... company Biosite Introduction to MicrofluidicsPatrick TabelingESPCI, Paristranslated bySuelin ChenMIT, CambridgeCONTENTS vii6 An introduction to microfabrication 2446.1 Introduction 2446.2 ... to ‘soft’ technolog y, based onelastomers such as PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) or on plastic materials, whichcomprise a large portion of the field today. We will return to these subjects12 INTRODUCTION Figure ... possible to directly analyse a raw sample, such as a drop ofblood or a piece of gruyere cheese. Achieving this would require miniaturizingsystems such as cytometers, separators, and bioreactors,...