Handling nanoliter volumes

Miniaturizing and integrating the different steps of an application in a microstructure enhances reproducibility and reliability as well as eliminating concerns about pipetting errors. For many applications, working at nanoliter scale has the additional benefit of significantly reducing reaction times.

Going from microliter to nanoliter volumes increases the surface to volume ratio and puts high demands on the surface characteristics. In a Gyrolab microlaboratory, surface chemistry throughout a microstructure is optimized for a specific task, for example, to enhance capillary action or to provide hydrophilic, biocompatible surfaces.

The CD microlaboratory has an excellent capability to handle particles in packed beds. Particles with functional groups can be selected according to application requirements. Columns with functionalized particles are packed reproducibly in parallel.

Each bed is packed against a particle filter that acts as a restriction point within the microstructure.