New optofluidic platform features tunable optics and novel 'lightvalves'

For well over a decade, electrical engineer Holger Schmidt has been developing devices for optical analysis of samples on integrated chip-based platforms, with applications in areas such as biological sensors, virus detection, and chemical analysis. The latest device from his lab is based on novel technology that combines high-performance microfluidics for sample processing with dynamic optical tuning and switching, all on a low-cost "chip" made of a flexible silicone material.