Translume, Inc. announced today that it has launched new models of its fused silica microfluidic chips for bio, medical and chemical applications. In response to overwhelming demand, Translume's microfluidic chips now include embedded, graduated reticles for convenient measurement.
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.
"Adding a graduated reticle that is embedded in the chip gives us a unique competitive advantage," said Philippe Bado, President and Chief Technology Officer of Translume. "We have found that scientists and engineers across various fields share common needs for observing the size and speed of target particles or cells. Our embedded reticles, with an appropriate 1mm pitch, help them in this observation."
Translume's proprietary technology gives its chips several other 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 two years ago 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.