Biomedical Microsystems for Disease Management

The modern and integrated study of biomechanical and biochemical issues in disease is usually carried out with the fundamental support of fluidic microdevices and of microfluidic diagnostic platforms, as fluids allow for the transport of nutrients, gases, debris, pathogens and drugs to and from cells, help to control the movement of microorganisms in vitro and make the application of controlled stresses in culture systems possible. In consequence, biomimetic responses are promoted and in many cases results obtained in vitro are more accurate than those obtained from animal models. In fact the field of microfluidic systems for diagnosis has experienced an explosive growth in the last two decades, promoted by the convergence of clinical diagnostic techniques, computer-aided modeling and mature micro- and nano-fabrication technologies capable of producing submillimeter-size fluidic channels, reservoirs and nanometric features in several materials, structures and devices. This chapter provides and introduction to the field of biomedical devices for disease study and management, with examples of systems devoted to purposes such as: in vitro drug screening, disease modeling and diagnosis, disease modeling and prediction, and modeling of tumors, among the most important and already well-established applications. The application of computer-aided design and rapid prototyping resources to the complete development of a capillary actuated microfluidic platform, as versatile framework for the potential point-of-care testing of different diseases and their eventual response to different antibiotics, is detailed as additional case of study.