Hyphenated Systems unveils microfluidics-development instrument
January 11, 2006, Burlingame, CA--Hyphenated Systems, a provider of hybrid microscopes for 3-D imaging and metrology in micro- and nanotechnology, has unveiled an instrument for microfluidics development. Called the 3Dmap (microfluidics analysis platform), the instrument provides 3-D structural metrology for developers and manufacturers of microfluidic devices.
According to Hyphenated Systems, the high-resolution measurements of size and shape provided by 3Dmap will be essential in all phases of microfluidics development, from understanding fundamental physical phenomena through developing novel devices and controlling fabrication processes.
Microfluidic systems are useful in microscopy, and are also an essential part of a certain kind of photonic sensor, sometimes called a "lab on a chip," in which an analyte carried in a liquid is routed in microscopic channels past light emitters and sensors. The devices can be used to detect biological or chemical agents.
The 3Dmap provides fast, accurate submicron structural characterization of all aspects of microfluidic devices; including steep slopes, rough surfaces, and subsurface features in transparent media, that are not measurable with alternative techniques, says the company. It is built around Hyphenated-Systems' ACM (advanced confocal microscope), which can acquire and render a high-resolution 3-D model of a sample in seconds. The system's inverted optics and open architecture are designed to facilitate the integration of additional analytical techniques, such as flow measurement, live-cell imaging, fluorescent-bead characterization, surface-roughness analysis, and more, all on a single platform.
"Although there have been great strides made in the field of microfluidics in recent years, researchers and engineers have been hampered by the lack of a single system that provides fast, accurate characterization of the complex structures they are designing," said Terence Lundy, vice president and managing director, Hyphenated Systems. "The detailed size and shape of these structures is absolutely critical to the operation of microfluidic devices. 3Dmap meets this need, and its open architecture provides the user with the flexibility to add additional techniques as they are needed, constituting a complete analytical solution on a single platform."