Microfluidic Systems

external page Microtechnology is technology with features near one micrometer (one millionth of a meter, or 1μm). Not only electrical devices, but also mechanical devices, can be miniaturized and batch-fabricated, promising the same benefits to the mechanical world as integrated-circuit (IC) technology has given to the electrical world.

external page Microfluidics deals with the behavior, precise control and manipulation of fluids that are geometrically constrained to a small, typically sub-millimeter, scale. The advantage is a precise control (temperature and volume) and dosing of the fluid, and low energy and reagent consumption. Microfluidics is, e.g., used in the development of inkjet printheads, genetic test chips, or lab-on-a-chip technology.

We use microfluidics for manipulation and analysis of single cells, for generation of and measurements with microtissues, and to apply impedance methods to cells or tissues that are either immobilized at defined locations or free-floating in a liquid flow.

Single-Cell Systems

Microtechnological and microfluidic means are used to address and handle single cells, including trapping, cultivation, and selective release of single cells. Applications include the characterization and analysis of single cells and their properties, such as developmental state or metabolism, in the realm of external page systems biology.
More information

Microtissue Systems

Microtechnological means are used to form microtissues, spherical 3D arrangements of cells that feature a diameter between 200 and 500 μm. Microfluidics is used to trap, cultivate, and expose the microtissues to pharmacological agents. Applications include drug and compound testing with microtissues made of cells of animal and human origin.
More information

Impedance Spectroscopy

Electrodes in microchannels are used to apply electrical potentials and to perform external page impedance measurements across the channel simultaneously at multiple frequencies. Electrical means are used in a label-free approach to measure cellular parameters like size, membrane properties, or intracellular characteristics.
More information