Overview of the Microfluidic Diagnostics Commercial Landscape

Since its birth in the late 1980s, the field of microfluidics has continued to mature, with a growing number of companies pursuing diagnostic applications. In 2009 the worldwide in vitro diagnostics market was estimated at >$40 billion USD, and microfluidic diagnostics are poised to reap a significant part of this market across a range of areas including laboratory diagnostics, point-of-care diagnostics, cancer diagnostics, and others. The potential economic advantages of microfluidics are numerous and compelling: lower reagent and/or sample volumes, lower equipment costs, improved portability, increased automation, and increased measurement speed. All of these factors may help put more information in the hands of doctors and patients sooner, enabling earlier disease detection and more tailored, effective treatments. This chapter reviews the microfluidic diagnostics commercial landscape and discusses potential commercialization challenges and opportunities.