The Drive for Miniaturised Analytical Instrumentation

There is a big drive for miniaturisation because of the many advantages it offers, such as shorter analysis times, better control, high throughput, reduction in chemicals and sample required, lower cost and remote monitoring applications. Some devices can be made so small that they can be integrated into larger instruments or incorporated into on-line or in-line systems or arrays. They can be transported easily and entirely new techniques and concepts are becoming available to analysts as the spatial dimensions are rednced. 

Lab-on-a-chip (LOG) and lab-on-valve (LOV) devices are versions of pTAS where fluids are manipulated to give a complete assay on a microfabricated chip. Their main goal is the scaling down of laboratory processes onto a chip-based platform. 

There are many application areas for pTAS including, to name but a few, environmental monitoring and control, high-throughput biomedical screening, process control in various industries and defence and security situations. Developments in this exciting area are constantly being reported  

Analytical Instrumentation A Guide to Laboratory, Portable and Miniaturized Instruments G. McMahon 

Graber, N. and Widmer, H.M. Miniaturized total chemical analysis systems A novel concept for chemical sensing. Sens Actual B, 1 (1-6), 244-248 (1990). 

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