Microfluidic chip price

How much do microfluidic chips cost? 

There are a range of microfluidic chip prices, depending on the type of chip and its features.

Reusability

One of the biggest factors determining the cost of a microfluidic chip – and ultimately, its cost of use – is reusability. Some devices – such as COVID-19 self-tests – use single-use chips, which cannot be reused once the microfluidic channels have been filled with a sample. Other chips, such as those used in optical biosensors, allow you to measure more than one sample per channel. This typically makes both device and microfluidic chip cost more.

Our no-clog WAVEchips can often be used repeatedly. How many times depends on the experimental set-up and surface chemistry, including ligand stability, sample composition, buffers, and surface chemistry. For instance, if your ligand is not very stable or if your sample contains other molecules that interact with the surface, you may not be able to test a high number of samples or take repeat measurements. In addition, it’s possible to regenerate and recapture ligand proteins multiple times with Ni-NTA and Protein A/G chips. 

Chemical resistance and extra coatings

Microfluidic chip prices also depend on the material from which the chips are made, and whether there’s a matrix coating the surface. Some experiments require buffers that might otherwise erode the chip, which means the chip has to be made of materials with high chemical resistance. And chips for optical biosensors can require a coating, which then needs to be compatible with the ligand to allow immobilization for measurements of binding kinetics and affinity.