The Advantages of the Application of Microfluidic Devices in Materials Processing - Assignment Example

Discuss the Advantages of the Application of Microfluidic Devices in Materials Processing Student’s Name Course Professor’s Name University City (State) Date Abstract Microfluidic devices are relatively a new group of analytical tools used in the analysis of complex biochemical samples that contain proteins, macromolecules, toxins, nucleic acids, cells or pathogens. Within a single analytical run, fluidic manipulation such as sorting, mixing, transportation or separation can be achieved. This has seen the recent development of the use of microfluidic devices in extensive research inquiries, primarily for non-expensive biochemical analysis as well as for forensic diagnostics and the screening of medical samples. In other words, the use and application of microfluidic devices in material processing may help in cancer diagnosis and treatments, neurotransmitter detections, drug discovery and determination, cell and tissue culture amplifications and growth, and in the detection of microorganisms. Introduction Harnessing the ability to reproducibly and precisely actuate fluids in the manipulation of bio practices such as cells, DNA’s, and other molecules within a microscale clearly establish the importance of microfluidics as a powerful tool that is currently changing and revolutionizing chemical and biological analysis. In other words, the inclusion of microfluidics replaces the laboratory bench technologies with a miniature chip-scale device that allows assays to be conducted in a fraction of a second, thus saving time and costs while on the other hand affording a field use capacity and portability (Pleil & Massiha 2014, p.20). Emerging from an extensive period of research and development that resulted in the development of microfluidic technologies, a broad range of promising consumer biotechnological and laboratory applications from proteomic analysis kits and microscope genetics, biosensors, pathogen detection systems, drug screening platforms, and biomaterials synthesis in tissue engineering have evolved. In this regard, this study seeks to conduct a study aimed at establishing the advantages of the application of microfluidic devices in the processing of materials. The Advantages of the Application of Microfluidic Devices in Materials Processing Microfluidics as established by Marr and Munakata (2007) infers to a set of technologies utilized in manipulating small fluid volumes (µL, nL, pL) within an artificially fabricated microsystem. According to this author, microfluidic systems facilitate consistent and generic miniaturization, integration, automation, and parallelization of chemical and biological processes. In this regard, the application of microfluidics has resulted in diverse research inquiries, with most of these studies achieving significant impact (Azouz et al. 2014, p.65). According to this author, one of the distinct advantages in applying microfluidic devices in organic synthesis remains in the fact that the miniaturized components and elements are bound to use volumes of fluid, an aspect that results in the reduction of reagent consumption. Given this, such decreases permit and costs small quantities of precious samples to be stretched, for instance, divided into much larger numbers of screening assays. This, therefore, indicates the reduction of quantities of waste products (Shinde et al. 2011, p.54). The lower the thermal mass and the larger the surface to volume ratio of these small components, the more the process of heat transfer is facilitated rapidly, thus enabling quick temperature changes in precisely controlling the temperatures during the organic synthesis. On the other hand, in exothermic reactions, these elements help in the elimination of the built-up heat that has the capacity to lead to undesired explosions or even side reactions. Land et al. (2014) therefore posits that the larger the surface to volume ratio, the more advantage in presents in the process that involves support-bound enzymes and catalysts especially in a solid-phase synthesis approach. The small scale lengths of microfluidic devices make the process of diffusive mixing faster, with this prone to increase the accuracy and speed of the reactions. Intense performance improvements are in this case evident in microfluidic assays that reduce the measurement times, improve sensitivity, selectivity, and greater readabilities in organic synthesis. For instance, the broadening of dispersion may be reduced in electrophoretic separations through the use of a rapid dissipation of the Joule heat (Azouz et al. 2014, p.6). However, in some separations, the sensitivity of substances is enhanced simply by reducing their measurement times, hence resulting in a low degree of the reactions peak broadening. In this case, it is essential to posit that microfluidic devices enhance the manner in which tasks are achieved in an entirely new way. This can be demonstrated through the use of fluid temperatures that are rapidly recycled by ensuring that the fluids are moved between the chip regions within different temperatures as compared to the typical method of heating and cooling the fluid in