Micro total analysis system (?TAS)

Advanced research has been carried out in the U.S. and Europe on the Micro Total Analysis System (μTAS), in which the chemical analysis system is miniaturized by micromachining. By miniaturizing the system, there are a number of advantages, such as decrease of the dead volume reduction of samples and reagents, lower cost, and lower power consumption. For this reason, this technique has drawn considerable attention in chemistry and biochemistry. In this paper, the configuration of μTAS and its important elements, such as micro fluid control and detection methods are described. Examples of research toward applications of μTAS, such as environmental analysis and DNA analysis, are also presented.