technology
Combining the best of the worlds
Specializing in (bio)sensors and microfluidics, we develop biomonitoring tools tailored for on-site urine monitoring, addressing the critical need across multiple medical areas.
Microfluidics
Getting the most out of tiny volumes
Imagine you have a tiny system of channels and chambers designed to carry and mix small amounts of liquids, like water or chemicals. Microfluidics is the science of designing and using these miniature fluidic systems which can perform tasks like chemical analysis, drug delivery or DNA-testing. These systems are also known as lab-on-a-chip devices.
Microfluidics is valuable because it allows for precise control, manipulation and managing of fluids in extremely small quantities on a very tiny scale. This makes it useful for a wide range of scientific and practical applications, from medicine to chemistry and beyond.
Micro sensors
Super sensitive, super specific
Imagine you have a device that can tell you if a particular substance, like a protein in your blood or a pollutant in water, is present or if its levels are changing. This device is called a biosensor. It works by using a biological element, like an enzyme or antibody, that reacts with the specific substance you want to detect. When the substance is present, it produces a signal, like light or electricity. This signal is then measured and tells you whether the substance is there or not, and often also in what concentration.
Biosensors are used in various fields. They have applications in the monitoring of blood sugar levels for diabetics, or the analysis of harmful chemicals in the environment. They are like molecular detectives that help us identify and measure important molecules quickly and accurately. A big advantage is that biosensors can be customized to be highly specific for a wide range of chemicals. Biosensors can often be designed to be very small, allowing for easy integration into analytical systems – and sometimes even into living tissue.
Combining the two
Microfluidics and miniaturized (bio)sensors are both especially interesting for biotechnology applications, and when combined, they offer some powerful advantages:
Efficiency
Microfluidics allows you to handle small samples, which is often all you have in biotech applications. This reduces the amount of expensive reagents or materials needed for testing.
Speed
(Bio)sensors can be designed to have a very fast response time, whereas microfluidics allows for rapid sample processing. This speed is crucial for diagnosing diseases or conducting experiments more rapidly.
Precision
Microfluidics enables precise control over how samples are mixed, separated, and transported. This precision is essential for robust, reproducible results.
Integration
You can integrate miniaturized (bio)sensors directly into microfluidic devices. This means that as a sample flows through the microfluidic system, you can instantly detect specific molecules or conditions. This integration saves time and allows for real-time monitoring.
Portability
Microfluidic devices with miniaturized (bio)sensors can be made small and portable. This is especially useful in fields like point-of-care diagnostics, where you might want to run tests in settings that are more challenging than a controlled laboratory environment.
High Throughput
By creating arrays of microfluidic channels and (bio)sensors, you can simultaneously analyze multiple samples or perform multiple tests at once, increasing throughput.
