The microfluid company, microLIQUID, a spin-off of the IK4-IKERLAN technology centre, is specialised in the entire process, from prototyping to mass production, from microtechnological lab on a chip cards to the rapid diagnosis of illnesses.
Lab-on-a-chip card, by Microliquid.
The lab on a chip cards consist of cards created of low cost plastic which include microchannels, micropumps and microcameras which contain reactants. Once a biological sample has been deposited on the card, the chip is introduced into a reader which then provides the diagnosis. These technologies have not reached the mass market but are currently in an advanced stage of development.
Microliquid, founded in 2008, creates this product with technology which is 100% proprietary for biotechnological clients, laboratories and biosanitary research centres. These entities use the cards in research and development but also in clinical tests. The objective of microLIQUID is to produce lab on a chip cards for the healthcare market in the medium term.
The company's wish, which despite its reduced size counts on the collaboration of human and technical resources from IK4-IKERLAN, is to produce complete tests in the near future to offer the entire diagnosis process of some illnesses.
Despite large investments and the long deadlines of the sector, in which competition comes from Europe and the US, Microliquid was profitable last year.