This article is part of the network’s archive of useful research information. This article is closed to new comments due to inactivity. We welcome new content which can be done by submitting an article for review or take part in discussions in an open topic or submit a blog post to take your discussions online.
Microfluid diagnostic technologies allow the miniturization and integration of complex laboratory functions, enabling the creation of portable point-of-care diagnostic systems.
The 2006 Nature Review, Microfluidic diagnostic technologies for global public health, discusses of the potential value of microfluid systems to enhance the decentralisation of medical testing, with reference to the challenges of application in resource poor countries.
The 2012 article Microfluid diagnostics for the developing world* by Mao and Huang adds to this with a summary of the evolution of microfluidic technology and usability. With extensive use of illustrations, this resource is a valuable introduction to grasping the technology behind microfluidic diagnostics.
Other general resources on microfluids address George Whitefield's development of the paper "chip" technology. Available online are a CNN article, Phones, paper 'chips' may fight disease, as well as George Whiteside's TED talk: A lab the size of a postage stamp.
*Link to http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C2LC90022J - Reproduced by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry