looked to the everadvancing field of genomics and microbiology for new applications.During typical biological experiments (on the macroscale) large sample sizesare used on the order of millions or even billions of cells, proteins, aminoacids, etc. On the smaller scales of micrometers and nanometers,experiments may be carried out where single molecules can be analyzed andcharacterized. In the field of genomics, for instance, this is particularlyuseful because there is a gap in understanding how molecular interactionsaffect gene expression [10]. The need to reduce cost and improve speed and efficiency were initially thedriving forces behind LOC technology. Eventually it became obvious thathigher resolution could be obtained because now one could analyze (downto) individual molecule behavior. Reducing the need for such sample sizes,as in the case of micro-/nanofluidic experiments, provides a much more costand effort efficient process.
 
 The design of these tools even allows for high throughput processing, simplybecause the entire chip is completely automated. Fluids can be moved,separated, mixed, screened, etc. all on a single chip without ever needing tocontact human hands. The control gained from this automation is quiteimpressive and may range from spatial and temporal characterizations onthe subcellular level [5] or organismal level [6], patterning of molecules andcells [7], and passive and active cell handling and environment control [8] upto the cellular level [9].While most of the previously mentioned research has been done on themicroscopic level, there is as potentially impactful work going on at thenanoscopic level too. The benefits here are similar to microfluidics in thatreduced cost of reagents, parallelization of experiment, and high resolution(and sensitive) detection are all available technologies and could even bemore useful on the smaller nanoscale. The smaller structures of thenanochannels (thus entering a completely different regime of physics) couldalso present interesting interactions between the fabricated devices and themolecules/particles to be studied.It is pretty clear that these technologies haveits usefulness in the biologicalspectrum of science, but still we have not seen the explosion of technologythat LOC brings. Currently there is a slight gap between the biologists whowish to employ the use of LOC technologies and the engineers who fabricatethem. This divide is ever narrowing as science becomes more open andresearchers themselves are pursuing interdisciplinary study. Thiscollaborative effort is rapidly changing the future of study for both fields andwill assuredly enable high-impact research.Here, we present some of the technologies that have been and are beingdeveloped in the fields of microfluidics and nanofluidics. Each regime isdictated by its own set of parameters and will be discussed. We will providea compare/contrast of both and discuss the limitations that come with eachtechnology. We will also detail some of the technologies that were previously(and still are) utilized in a biological setting, the uses for each, and the
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marc271986

hey..would love to have a copy if you're sending them out...mdpatricelli@yahoo.com...if not reading here is ok

reply01 / 24 / 2010
El THAN

hey brother, please ....public domain for this article

reply03 / 21 / 2009
chetangowda18

hey i need to download this word.. please mail me that.. vinayak.nandikal@gmail.com

reply03 / 04 / 2009
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