4
R. Garcia-Ramirez and S. Hosseini
Table 1.1
The first platforms in the history of BioMEMS
BioMEMS
platform
Year Scientist/authors/group Company/institution Country
Fabrication strategy
Application
Specific or
remarks
References
Intramuscular
microelectrode
1951 Paul Fatt and Bernhard
Katz
University College
London
England
Glass capillary tubing with
external tip diameter of less
than 0.5
µm were dipped
into a beaker bridged to a
calomel half-cell.
Subsequently, the tips with
electrodes were placed in a
metal shield with a switch
to connect the stimulator
Electrodes were
used to measure
the end-plate
potential or
local
depolarization
of muscle fibers
One of the first
studies to use
micromanipulators
and
microelectrodes to
demonstrate
biological
operations
Fatt and
Katz
(1951)
Paper-based
biosensor
1956 Alfred Free et al
Miles-Ames
Research
Laboratory Elkhart,
Indiana
United
States
A strip was impregnated
with glucose oxidase,
orthotolidine, and
peroxidase
Simple test used
for the
identification of
glucose in the
urine based on a
change in color
Considered to be
the precursor of
paper-based
colorimetric
biosensor devices
Free et al.
(1956)
Single cell
separation device
1967 Stephen Carter
Imperial Chemical
Industries, Ltd.
England
A mask made by nickel
electrodeposition was
created, and palladium was
deposited by evaporation
onto a glass cover through
the mask, building the
desired culture chambers
The culture
chambers
allowed cells to
attach to the
surface of the
device, and was
proved useful
for cell bonding,
and single-cell
studies
The culture
chambers were
convenient when
doing static
time-lapse studies,
this is usually
recorded as the
first BioMEMS
publication
Carter
(1963)
(continued)