Devices and Diagnostics in Healthcare: Laboratory on a Chip Technology

Abstract

In recent years, advancements in medical field and device have significantly transform health care delivery systems and help in early and quick diagnosis by reducing high scale sample, accelerating slow analysis time, enabling rapid point of care (POC) and inexpensive with limited resources setting. Lab on a chip (LOC) devices are one of the tool of this advancement. LOC devices are multitasking, are a combination of laboratory tasks on a single integrated circuit ranging in size from a few millimetre to few square centimetres. This device execute laboratory process on tiny scale and has the ability to perform several lab procedures on a single chip with few chemicals and great efficiency. The working of LOC devices include microfluidics. In LOC devices, fluids are transported through microchannel using various methods such as capillary action, electrokinetic flow. The microscale dimension allow precise control over flow dynamics and reaction process. The transforming face of LOC over traditional method helps in early detection and diagnosis. The LOC devices offers speed, efficiency, sensitivity, portability, sample size, automations, inexpensive and integration with other technologies like biosensors and organ on chip system. LOC devices enable functions like on-site testing, mass screening of population, detection of emerging pathogens, including novel viruses and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Such innovation have potential to improve accessibility, accuracy and efficiency of health care systems.