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• Lindahl, O
• Ramser, K
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Polymers 2012, 4(3), 1349-1398; doi:10.3390/polym4031349

Review

Polymer-Based Microfluidic Devices for Pharmacy, Biology and Tissue Engineering

Ahmed Alrifaiy ^1,2 , Olof A. Lindahl ^1,2,3  and Kerstin Ramser ^1,2,*

¹ Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden ² CMTF, Centre for Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden ³ Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 2 March 2012; in revised form: 4 May 2012 / Accepted: 18 June 2012 / Published: 3 July 2012

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microfluidic-Assisted Synthesis and Modification of Polymeric Materials)

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Abstract: This paper reviews microfluidic technologies with emphasis on applications in the fields of pharmacy, biology, and tissue engineering. Design and fabrication of microfluidic systems are discussed with respect to specific biological concerns, such as biocompatibility and cell viability. Recent applications and developments on genetic analysis, cell culture, cell manipulation, biosensors, pathogen detection systems, diagnostic devices, high-throughput screening and biomaterial synthesis for tissue engineering are presented. The pros and cons of materials like polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), glass, and silicon are discussed in terms of biocompatibility and fabrication aspects. Microfluidic devices are widely used in life sciences. Here, commercialization and research trends of microfluidics as new, easy to use, and cost-effective measurement tools at the cell/tissue level are critically reviewed.

Keywords: microfluidics; tissue engineering; biomedical engineering; polymers; biocompatibility; cell sorting; cell analysis; cell biology

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