Design, fabrication and assembly of lab-on-a-chip and its uses

Lab-on-a-chip diagnostic devices can be used as quick tools to identify the onset of diseases at an early stage. An integrated LoC platform usually consists of a set of microfluidic elements, each of which has dedicated functions like fluid mixing, fluid manipulation, and flow control, sample preparation, detection, and a read-out that can perform the conventional laboratory procedures on a miniaturized chip. The lab-on-a-chip device can be developed on a paper or polymeric platform and is usually fabricated using pattern transfer techniques or additive and subtractive manufacturing processes. Thorough knowledge of the physics involved in microfluidic technology is essential for developing miniaturized components required for a stand-alone Point-of-Care LoC device. This chapter discusses different types of lab-on-a-chip devices, the essential principles governing the design of these systems, and different fabrication techniques. The chapter concludes with some of the prominent applications of lab-on-a-chip devices.