place (Sun et al. 2013, p.899). Devices to screen for protein crystallization, therefore, harness the devices free-interface diffusions, with this process considered as practical through the use of a micro scale in exploring the range of conditions that occur when protein and salt solutions are gradually mixed. The laminar nature of the flow of these fluids in microchannels, therefore, permits new approaches in performing and filtering, solvent exchange, and two-phase reactions in organic synthesis (Research and 'Microfluidics Market 2016). The advantages of the application of microfluidic devices in material processing are also evident in automation and integration. In this case, it is essential to consider that microfluidic technologies enhance the construction of devices that contain several components with different functionalities. In this case, a single integrated chip has the capacity to perform important chemical processes from the beginning to the end, with an instance of this evident in the sampling, pre-processing, and measurements of an assay. This is the version referred to as the lab on a chip or a micro total analysis system (µTAS) (Sun et al. 2013, p.898). Given this, it is easier to perform fluid handling operations through the use of a single chip that saves time, reduces the risks associated with sample contamination and loss, and eliminates the need for massive, expensive laboratory robots. Moreover, the operation of microfluidic devices may be automated with the aim of increasing throughput, thus improving the ease of use, repeatability, and the reduction of human errors. Automation, as established by Azouz et al. (2014) is perceived as a useful application that requires a remote operation, with such devices regarded as significant in performing continuous processes of monitoring chemical and environmental processes in inaccessible regions. Another approach of increasing throughput remains in the exploitation of parallelism. Single chips have demonstrated their capacity to perform several identical assays and reactions. These chips, therefore, make use of synchronization and control-sharing to ensure that the operations are not complex compared to that of a non-parallel chip. In other words, the feature on-chip distribution on a single input sample to several microreactors, an aspect that offers a solution to the micro-to-micro interfaces problems (p.96). These problems result from the mismatch that occurs between sample sizes that can be manipulated in a lab (µL–mL) and the volume of microreactors considered as (pL–nL). The process of controlling several individual valves with smaller off-chip control inputs is therefore achieved through the implementation of multiplexers or another compound on chips as done through a microelectronic chip (Marr and Munakata 2007). Being planar over the same scale similar to the semiconductor integrated circuits, microfluidic devices are in this case integrated through optical or electronic devices such as actuators, sensors, and control logics, an aspect that remains important in organic synthesis. On the other hand, several actuators such as heating elements, pumps, and electrodes used in electrophoresis or electro kinetic flow are devised in a manner that the inclusion of microfluidic devices specifically tailored to respond to different properties directly actuates a valve or swell. The potential of integrated control logic therefore, remains untapped, thus denoting the need for making future hybrid devices that have the capacity to perform sophisticated computation and in situ monitoring approaches with the aim of implementing feedback control circuits that will be used in maintaining optimum operating conditions in detecting problems (Shinde et al. 2011, p.60). The inclusion of small integrated microfluidic devices, therefore, offers a future of portability, thus enabling mobile applications to be conducted in chemical analysis, forensics, and point-of-care medicine. The capacity of these devices to perform integrated diagnostic tests, therefore, reduces costs, thus improving the turn-around time. Additionally, this reduces the risks associated with sample mixing in the event that manufactured devices are not disposable, an aspect that is considered as significant in eliminating or reducing cross-contamination that occurs between tests. According to Aghajani et al. (2013), several investigators and research studies reveal that microreactors can be utilized in industrial chemical production or in the treatment of waste of waste plants in the event that volumetric processing requirements in these substances are low (p.609). In order to scale up production, there is a need to ensure that additional microreactors are brought into service at a relatively lower incremental cost, an aspect that differs from the construction of high capacity reactors, with this ability considered as useful in industries or pilot plants that have production demands that change with geographical locations or time. Regarding this, plants and industries are in a position to set up their production processes whenever and wherever they needed, an aspect that decreases the entities need for transportation and storage of short-lived or hazardous