Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Dolomite Supplies Microfluidic Reactor Chip Enabling Powerful Flow Chemistry Technology

Abstract:
Dolomite has announced that its microfluidic device fabrication expertise is being used by automated laboratory equipment specialist, Syrris Ltd, within its novel range of flow reactor instruments. These microfluidic flow reactor modules supplied by Dolomite, enable the fast and efficient processing of chemicals for test and analysis. Used within Syrris's flow reactor instruments, this technology is starting to have a significant impact on companies involved in such areas as drug discovery, DNA analysis and forensic science, by greatly accelerating their research.

Dolomite Supplies Microfluidic Reactor Chip Enabling Powerful Flow Chemistry Technology

UK | Posted on January 19th, 2008

Dolomite is a leader in Microfluidics, also known as ‘lab on a chip'. This is an exciting new field of science and engineering that enables very small-scale fluid control and analysis, allowing instrument manufacturers to develop smaller, more cost-effective and more powerful systems. With lab-on-a-chip technology, entire complex chemical management and analysis systems are created in a microfluidic chip and interfaced with, for example, electronic and optical detection systems.

"Flow chemistry in microreactors often happens much faster than reactions in a bulk vessel, as a result of being able to run at elevated temperature," said Philip Homewood, Engineering Manager at Dolomite.


microfluidic micro reactor


"It is also possible to improve product yield because the reaction conditions in a flow microreactor are closer to ideal conditions in terms of temperature and input reagent concentration. This technology is bringing a lot of important new benefits to the life science community and is having a major influence on the future of scientific instrument design and modern chemistry."

UK company Syrris specialises in flow reactor tools for enhancing the productivity of R&D chemists. Their market-leading product Africa, a modular system for reaction optimisation, reduces the time taken to develop, synthesize, work-up and analyse a chemical entity. In laboratories around the world the Africa system is speeding up the drug discovery process.



microfluidic micro reactor


"The microfluidic reactor chips from Dolomite are a critical component of the Africa system," said Mike Hawes, Marketing Manager at Syrris. "Mixing in a batch reactor is quite random whereas in a microfluidic flow reactor it is far more uniform. For some processes like nano-particle manufacturing and crystallisation processes, the nano-particles or crystals end up being much more uniform in comparison to an equivalent batch reactor process. This important benefit, along with the speed and control achievable with this technology, is enabling us to help scientists accelerate their research and achieve more reproducible results."


Key to the fabrication of these microfluidic devices is the use of microfabrication techniques capable of creating microchannels and complex structures in materials suitable for handling chemicals without being chemically attacked. Dolomite has expertise in the fabrication of devices in one such inert material, glass. "Glass is susceptible to breakage and chipping making it a difficult material to handle," said Phil Homewood. "This is one of the main reasons why there are so few suppliers of glass microfluidic devices in the world."

One of the challenges in the design and manufacture of microreactor chips includes getting a sufficient reaction volume. Most chips are less than 100microlitres in volume. To achieve greater volumes, Dolomite etches channels in both glass layers. The micron-sized features on the two patterned layers are aligned, before being bought into optical contact and thermally bonded to create the final device. "Recently we have developed a technique that enables us to align features as small as 5 microns wide", said Phil Homewood. "Another challenge was the design of the mixing junction to make sure the diffusional mixing was fast enough. This was achieved by having a narrow channel after the mixing junction to keep the diffusion distance low. Also before the mixing junction, one of the input streams was split onto two streams and combined either side of the other input stream. The effect is that the diffusion distance is reduced by a factor of two. This reduces diffusional mixing time by a factor of four. Although each chip is only 28x90mm in size it has between 1.8 - 2.5m of reaction channel."

For more information on Dolomite Microfluidic micro reactor chip - contact or
call+44 (0)1763 242 49.

####

About Dolomite Microfluidics
Dolomite is a world leader in microfluidic applications. We work with instrument manufacturers around the world providing the design and manufacture of microfluidic devices and microfluidic based instruments and systems. The company was formed to bring together experts in microfluidics, automated flow-chemistry, instrument design and product development and has its headquarters in Royston (near Cambridge) UK.

Dolomite is a company that believes in and strives for excellence - employing the best people and the best technology. We are also a part of the Syrris group, an established leader in the development of scientific instrumentation.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Dolomite Microfluidics HQ
Unit 1, Anglian Business Park
Orchard Rd
Royston
Herts, SG8 5TW
United Kingdom

t: +44 (0)1763 242 491
f: +44 (0)1763 246 125
e:

The United States
Dolomite Microfluidics U.S.
6901 N. Rockledge Ave.
Milwaukee
WI 53209
t: 414-688-1346
f: 414-386-4658
e:

Copyright © Dolomite Microfluidics

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Microfluidics/Nanofluidics

Implantable device shrinks pancreatic tumors: Taming pancreatic cancer with intratumoral immunotherapy April 14th, 2023

Computational system streamlines the design of fluidic devices: This computational tool can generate an optimal design for a complex fluidic device such as a combustion engine or a hydraulic pump December 9th, 2022

Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022

Oregon State University research pushes closer to new therapy for pancreatic cancer May 6th, 2022

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Tools

First direct imaging of small noble gas clusters at room temperature: Novel opportunities in quantum technology and condensed matter physics opened by noble gas atoms confined between graphene layers January 12th, 2024

New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses: The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials November 17th, 2023

Ferroelectrically modulate the Fermi level of graphene oxide to enhance SERS response November 3rd, 2023

The USTC realizes In situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy using single nanodiamond sensors November 3rd, 2023

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project