Advantages of the Application of Microfluidic Devices - Essay Example

University> Advantages of the Application of Microfluidic Devices in Organic Synthesis by Advantages of the Application of Microfluidic Devices in Organic Synthesis Microfluidics is a science and technology that deals with the technology for manipulating small volumes of fluids usually ranging between microliters (10-6) and picoliters (10-12), inside microsystems that have artificial fabrication (Dressler et al., 2014; Halldorsson et al., 2015). Microfluidic systems allow consistency and generic parallelizing, automating, integrating and miniaturizing of chemical and biological processes (Strohmeier et al., 2015). Diversification of new directions of research has been enhanced because of the utilization of microfluidics to medicine and biology (Halldorsson et al., 2015), many of them are producing important benefits. Microfluidics is considerable both as a technology when dealing with the manufacture of microfluidic devices for uses like lab-on-a-chip and as a science taking into account the study of fluid behavior in microchannels. The primary concept in relation to micro fluids is the integration operations capable of soliciting a whole laboratory in a simple micro-sized system. A microfluidic chip is a combination of engraved or molded microchannels. There are several holes of varied measurements hollowed out through the chip that links the macro-environment and the network of micro-channels embedded in the microfluidic chip. Fluids are put in and removed from the microfluidic chip through these channels. Directing, mixing, separating and else ways manipulating of fluids to obtain multiplexing, automating and high throughput system. This paper will focus on the primary benefits of using microfluidic dvices in organic synthesis. The major goal of the paper is to give an outline of the advantages that can be derived from microfluidic devices. Microfluidics has several assets: integration of routines of the laboratory in one device, parallelization and easier automation, portability, improved control of temperature, improved analytical sensitivity, and faster reaction time. Its lack of employment of costly machines makes it very cheap. Several pieces of research have concluded that the reducing the fluidic processes to the microscale has several benefits (Dressler et al., 2014; Halldorsson et al., 2015; Strohmeier et al., 2015). The benefits are derived from the direct disintegration of the into smaller size as well as the possibility to reduce at this rate. Microfluidic device designs are very flexible and are capable of being connected to the requirements of each type of cell. It is possible to implement cellular co-cultures on the same chip. The devices the chemical and physical characteristics of liquids and gasses at the small scale and have several advantages over ordinary sized systems. The devices allow examination and utilization of less sample volume of reagents and chemicals leading to the reduction of global fees for applications. The microfluidic devices shorten experiment time because of their compact size allowing for the execution of many operations at the same time. The devices also give an excellent quality of data and control parameters substantially allowing for automated processes as well as to preserve the operations. The ability to perform the processing and analyzing samples with the handling of minor samples lies with them. The users of microfluidic devices are able to perform reactions of many steps with low expertise level because of the elaborations on the microfluidic chip allowing automation. The functions performed by the microsystems can be extended from the analysis of DNA sequences to detect toxins toc or manufacturing inkjet printing devices (Cate et al., 2014; Pagano et al., 2014). Another benefit from fluidic processes is derived in the process and component of miniaturization. This process utilizes lesser fluid volumes resulting in the reduction of the quantity of reagent consumed. The end result of this reduction in the amount of detergent used is lowering of cost and permitting a further stretching of small quantities of significant samples. Miniaturization also leads to the reduction of the amount of waste produced (Elvira et al., 2013). The smaller components have a large surface area to volume ratio and low thermal mass increasing the rate of heat transfer, allowing rapid changes in temperature and effective control of temperature. This characteristic helps in elimination of build up of heat in exothermic reactions. This is significant since the increase of heat during the reactions can cause side reactions that are not required or even explosion. This large surface to volume ratio also gives benefit in the reactions that involve the use of enzymes and catalyst used to support the process and in the stage of solid synthesis. The diffusive mixing is fastened in the smaller scale microfluidic devices, leading to an increase in the velocity and precision of the reactions. Obvious to note in microfluidic devices is the dramatic performance improvement entailing higher rates of repetitions, greater selection, enhanced sensitiveness, and reduction of time measurements. The action of faster overconsumption of Joule heat, which leads to a broadening of depression in the separation of the electrophoretic is one primary example effect of diffusive mixing. For other segregation, responsiveness is enhanced only due to the reduction in computation time, which cause a lowering of the level of pinnacle widening (Faustino et al., 2016). The microfluidic devices at specific instances give new ways of accomplishing the tasks. For instance, there