chemical products (Pleil & Massiha 2014, p.21). Furthermore, the inclusion of microfluidic devices and microreactors play a significant role in increasing the safety of dangerous processes that include the synthesis of organic peroxides prevalent in acid chlorides and the fluorination of aromatic compounds by acute temperature prevention and control on a thermal runway. In the case of the failure of microreactors, the consequences are deemed to be relatively minor since the small masses of materials that are present in the reactors are given time to react. Microfluidics additionally offers several other advantages as compared to the conventional laboratory-scale assays. An inverse characteristically length of a scaling surface-area-to-volume ratio, therefore, gives the impression that mass transfers of heat into a chip can be enhanced while the dimension of the device reduced (Shinde et al. 2011, p.63). Besides this, other physicochemical interfacial elements not in many cases encountered in macroscopic dimensions can be exploited through the application of microfluidic devices in material processing. Additionally, microfluidics offers the opportunity of integrating capabilities that include an entire range of bench top laboratory procedures of sample handling done through reactions, separations, and detections that are applied and automated into a single chip in a different manner that varies from the unit operation of a chemical plant (Research and 'Microfluidics Market 2016). With the advancements of large-scale nanofabrication’s and mass micro fabrications, economies of scales can be capitalized on through the manufacturing of cheap, portable, disposable, and handheld devices that have the capacity to revolutionize high-throughput in drug discoveries achieved through massive parallelization and personalized healthcare medicines, made through a point-of-care diagnosis. Conclusion As detailed in this paper, microfluidic devices are relatively a new group of analytical tools used in the analysis of complex biochemical samples that contain proteins, macromolecules, toxins, nucleic acids, cells or pathogens. Harnessing the ability to reproducibly and precisely actuate fluids in the manipulation of bio practices such as cells, DNA’s, and other molecules within a micro scale clearly establish the importance of microfluidics as a powerful tool that is currently changing and revolutionizing chemical and biological analysis. Devices to screen for protein crystallization, therefore, harness the devices free-interface diffusions, with this process considered as practical through the use of a micro scale in exploring the range of conditions that occur when protein and salt solutions are gradually mixed. The laminar nature of the flow of these fluids in microchannels, therefore, permits new approaches in performing and filtering, solvent exchange, and two-phase reactions in organic synthesis. In a nutshell, Microfluidics offers several other advantages as compared to the conventional laboratory-scale assays. An inverse characteristically length of a scaling surface-area-to-volume ratio, therefore, gives the impression that mass transfers of heat into a chip can be enhanced while the dimension of the device reduced. Reference List Aghajani, M., Shahverdi, A. R., Rezayat, S. M., Amini, M. A., & Amani, A. 2013. Preparation and optimization of acetaminophen nanosuspension through nanoprecipitation using microfluidic devices: an artificial neural networks study. Pharmaceutical Development & Technology, 18(3), 609-618. doi:10.3109/10837450.2011.649854 Azouz, A, Murphy, S, Karazi, S, Vázquez, M, & Brabazon, D 2014, 'Fast Fabrication Process of Microfluidic Devices Based on Cyclic Olefin Copolymer', Materials & Manufacturing Processes, 29, 2, pp. 93-99, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Land, K, Mbanjwa, M, & Korvink, J 2014, 'Microfluidic channel structures speed up mixing of multiple emulsions by a factor of ten', Bio microfluidics, 8, 5, pp. 1-11, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Marr, D, & Munakata, T 2007, 'MICRO/NANOFLUIDIC COMPUTING', Communications Of The ACM, 50, 9, pp. 64-68, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Pleil, M, & Massiha, G 2014, 'Teach Microsystems Technology on a Tight Budget', Tech Directions, 73, 8, pp. 18-22, Professional Development Collection, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Research and, M, 'Microfluidics Market: By Material, Application, Diagnostic, Drug Delivery & Region - Forecast (2016) - Research and Markets', Business Wire (English), 2, Regional Business News, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Shinde, S, Orozco, C, Brengues, M, Lenigk, R, Montgomery, D, & Zenhausern, F 2011, 'Optimization of a Microfluidic Mixing Process for Gene Expression-Based Bio-Dosimetry', Quality Engineering, 23, 1, pp. 59-70, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Sun, J, Fuh, J, Thian, E, Hong, G, Wong, Y, Yang, R, & Tan, K 2013, 'Fabrication of electronic devices with multi-material drop-on-demand dispensing system', International Journal Of Computer Integrated Manufacturing, 26, 10, pp. 897-906, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 April 2017. Read More

