The EU microbuilder project has developed a one-stop shop to
support companies, especially SMEs, in the rapid design and
manufacture of novel micro-devices for use in applications
ranging from medical diagnosis to mobile phones. They have
created a set of tools that should reduce the time it takes to
get from a good idea for a micro-device to a commercial,
sellable product. The microBUILDER services are focused on
microfluidic devices like: ■Valves and pumps ■Sensors for
instrumentation ■Gas and flow sensors One of the hardest
obstacles for developing novel devices is finding ways to
integrate different materials into a single device. For example,
a blood sample may first flow through channels in a polymer
slide and react with a labelled antibody. But the detection of
the target molecule may involve a silicon-based sensor. You
therefore need to continue the channel through silicon, without
any perturbation to the flow. “A lot of sensors are based on
silicon, but silicon is much more expensive than polymer,” e