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Development of Lab-on-Chip Systems for in vitro Diagnostics

Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/17/2011
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm

Prof. Frank F. Bier, Fraunhofer Inst. of Biomedical Engineering, Germany

Abstract:
To facilitate accurate measurements of molecular parameters for diagnostic purposes at the point of need various technologies have to be connected. The technological challenge is to merge processes and techniques from various fields into one single device. Lab-on-Chip technology has been well investigated during the recent years and many assays for various parameters have been demonstrated on various transducers and with various microfluidic systems. Only very few of them have been shown to proof routine diagnostic’s needs. The main technological challenge is to guarantee the same accuracy for a single use lab-on-chip device compared to today’s routine clinical laboratory. Mass production facilities for such devices have to be constructed to produce lab-on-chip devices that are capable to perform with the same accuracy and reliability. Even more the device has to be handled by non trained persons. Last but not least the readout of the data has to be connected to the patient’s record, therefore point-of-care devices have to be linked to telecommunication. Miniaturisation of electronics and microsystems opens further option for point-of-care developments, e.g. the development of active implants that may be used to monitor patients in critical status on the intensive care without additional need of personal and interfering actions like blood sampling.

Frank F. Bier studied Physics and Mathematics at the Universities of Muenster and Heidelberg, Germany. Since 2000 he is head of the Department of Molecular Bioanalytics of the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) and holds now the “Chair of Applied Bioelectronics and Biochip Technologies” at the University of Potsdam. He is now Director of the Branch Potsdam of IBMT. Bier coordinated several interdisciplinary projects in the field of nanobiotechnology as well as for the development of ivD devices. His current interests are biosensors, microfluidics, molecular in vitro diagnostics, nanobiotechnology and the development of cell free biosynthesis.