Publication

Abstract : Microfluidics technology is central to the development of lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices. The ultimate goal of a LOC device is to mimic conventional laboratory operations on a chip. Among the various laboratory operations, mixing is an essential process in most biochemical assays. This is achieved in macroscale using techniques like shaking or stirring. Micromixers are essential to carry out this mixing operation on a microscale. Another critical aspect of any assay is the carefully timed delivery of reagents. In a conventional laboratory, a trained person cautiously pipettes or introduces the reagents as per requirement. However, it is impractical to have a POCT device that requires an end user to pipette multiple fluids on-chip for a complex assay. It is in this scenario that microvalves become significant. This chapter explains the different micromixers and microvalves that have been developed for LOC applications.