In this regard, the application of microfluidics has resulted in diverse research inquiries, with most of these studies achieving significant impact (Azouz et al. 2014, p.65). According to this author, one of the distinct advantages in applying microfluidic devices in organic synthesis remains in the fact that the miniaturized components and elements are bound to use volumes of fluid, an aspect that results in the reduction of reagent consumption. Given this, such decreases permit and costs small quantities of precious samples to be stretched, for instance, divided into much larger numbers of screening assays.

This, therefore, indicates the reduction of quantities of waste products (Shinde et al. 2011, p.54). The lower the thermal mass and the larger the surface to volume ratio of these small components, the more the process of heat transfer is facilitated rapidly, thus enabling quick temperature changes in precisely controlling the temperatures during the organic synthesis. On the other hand, in exothermic reactions, these elements help in the elimination of the built-up heat that has the capacity to lead to undesired explosions or even side reactions.

Land et al. (2014) therefore posits that the larger the surface to volume ratio, the more advantage in presents in the process that involves support-bound enzymes and catalysts especially in a solid-phase synthesis approach. The small scale lengths of microfluidic devices make the process of diffusive mixing faster, with this prone to increase the accuracy and speed of the reactions. Intense performance improvements are in this case evident in microfluidic assays that reduce the measurement times, improve sensitivity, selectivity, and greater readabilities in organic synthesis.

For instance, the broadening of dispersion may be reduced in electrophoretic separations through the use of a rapid dissipation of the Joule heat (Azouz et al. 2014, p.6). However, in some separations, the sensitivity of substances is enhanced simply by reducing their measurement times, hence resulting in a low degree of the reactions peak broadening. In this case, it is essential to posit that microfluidic devices enhance the manner in which tasks are achieved in an entirely new way. This can be demonstrated through the use of fluid temperatures that are rapidly recycled by ensuring that the fluids are moved between the chip regions within different temperatures as compared to the typical method of heating and cooling the fluid in place (Sun et al. 2013, p.899).

Devices to screen for protein crystallization, therefore, harness the devices free-interface diffusions, with this process considered as practical through the use of a micro scale in exploring the range of conditions that occur when protein and salt solutions are gradually mixed. The laminar nature of the flow of these fluids in microchannels, therefore, permits new approaches in performing and filtering, solvent exchange, and two-phase reactions in organic synthesis (Research and 'Microfluidics Market 2016).

The advantages of the application of microfluidic devices in material processing are also evident in automation and integration. In this case, it is essential to consider that microfluidic technologies enhance the construction of devices that contain several components with different functionalities. In this case, a single integrated chip has the capacity to perform important chemical processes from the beginning to the end, with an instance of this evident in the sampling, pre-processing, and measurements of an assay.

This is the version referred to as the lab on a chip or a micro total analysis system (µTAS) (Sun et al. 2013, p.898). Given this, it is easier to perform fluid handling operations through the use of a single chip that saves time, reduces the risks associated with sample contamination and loss, and eliminates the need for massive, expensive laboratory robots. Moreover, the operation of microfluidic devices may be automated with the aim of increasing throughput, thus improving the ease of use, repeatability, and the reduction of human errors.

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