Abstract

This article provided an overview of recent patents on microfluidic-assisted fabrication of nanoparticles and their applications for nanomedicine. Microfluidic dynamics was predominantly characterized by laminar flow due to the small dimensions involved, which resulted in unique fluid morphologies and the production of polymer particles with an improved control over their sizes, size distributions, morphologies, and compositions. We compared capillary-based microsystem and microchannel-based microsystem, and presented novel structural improvements on microchips. New developments in microfabrication techniques provided complex, compact and highly integrated platforms that might produce more complex droplets. Advanced technologies and integrating or modular design may push the microchannelbased microsystem toward novel mutilfunctionalization to realize bio-encapsulation, transportation, mixing or injection, screening, and detection for biomedicine purpose. In the near future, the microchannel-based microsystem might function as not only the assay platforms, but also the implantable devices to monitor on-line.

Keywords: Droplets, nanoparticles, microfluidic, capillary-based microsystem, microchannel-based microsystem, T-junction, flow focusing, emulsification, solidification, monodisperse, fusion, fluid transportation, mixing, detection, screening, Microfluidic-assisted fabrication, nanomedicine application, bio-encapsulation