Positive

In lab on chip systems all process steps for analysis of a sample are integrated into one compact cartridge only a few cubic centimeters in size. Liquid volumes handled are in the microliter range and below.

As a result there is an extreme reduction in sample and reagent consumption. A substantial reduction in analysis time is also achieved because of shorter diffusion distances and higher surface to volume ratios. Because systems are small, test can be performed close to the patient (point of care), reducing the turn-around time for a test result even more. Finally, because the sample is directly introduced into the lab on chip system and all sample pretreatment and processing steps are performed inside the system, the chances of contaminating the sample from the outside and vice versa it greatly reduced. The full process integration also reduces the chances of introducing handling errors, which often occur in manual sample processing.