MEMS and Microfluidics for Diagnostics Devices

There are conditions in clinical medicine demanding critical therapeutic decisions. These conditions necessitate accuracy, rapidity, accessibility, cost-effectiveness and mobility. New technologies have been developed in order to address these challenges. Microfluidics and Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems are two of such technologies. Microfluidics, a discipline that involves processing fluids at the microscale in etched microchannels, is being used to build lab- on-a-chip systems to run chemical and biological assays. These systems are being transformed into handheld devices designed to be used at remote settings or at the bedside. MEMS are microscale electromechanical elements integrated in lab chip systems or used as individual components. MEMS based sensors represents a highly developed field with successful commercialized products currently being incorporated into vitro, ex vivo and in vivo devices. In the present paper several examples of microfluidic devices and MEMS sensors are introduced together with some current examples of commercialized products. Future challenges and trends will be discussed.