Disease diagnostics using hydrodynamic flow focusing in microfl uidic devices: Beyond flow cytometry

The multi-disciplinary fi eld of microfl uidics has the potential to provide solutions to a diverse set of problems. It off ers theadvantages of high-throughput, continuous, rapid and expeditious analysis requiring minute quantities of sample. However,even as this fi eld has yielded many mass-manufacturable and cost-effi cient point-of-care devices, its direct and practicalapplications into the fi eld of disease diagnostics still remain limited and largely overlooked by the industry. This reviewfocuses on the phenomenon of hydrodynamic focusing and its potential to materialize solutions for appropriate diagnosisand prognosis. The study aims to look beyond its intended cytometric applications and focus on unambiguous disease detection,monitoring, drug delivery, studies conducted on DNA and highlight the instances in the scientifi c literature that haveproposed such approach. KCI Citation Count: 0