Fabrication of microfluidic systems in poly(dimethylsiloxane)

Microfluidic devices are finding increasing application as analytical syste ms, biomedical devices, tools for chemistry and biochemistry, and systems f or fundamental research. Conventional methods of fabricating microfluidic d evices have centered on etching in glass and silicon. Fabrication of microf luidic devices in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PMS) by soft lithography provides faster, less expensive routes than these conventional methods to devices t hat handle aqueous solutions. These soft-lithographic Cambridge, MA, USA me thods are based on rapid prototyping and replica molding and are more acces sible to chemists and biologists working under benchtop conditions than are the microelectronics-derived methods because, in soft lithography, devices do not need to be fabricated in a cleanroom. This paper describes devices fabricated in PDMS for separations, patterning of biological and nonbiologi cal material, and components for integrated systems.