16
R. Garcia-Ramirez and S. Hosseini
As the field began to grow, different devices were invented and new terms had to
be developed to define the distinct technologies. In 1990, A. Manz and H. Michael
Widmer from Switzerland proposed the term micro total analysis system (µTAS) to
present the idea of miniaturized total chemical analysis systems for chemical sensing
(Manz et al. 1990). Seven years later, R.A. Lewis was the first person to use the term
“lab-on-a-disc” to refer to a disc for genetic disease testing developed by Gamera
Bioscience Corp (Lewis 1997).
In 1993, George Whitesides’ group, introduced polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
based microfabrication that revolutionized the BioMEMS field by introducing a costeffective class of materials as desirable platforms for fabrication of micro devices
(Duffy et al. 1998). The main advantages of using PDMS include a faster production
rate compared to glass or Si microfluidic chips and cost-effectiveness compared to
other production methods (Duffy et al. 1998). Moreover, PDMS is transparent at
optical frequencies, which facilitates the observation of contents in microchannels in
an easier way. It is considered biocompatible, and has low autofluorescence (Piruska
et al. 2005). It is deformable, which allows the integration of other microfluidic
components into the microchannels. The PDMS bonds to glass or another PDMS
layer with a simple plasma treatment, allowing the creation of multilayers in a
single microfluidic chip (Xia et al. 1999). Since the introduction of PDMS-based
devices, a wide range of platforms made by soft-lithography techniques was used in
microfluidics and is considered a cornerstone in multiple applications.
In 1994, Fan and Harrison, reported the first microchannels for molecular separation that introduced the possibility for separation of amino acids and molecular
characterization (Fan and Harrison 1994). Other examples of microfluidic devices
for cell-related applications emerged in the late 1990s, including the use of nucleic
acid arrays, DNA analysis devices, and chambers for studying microtubule dynamics
(O’Donnell-Maloney and Smith 1996; Holy et al. 1997; Burns et al. (1998).
In 1996 at University of Michigan, David Burke and his team researched on the
movement of single nanoliter droplets though manipulating the water tension with
heat, thus enabling the system to mix, to separate, and to measure volumes in a
nano-scale. This system consisted of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) preparation
protocol including DNA enzymatic digestion, electrophoresis, and PCR confined in
a single device (Burns et al. 1998). After this pioneering advancement, other singledroplet microfluidic mechanisms and devices were presented for various applications
(Choi and Ng 2012).
1.2.3 General Applications of BioMEMS
BioMEMS can be used for a wide range of applications, including diagnostics, tissue
engineering, analytical techniques, microfluidics, and biosensors, among others. The
development of BioMEMS can help enhance the accuracy and precision of analysis in different applications. While the above mentioned are important areas of
impact, there are many other applications for BioMEMS in chemistry, biotechnology,
R. Garcia-Ramirez and S. Hosseini
As the field began to grow, different devices were invented and new terms had to
be developed to define the distinct technologies. In 1990, A. Manz and H. Michael
Widmer from Switzerland proposed the term micro total analysis system (µTAS) to
present the idea of miniaturized total chemical analysis systems for chemical sensing
(Manz et al. 1990). Seven years later, R.A. Lewis was the first person to use the term
“lab-on-a-disc” to refer to a disc for genetic disease testing developed by Gamera
Bioscience Corp (Lewis 1997).
In 1993, George Whitesides’ group, introduced polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
based microfabrication that revolutionized the BioMEMS field by introducing a costeffective class of materials as desirable platforms for fabrication of micro devices
(Duffy et al. 1998). The main advantages of using PDMS include a faster production
rate compared to glass or Si microfluidic chips and cost-effectiveness compared to
other production methods (Duffy et al. 1998). Moreover, PDMS is transparent at
optical frequencies, which facilitates the observation of contents in microchannels in
an easier way. It is considered biocompatible, and has low autofluorescence (Piruska
et al. 2005). It is deformable, which allows the integration of other microfluidic
components into the microchannels. The PDMS bonds to glass or another PDMS
layer with a simple plasma treatment, allowing the creation of multilayers in a
single microfluidic chip (Xia et al. 1999). Since the introduction of PDMS-based
devices, a wide range of platforms made by soft-lithography techniques was used in
microfluidics and is considered a cornerstone in multiple applications.
In 1994, Fan and Harrison, reported the first microchannels for molecular separation that introduced the possibility for separation of amino acids and molecular
characterization (Fan and Harrison 1994). Other examples of microfluidic devices
for cell-related applications emerged in the late 1990s, including the use of nucleic
acid arrays, DNA analysis devices, and chambers for studying microtubule dynamics
(O’Donnell-Maloney and Smith 1996; Holy et al. 1997; Burns et al. (1998).
In 1996 at University of Michigan, David Burke and his team researched on the
movement of single nanoliter droplets though manipulating the water tension with
heat, thus enabling the system to mix, to separate, and to measure volumes in a
nano-scale. This system consisted of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) preparation
protocol including DNA enzymatic digestion, electrophoresis, and PCR confined in
a single device (Burns et al. 1998). After this pioneering advancement, other singledroplet microfluidic mechanisms and devices were presented for various applications
(Choi and Ng 2012).
1.2.3 General Applications of BioMEMS
BioMEMS can be used for a wide range of applications, including diagnostics, tissue
engineering, analytical techniques, microfluidics, and biosensors, among others. The
development of BioMEMS can help enhance the accuracy and precision of analysis in different applications. While the above mentioned are important areas of
impact, there are many other applications for BioMEMS in chemistry, biotechnology,