mikrofluidische
Mikrofluidische, or microfluidics, is the science and technology of controlling and analyzing fluids at sub-millimeter scales. It deals with fluids typically organized in channels 10 to 1000 micrometers wide, handling microliter to picoliter volumes. The flow regime is usually laminar, with Reynolds numbers well below 1, enabling precise, predictable fluid handling and rapid heat and mass transfer at small scales. Key approaches include continuous-flow microfluidics, where fluids travel through networks of microchannels, and droplet-based systems, where discrete droplets act as individual reaction vessels. Digital microfluidics, based on electrowetting, manipulates droplets on an array of electrodes. Devices are commonly fabricated by soft lithography using PDMS, as well as glass or silicon microfabrication methods; integrated valves, pumps, and sensors enable automation and complex workflows.
Applications span medical diagnostics, point-of-care testing, DNA analysis and sequencing, single-cell studies, chemical synthesis, drug discovery,
History and outlook: microfluidics emerged from chemistry, biology and engineering in the late 1980s and 1990s,