can be a rapid recycling of fluid temperatures through causing the fluid to move among chip areas with divergent temperatures instead of the fluid hot and refrigerating it in place. Devices for the screening of crystallization status for protein control free interface diffusion. This operation can only be achieved at the microscale level. The process is applicable in the exploration of a constant, ranging from states when there is a gradual mixing of protein and salt solutions. The newest mechanisms are permitted by the laminar nature in which the fluid flow within the microchannels for the performance of two-phase reactions, filtration, and solvent exchange (Li & Zhou, 2013). Devices with multiple constituents capable of performing varied functions have been constructed using several microfluidic technologies. One chip is capable of performing several chemical and biological processes from the start of the process to the end of it. Examples are evident in the measurements comprised in an assay, pre-processing, and sampling. Such is the nature of action that invented the use of and “micro total analysis system (µTAS)” and “lab-on-a-chip” ( Halldorsson et al., 2015). The performance of processes of handling of fluid inside one chip leads to the reduction in the risk contaminating or losing sample, saving time, and eliminating the necessity of bulky laboratory robots that are expensive. In addition, there is a possibility of fully automating the operations of microfluidic devices, hence enhancing the amount passing through the system from input to output, making it easier to use, increasing repeatability, and lowering the possibility of error due to human. The automatic control or regulation of mechanical or electronic devices is important for the operations that need distant control, like the machines that continuously monitor environmental and chemical processes in areas that are nor accessible. Exploitation of parallelism is another way through which throughput can be increased. There are single chips capable of performing numerous similar reactions and assessments ( Halldorsson et al., 2015; Strohmeier et al., 2015). To avoid creating complex operations than the non-parallel chips, the single chips employ control-sharing and synchronization. One primary solution to the problem of the micro-to-macro interface, possible because of the possibility of distributing on-chip of one sample input to thousands of microreactors. The challenge means the failure of match among the sizes of samples capable of undergoing easy manipulation in the laboratory (µL–mL) against the capacity of microregulator (pL–nL). The work of regulating the enormous number of valves using a fewer number of off-chip regulating contribution is achievable by installation and implementation of multiplexers and even much compound logic on-chip, in the same way, it's employed in the in microelectronic chips. There is and ideal posting of the microfluidic devices for integration with the optical or electronic constituent such as control logic, actuators, and sensors since they work on a similar level as semiconductor integrated circuits and are also more planar (Cate et al., 2014). Very important developments have been innovated when sensing is considered (Cate et al., 2014). Examples that are in the report concerning the sensors include pressure sensors, temperature, flow, fluorescence, optical absorption, electrical, and chemical. A large number of actuation devices have been shown including electrokinetic flow, electrodes for electrophoresis, heating elements, pumps, and valves. Conclusion Generally, nevertheless, there is little that has been done to discover the ability of integrated control logic. There is a possibility of the emergence of hybrid machines capable of performing highly complex computations and in situ monitoring. Microfluidics has several assets: integration of routines of the laboratory in one device, parallelization and easier automation, portability, improved control of temperature, improved analytical sensitivity, and faster reaction time. Its lack of employment of costly machines makes it very cheap. References Cate, D.M., Adkins, J.A., Mettakoonpitak, J. and Henry, C.S., 2014. Recent developments in paper-based microfluidic devices. Analytical chemistry, 87(1), pp.19-41. Dressler, O.J., Maceiczyk, R.M., Chang, S.I. and deMello, A.J., 2014. Droplet-based microfluidics: enabling impact on drug discovery. Journal of biomolecular screening, 19(4), pp.483-496. Elvira, K.S., i Solvas, X.C. and Wootton, R.C., 2013. The past, present and potential for microfluidic reactor technology in chemical synthesis. Nature chemistry, 5(11), pp.905-915. Faustino, V., Catarino, S.O., Lima, R. and Minas, G., 2016. Biomedical microfluidic devices by using low-cost fabrication techniques: A review. Journal of biomechanics, 49(11), pp.2280-2292. Halldorsson, S., Lucumi, E., Gómez-Sjöberg, R. and Fleming, R.M., 2015. Advantages and challenges of microfluidic cell culture in polydimethylsiloxane devices. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 63, pp.218-231. Li, X.J. and Zhou, Y. eds., 2013. Microfluidic devices for biomedical applications. Elsevier. Pagano, G., Ventre, M., Iannone, M., Greco, F., Maffettone, P.L. and Netti, P.A., 2014. Optimizing design and fabrication of microfluidic devices for cell cultures: An effective approach to control cell microenvironment in three dimensions. Biomicrofluidics, 8(4), p.046503. Strohmeier, O., Keller, M., Schwemmer, F., Zehnle, S., Mark, D., von Stetten, F., Zengerle, R. and Paust, N., 2015. Centrifugal microfluidic platforms: advanced unit operations and applications. Chemical Society Reviews, 44(17), pp.6187-6229. Read More