Mass Produced, Disposable, Polymer Devices

Dolomite has expanded its capabilities in glass to include plastic (polymer) microfluidic devices and chips. By using plastic as an alternative to other materials such as glass, Dolomite is able to offer high volume, disposable microfluidic devices which are ideally suited to markets such as healthcare, where low-cost, single-use devices are essential. With unparalleled expertise in early stage prototyping and production scale-up of customised microfluidic systems, Dolomite can provide microfluidic solutions for many different applications. Working with companies to produce devices that are tailored to individual requirements, Dolomite has already brought down the cost of bespoke microfluidic system development by introducing a range of standard or ‘off-the-shelf’ products. These include, chips, connectors/interconnect, pumps and other microfluidic devices.

“The key to Dolomite’s success in microfluidics is primarily down to our vast experience of solving microfluidic problems. This, coupled with the understanding of a customers needs, allows us to produce tailor made microfluidic systems”, said Mike Hawes, Dolomite’s Head of Sales and Marketing. “Traditionally this has been applied using glass, and by using injection-moulded plastics we can drive down the cost per device so that they can become disposable. This means they can be used in an increased range of applications and industries, for example it opens up the development of a new generation of clinical diagnostic, screening or analytical tests – true, disposable labs on chips.” Dolomite’s polymer technologies include thermal bonding of polymer layers for chip fabrication, deposition of metal layers on polymer surfaces and the use of tapes to seal polymer devices.