IVD Reagent Integration
Reduce reagent waste, complexity and inconsistency: Work with TE Connectivity to optimize your workflow for the integration of reagents into your next lab-on-a-chip application.
IVD Reagent Integration
Reagents can be integrated in various formats (e.g., dried, liquid, lyophilized) and the technology selection for their integration is highly dependent on reagent volume, shelf life, temperature, system complexity, humidity, and manufacturability.
TE's microfluidic and chemical engineers bring added value to your development through the optimization of on-board reagent integration and dispensing for your next microfluidic device development point-of-care device. Our designs reduce the risk of contamination and can extend the shelf life of reagents. With in-house blister development and manufacturing capabilities, TE provides ideal reagent integration schemes for a wide array of assay diagnostic applications:
- Core Microfluidic Competencies: Dry, liquid & lyophilized reagent integration
- Reagent blister pack design & manufacturing
- Spotting
- Gelification
- Lyophilization (freeze drying)
- Liquid handling
- Onboard reagent dispensing systems
- Integration within biosensors, biocompatible hard polymers & microscope slides
- Hard throughput processing applications
- Parameters Analysis (Humidity, Materials, Reagents)
Advantages of Reagent Integration
By producing microfluidic devices with reagents integrated right into your device, you can improve usability and minimize complexity for end users. Furthermore, you can develop simpler instrument designs more suitable for large-scale industrial manufacturing. The reagents will be dispensed into the microstructures of the device with passive and/or actively-driven microfluidic functions for a wide range of assay applications. By containing the reagents with the chip, the potential for contamination is drastically reduced and shelf life can be extended. Integrated reagents also allow for automated devices to be produced at high-throughput volumes. TE’s IVD Solutions team adds value by optimizing reagent integration needs for point-of-care and lab-on-a-chip applications.
Lab-on-a-Chip Reagent Integration Applications
Reagent integration in lab-on-a-chip systems (LOC) is achieved through the use of various reagent mediums and loading formats. Spotting is the process of immobilizing biological molecules (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, buffers) within microfluidic devices by dissolving samples into a solvent and placing spots into the chip with a spotting robot in a humidity/temperature-controlled environment. Alternatively, freeze dried (i.e. lyophilized) reagents are commonly employed, though they require stable humidity conditions. Alternatively, the gelification of reagents may be used to alleviate strict humidity requirements. Blister packed reagents are also often used to distribute precise reagent volumes with lower reagent waste and costs. TE is an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of blister pack systems and can apply this dispensing technology to your next microfluidic device project.