Issue 14, 2021

Recent innovations in cost-effective polymer and paper hybrid microfluidic devices

Abstract

Hybrid microfluidic systems that are composed of multiple different types of substrates have been recognized as a versatile and superior platform, which can draw benefits from different substrates while avoiding their limitations. This review article introduces the recent innovations of different types of low-cost hybrid microfluidic devices, particularly focusing on cost-effective polymer- and paper-based hybrid microfluidic devices. In this article, the fabrication of these hybrid microfluidic devices is briefly described and summarized. We then highlight various hybrid microfluidic systems, including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based, thermoplastic-based, paper/polymer hybrid systems, as well as other emerging hybrid systems (such as thread-based). The special benefits of using these hybrid systems have been summarized accordingly. A broad range of biological and biomedical applications using these hybrid microfluidic devices are discussed in detail, including nucleic acid analysis, protein analysis, cellular analysis, 3D cell culture, organ-on-a-chip, and tissue engineering. The perspective trends of hybrid microfluidic systems involving the improvement of fabrication techniques and broader applications are also discussed at the end of the review.

Graphical abstract: Recent innovations in cost-effective polymer and paper hybrid microfluidic devices

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
10 Mei 2021
Accepted
19 Jun 2021
First published
21 Jun 2021

Lab Chip, 2021,21, 2658-2683

Author version available

Recent innovations in cost-effective polymer and paper hybrid microfluidic devices

W. Zhou, M. Dou, S. S. Timilsina, F. Xu and X. Li, Lab Chip, 2021, 21, 2658 DOI: 10.1039/D1LC00414J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements