Translume Launches Fused Silica Microfluidic Chips

Translume, Inc. announced today that it has launched a new line of fused silica microfluidic chips for bio, medical and chemical applications.

The company has already received several advance orders from major corporations and research institutions from around the world. Translume's customers will use these chips to advance the fields of genomics, proteomics, nanotechnology and particle counting.

"Our new line of microfluidic chips establishes Translume as a technical leader in the global market for lab-on-a-chip solutions," said Philippe Bado, President and Chief Technology Officer of Translume. "We have found that scientists and engineers across various fields share common needs for combining, analyzing, concentrating, purifying and interrogating fluids. We have a line of fused silica products that will meet these needs."

Translume's proprietary technology gives its chips several advantages over other commercial offerings, and at a competitive price. The company uses ultrafast femtosecond laser pulses to create deep three-dimensional microchannels with sharp-shaped features that are unavailable using traditional mask and etching techniques. In addition, Translume microfluidic chips are fabricated exclusively from high-quality fused silica glass, a chemically inert, UV-transparent, non auto-fluorescent material that is preferred for most bio-applications.

The new product line was made possible by an investment in 2007 from the State of Michigan's 21st Century Jobs Fund Program. Also, the company has previously received investments from two venture capital funds, Ardesta and Avalon Technology Ventures.

Translume plans to expand the new product line when it introduces micro-reactor, flow cytometer and capillary electrophoresis models later this year.