Chapter 17: Lab-on-a-chip: Unit Operations to Scale-up Strategies Check Access

This chapter provides an in-depth exploration of the key aspects of scaling up lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices, a critical field of investigation with substantial implications for industrial production and clinical applications. It commences with a thorough understanding of unit operations in LOC devices, explaining their definition, significance, and types (i.e., fluid handling, sample preparation, and detection). Then, the chapter moves on to discuss the significant engineering challenges associated with the miniaturization of these unit operations, including technical difficulties, material and fabrication issues, and ensuring performance reliability and reproducibility. It presents effective strategies for the scaling up of LOC unit operations, covering essential technical considerations such as maintaining performance, enhancing throughput, and integrating operations. The section also includes a comprehensive view of successful scale-up projects, their approaches and outcomes, highlighting practical applications and results of these strategies. The chapter also navigates through regulatory and quality considerations in the scale-up process, underlining the importance of validation and standardization. Future directions and challenges in scaling up, including current limitations, potential solutions, and the impact of emerging technologies on scale-up processes, are highlighted to provide a glimpse into the promising, yet challenging, road ahead.