Microfluidics

Our experience with microfluidic design extends across a variety of system architectures and methodologies. Whether your solution needs a positive drive or neutral drive system, moving fluid using capillary action, air, or direct drive methods, we can help you.

We then monitor and sense fluids through different media, using a variety of off-the-shelf and custom-designed sensors, including optical solutions like micron-scale microscopy or pressure sensors down to sub-millibar ranges.

We are deeply experienced in working with motion systems down to nanometre-resolution for repeatable XYZ movement that positions & aligns samples & cartridge. This is essential for the demanding applications our customers need to enable, which require operations at precise defined locations including:

• Sensing
• Heating
• Dispensing
• Imaging
  

Examples of our tightly controlled operations include:

• Precise rapid heating and cooling cycle control to support rapidPCR
• High-frequency temperature cycling for DNA amplification
• Fluorescent microscopy to image viruses

 Our systems approach to complex microfluidics challenges means we don’t think of an operation in isolation. Instead we build systems that adapt to solve real problems. We automatically offset, calibrate, and amplify signals to improve dynamic range for difficult-to-measure samples. This creates a system that is agnostic to sample variation and cartridge tolerances through adaptive tuning.

 Our team has a proven track record of swiftly transforming laboratory concepts into fully functional prototypes, including both cartridges and instruments, in under six months. Our expertise and reliability in delivering robust, high-quality solutions is not compromised by the need for speed, and helps you achieve your business goals faster and without the worry. Our process moves through rapid iteration loops of design, prototyping and testing, systematically de-risking and moving towards a final functional setup that can be the basis of your commercial product.  

Microfluidics consumables need to be fit for purpose – precise, robust and reliable, and at an accessible price point. All our design work is done with the end product in mind, and the designs will leverage well-known and low-cost production solutions to ensure you are scalable and your costs are affordable.

We have extensive experience designing roll-to-roll laminations and conversions, and have the know how to get them manufactured reliably and accurately. This helps our clients move seamlessly from batch production to large-area, cost-effective fabrication when the time is right.

 We deploy an array of prototyping techniques including laser cutting, 3D printing, hot-embossing and more. Our design expertise and extensive knowledge of our tools means we can take an idea on paper and turn it into a physical prototype within a day, on premises. Then, when the client needs to scale their consumables or cartridges to enable broader testing or begin to commercialise, we can scale to low volume production-equivalent manufacturing in our ISO class 8 assembly facility. We also leverage an extensive network of trusted partners to access clean room facilities when needed.