PRESSURE CONTROLLED MICROFLUIDICS
Andreas Schüle, Dr.-Ing.

FESTO
Unit 5 Sandyford Park, Sandyford Industrial Est.
Dublin, 18 IRELAND
phone: +353-1295-4955
pat.hayes@festo.com
www.festo.ie

In order to handle various process liquids such as buffers, reagents or cleaning solutions in a microfluidic chip, a corresponding hardware infrastructure is required. An established method to control and regulate the necessary flow in a microfluidic chip is the regulation via a pressure over liquid set-up. Here a manifold-based solution equipped with compact media valves is an easy to integrate solution that also enables the integration of other components such as pumps or sensors into the manifold.

The discussed system for time and pressure as well as vacuum regulation allows a precise and completely pulsation-free handling of liquids in up to eight channels simultaneously and in parallel. This ensures an operation of microfluidic chip solutions for complex tests with several process steps.

CASE STUDY MICROFLUIDIC CARTRIDGE FOR PATHOGEN SEPARATION AND DETECTION AND A UNIQUE COLLABORATION FOR RAPID PROTOTYPING INJECTION MOLDED MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES
Pesenter: Markus Ebster, Vice President Sales & Marketing

z-microsystems
z-werkzeugbau-gmbh, Höchsterstrasse 8
Dornbirn, 6850 AUSTRIA
phone: +43-5572-7272-720
fax: +43-5572-7272-8620
sales@z-microsystems.com
www.z-microsystems.com

z-microsystems from Austria and the University of Toronto, Canada began a unique development collaboration in late 2015 combining Silicon wafer technology and a new type of injection mold-making to provide a commercially viable rapid prototyping service to injection mold microfluidic devices. This presentation will outline details of the collaboration and successes so far. z-microsystems is located in Austria, US and Canada specializing in micro-injection mould-making and injection moulding of microfluidic consumables with over 15 years of experience in the industry. z-microsystems´ unique core competence is to support customers to transfer their individual designs of microfluidic devices into a part which is scalable in terms of high volume production in injection moulding technology. To get a first impression in most cases it makes sense to produce prototypes. Therefore z-microsystems has the prototyping capabilities as e.g. micro-milling, stereo-lithography or special quick-tool and rapid injection moulding technique inhouse.

HOW TO MAKE LOADS OF MONEY WITH MICROFLUIDICS
Holger Becker, CSO

Microfluidic ChipShop GmbH
Stockholmer Str. 20
Jena, 07747 GERMANY
phone: +49-364-134-7050
info@microfluidic-chipshop.com
www.microfluidic-chipshop.com

With an increasing number of microfluidic-enabled products available in different markets, it is important to look into the economics of device development and manufacturing. It can be noted that there often is a lack of understanding of main cost drivers and an unrealistic expectation of scaling effects. We will examine the complete technology chain of device development and manufacturing and discuss technological approaches with respect to commercial viability.

DRIVING SAW ACTUATORS USING BELEKTRONIG POWER-SAW-GENERATOR
Raimund Bruenig, Ph.D.

BelektroniG GmbH
Haupstrasse 38
Freital, 01705 GERMANY
phone: +49-351-8518-8672
service@belektronig.de
www.belektronig.de

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) actuators provide a way to manipulate liquids or particles in a microfluidic scale. Applications reach from microfluidic mixing or pumping to cell sorting, acoustic tweezers or even fluid atomization. SAW actuators use a high frequency ultrasound to create forces inside the microfluidic system. Generating this high frequency ultrasound requires very special electronics to drive the actuator and to monitor its condition.

BelektroniG has developed a signal generator matching the requirements for using SAW actuators. The device features measurement functions to monitor the actuators condition, a multichannel output for generating standing waves (acoustic tweezer), pulse modes and trigger functions. All features are optimized to be easy-to-use and to provide a fast start of your microfluidic experiment.

We will explain some basics about SAW actuation and show the functionality of our signal generator. A live demonstration can be seen at our booth during the conference.

CELLIX'S MICROFLUIDIC SOLUTIONS: OEM EXAMPLES FOR PERSONALIZED HEALTHCARE, FOOD & BEVERAGE ANALYSIS AND AGRI-BIOTECH SECTOR
Vivienne Williams

Cellix Ltd.
Unit 1, Long Mile Business Park
Long Mile Road, D12
Dublin, IRELAND
phone: +353-14-500-155
info@cellixltd.com
www.cellixltd.com

Cellix Ltd. develops microfluidics technologies for diagnostics; integrating and miniaturizing sample preparation techniques on-chip enabling our customers to efficiently target point-of-care and diagnostic solutions. At MicroTAS 2016, Cellix will exhibit the new Inish Analyzer. Inish combines microfluidics and advanced electronics with impedance detection on-chip = label-free flow cytometry; no fluorescent dyes/stains required. Inish is a fast and reliable cell and particle analyzer. It has multiple applications across personalized healthcare, Food & Beverage analysis and the Agri-biotech sector. Inish applications together with cell-sorting capabilities on-chip and droplet generation assays for immunotherapy and microbiology will be presented.

Who is Cellix? Founded in 2006, Cellix is an Irish based microfluidics business. Cellix started as a provider of an innovative range of automated pump solutions and associated biochips for cell-based assays. These products are sold to research laboratories worldwide in academia and the pharma and biotech industry.

