Revealing polymeric fluids behavior at the microscopic scale
(PHYSorg.com Physics)

An important concept in future healthcare is the development of devices called `lab on a chip.` These `chips,` not related to the electronic ones found in computers, are small devices in which biological fluids - blood or urine for example - are injected to fill specifically designed microscopic channels. These channels would contain biosensors which could detect for example specific markers for diseases within the fluid and provide a quick diagnosis. A large array of analyses could be performed on a device a few centimeters square. However, an arising issue is the size of the fluid sample injected inside the chip, with tiny volumes down to a billionth of a liter. Due to lack of available technologies, researchers do not yet fully understand how fluids - particularly complex ones of biological origins - behave at such small scales.