Resumen:
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Consulta en la Biblioteca ETSI Industriales (Riunet)
[EN] During the decade of 1960, the microtechnology started to be developed,
especially in the field of electronics. In fact, researchers found that microelectronics
reduce costs while increase reliability, functionality ...[+]
[EN] During the decade of 1960, the microtechnology started to be developed,
especially in the field of electronics. In fact, researchers found that microelectronics
reduce costs while increase reliability, functionality and efficiency. After that success,
microtechnology spread among several fields, as micromechanics or microfluidics.
Microfluidics field started to be important in the decade of 1980 with the
development of inkjet cartridges. But it was during the decade of 1990 where lab-on-achip
devices began to gain importance. At the beginning, microfluidics were used for
chemical and biological analysis [1]. Considering the success of this techniques,
researchers started to implement non-analytical processes using the lab-on-a-chip
technology. Since then, the microfluidic field has been growing very fast.
Microfluidics is a growing field which studies the behaviour of small volumes of
fluids constrained to a small scale. Microfluidics have countless applications in many
different fields as biology, chemistry, physics or any engineering speciality.
Lab-on-a-chip are microfluidic devices that integrate, in a single chip, several
types of laboratory processes, as reactors or separation processes. Microfluidic approach
has several advantages as efficient mass transfer and energy transfer, and safer operation
(small volumes are used) [2]. In addition, the development of the soft-lithography and the
use of polydimethylsiloxane has improved the simplicity, versatility and velocity of
microfabrication, and at the same time, has reduced considerably the fabrication costs [3].
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