SPLoC

Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) technologies have recently been used in a multitude of applications, including clinical diagnostics, genomics, proteomics, biochemistry, drug discovery, chemical synthesis, cell biology, and more, where chemical and biological analyses (experiments) are performed with superior precision, speed and lower cost over their bench-top counterparts.  Unfortunately, current LoC devices are assay-specific and are custom built for each single experiment. Performing a new experiment requires the life scientist to endure the time-consuming process of designing, fabricating, and testing a chip before conducting the actual experiment. This prolonged cycle can take months to complete, increasing time-to-market, effort, and cost. Similarly, minor modifications to an assay protocol re-incur the overheads of the design cycle. Moreover, life scientists require either intensive knowledge in microfluidic technology, or need close collaboration with a microfluidic engineer, thereby hindering productivity.

To relieve the life scientists from this aggravating endeavor to perform their assays, Microfluidic Innovations will deliver the first multi-purpose, software-programmable microfluidic LoC (SPLoC). Instead of designing their own assay-specific chips, life scientists will be able to use a single, general-purpose Microfluidic Innovations’ chip. To conduct different experiments in different domains, the life scientist will simply write or download a program for each experiment, and run that program however many times they want.  The multi-purpose platform will eliminate the need for a new design for each assay, and the need for microfluidic technology expertise. The programming language will be very simple and no extensive training will be required to understand it, and minor modifications to the assays will only require minor changes to the coding. For example, a statement such as “Mix A and B in ratios 1:3 for 30s” will automatically move appropriate amounts of fluid A and B from their respective storage to the mixer unit and mix them together for 30 seconds. Such advantages will reduce effort, cost and time-to-market for new assays.