Biomedical implication of microfluidics in disease diagnosis and therapeutics: from fabrication to prognosis.

Abstract

Microfluidics has given us an approach to regulate the fluids' behaviour and influence at the microscale level, including the microchannels as an integral element. Microchannels encompass the high surface area-to-volume ratio, causing the rapid diffusion and mixing of substances within the tiny canals and facilitating predictable and stable fluid dynamics. This precise regulatory mechanism of fluid behaviour by microchannels is significant for several biological and chemical processes. In the present scenario, microfluidics plays a significant role in pharmaceutical industries for efficient drug synthesis, DNA analysis, protein crystallization and cell culture. They have also been exploited in fabricating site-directed drug delivery systems such as microchannels. This review has illustrated the different strategies for fabricating microfluidic devices (e.g. microchannels) and their potential implications in biomedical sciences. It also includes a discussion about the challenges associated with standardisation, cost-effective production, biocompatibility and safety concerning microchannel fabrication and its biological application, as well as possible approaches to overcome these issues. These microfluidic devices have the potential for diagnosis, drug delivery, disease monitoring and other applications in human health and diseases and require more attention from researchers to fabricate them precisely and efficiently.