Your Microfluidics Development Partner
From Proof of Concept through Product Launch

Rapid Prototyping to Volume Manufacture

ALine is an award winning design, prototyping, and pilot production business dedicated to developing cost effective solutions for next generation precision microfluidic products. Our rapid prototyping platform, increases speed to market and fuels the product development engine by delivering quality prototypes with a 3 to 5 day turnaround time. View our rapid prototyping capability. We pride ourselves on our on-time delivery and responsiveness to our customers. We work in partnership with our customers to develop cost effective solutions for engineered microfluidic products. We have successfully supported a number of clients, including NASA, and Osmetech (GenMark) in realizing their goal.

Polymer Laminate Technology for Microfluidics

ALine's rapid prototyping platform, Polymer Laminate Technology (PLT), accommodates many of the industry's needs for biocompatibility, functionality and cost effectiveness in a variety of materials. PLT was developed to address the unique requirements of microfluidic, lab-on-a-chip devices, where surface area to volume is high, fluid movement is typically laminar, functional elements such a pumps, filters, and on-board valves are desirable. These are discussed in our technical articles and can be accessed at our website, www.alineinc.com. Computer automation permits complex fluid circuit designs in a CAD program to be cut into different layers or sheets. The layers are then stacked, aligned and bonded using pressure sensitive or thermal bond adhesives in a batch fabrication process. Individual devices are then diced from the bonded stack of materials. The process is scalable to one million parts per year with our customized flexible manufacturing platform. With our volume partner, we then seamlessly transition our customers to high volume production of millions of devices per year.

Advantages:

• Tailored device properties using multiple materials for complex functions: valves, vents, pumps
• The microfluidic interfaces readily with optical or electro-active components
• Robust, repeatable fabrication process speeds product development
• Approach does not require a costly investment in masks or molds
• Offers rapid prototyping of alternate designs with various substrates
• Designs are developed with attention to scalability for manufacture

Standard Materials and Design Rules

ALine fabricates with a variety of materials including PMMA, PET, polycarbonate, and silicone that are offered in a variety of thicknesses. Substrate materials can vary from highly temperature-resistant polyimides to low cost polyester. Substrates are chosen for their resistance to chemical attack, ability to work under environmental extremes or their biocompatibility. The largest device footprint offered is 12 x 24” (609 x 304 mm). Channel features can be as small as 125 microns wide and 25 microns high. Learn more about our materials and processes for rapid prototyping.

Quality

ALine understands that well established business processes and infrastructure are necessary to achieve and maintain quality. We are currently ISO 9001:2008 compliant with an ERP system to provide supply chain management for your product. ALine operates in a Class 10K clean room and has a class 100 clean bench for packaging and assembly. The new ADEPT™ platform, shown in Figure 3, is both a development and QC tool. Microfluidic device performance can be readily optimized or evaluated and design problems uncovered quickly. The instrument platform offers from 8 up to 32 computer/manually controlled valves and two dispense pumps in a bench top platform with sensors for troubleshooting. Compressed air at 60 psi is required for both vacuum and pressure. A custom manifold with o-ring connections to the microfluidic device addresses the need to develop and test a robust repeatable connection to the instrument.

ALine's Value Proposition

We combine our engineering, microfluidics, and bioanalytical expertise with our enabling prototyping platform to shorten the product development process. We deliver high quality, robust microfluidic solutions with attention to design for manufacture. We have a track record of success delivering solutions to customers in the growing microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip market. We cost effectively deliver proven solutions to enable complex, automated functions in a miniaturized product.