COMPLEXITY OF STATE-OF-THE ART MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES REQUIRE THE APPLICATION OF LEADING EDGE BIOMEMS TECHNOLOGY
Alexios Paul Tzannis, Business Development Manager

IMT Masken und Teilungen AG
Im Langacher
Greifensee, CH-8606 SWITZERLAND
phone: +41-44-943-1900
fax: +41-44-943-1901
info@imtag.ch
www.imtag.ch

Nowadays the microfluidic field operates cross-functional at the interfaces between biotechnology, medical industry, chemistry and micro-electro-mechanical systems. 25 years ago the first microfluidic systems (lab-on-chip) were presented by the work of A. Manz, J. Harrison and others using methods adopted from the manufacturing of microelectronic devices. Process steps like photolithography, wet chemical etching and fusion bonding were adopted to manufacture miniaturized analysis systems. Numerous materials have been used to fabricate microfluidic devices e.g. glass, polymers, PDMS, paper. The lab-on-chip is created by structuring micro channels, -mixers, -reservoirs and diffusion chambers into the substrate material. In addition pumps, valves and other features found in the classical laboratory can be added. Furthermore, the integration of surface functionalization as well as electronical and optical elements provides a comprehensive biosensor made of a single substandard device. Moreover hybrid integration of diverse materials such as polymers, silicon with glass can provide novel multilayer hybrid microfluidic devices. The overall complexity can be addressed by transferring MEMS production schemes and equipment into the field of microfluidics. Here IMT offers leading edge technologies with automated and standardized processes. At IMT we develop customized solutions for high-end microfluidic consumables with competitive pricing for biotechnology and life science applications.

MICROTHERMOFORMING OF MICROFLUIDIC CHIPS AS A LOW COST ALTERNATIVE TO INJECTION MOLDING
Dr. Felix von Stetten, Associate Director

Hahn-Schickard
Georges-Koehler-Allee 103
Freiburg, 79110 GERMANY
phone: +49-761-2037-3242
fax: +49-761-2037-3299
info@hahn-schickard.de
www.Hahn-Schickard.com

In this talk Hahn-Schickard discusses the advantages of microthermoforming compared to injection molding for manufacturing of microfluidic chips. The roll-to-sheet or roll-to-roll thermoforming process not only enables the fabrication of thin and optically transparent walls. It is also a cost-efficient alternative to injection molding because it allows a seamless transition between prototyping and volume manufacturing, since microthermoforming is compatible to both PDMS molds and metal molds.

NET-MARKET-FLUIDICS - NETWORKING AND MARKET APPROACH TO TACKLE THE BOTTLENECK OF DEPLOYING MICRO- AND NANOFLUIDICS IN EUROPE
Adrien Plecis and Saim Emin

Net Market Fluidics
ADItech Technology Corporation
C/Tajonar, 20
Pamplona, 31006 SPAIN
phone: +34-948-293-130
fax: +34-948-292-910
info@aditechcorp.com
www.aditechcorp.com

Net Market Fluidic's objective is to build a wide network of researchers, experts, and technology developers so we may better address the bottlenecks that are keeping micro and nano fluidics from reaching the market. We will be hosting workshops and attending conferences so we can build connections across these groups and foster as large a network as possible. To achieve this Net Market Fluidics online platform will connect industrial and research (further information, please see www.netmarketfluidics.eu). This project has been funded with support from the European Commission (Project reference: 685775)

INNOVATIVE FLOW CONTROL SOLUTIONS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
Presenter: Anne Le Nel, PhD, COO

Fluigent SA
1, mail du Professeur Mathé
Villejuif, 94800 FRANCE
phone: +33-1-77-01-8268
fax: +33-1-77-01-8270
marketing@fluigent.com
www.fluigent.com

Our goal is to make microfluidics easy for anyone who needs to handle fluids at a micrometric scale. Easy includes installation, manipulation, software, modularity, but it also means best performances such as highest reachable stability and shortest settling time. These specifications are critical for applications such as cell culture and manipulation (e.g. organ-on-chips), digital PCRs, High throughput drug screenings, or sample pre-treatments.

To illustrate our motto, we present versatile, modular solutions for various biological applications from droplets generation and operations to cell culture in order to fully control every aspect of the cellular environment. The platform combines a glass chip with two chambers separated by a soft membrane allowing cells to proliferate significantly more than with translocation systems and a flow control instrument based on pressure actuation. The ability to precisely control and monitor both pressure and flow-rate is the core of this technology.

APPLICATIONS OF FULLY INTEGRATED ACTIVE AND PASSIVE FLOW CONTROL IN THE ORGAN-ON-A-CHIP, ANALYTICAL AND DIAGNOSTICS FIELD
Marko Blom, Chief Technology Officer

Micronit Microtechnologies B.V.
Colosseum 15
Enschede, 7521 PV THE NETHERLANDS
phone: +31-53-8506-850
fax: +31-53-850-6851
info@micronit.com
www.micronit.com

This presentation focuses on the latest advances in microfluidic platform technologies that Micronit has been developing in recent years for applications within (point-of-care) diagnostics, point-of-use testing, (bio)chemical analysis, cell culturing and organ-on-a-chip applications. Particular attention will be given to integrated flow control, based on both passive (capillary) and active (membrane) flow control elements, sample preparation tools, hybrid integration of, e.g., sensor and other functional components, as well as organ-on-a-chip based on re-sealable technology and cell culturing. As an illustration of the applicability of these platform technologies a few examples of lab-on-a-chip demonstrators developed within research projects are also described.