Microfluidics and hydrogel: A powerful combination

Abstract

Microfluidics is a very useful and promising technology that allowed engineering a huge variety of developments in several fields, such as biology, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, biochemistry, medicine and tissue engineering, among others. Moreover, when microfluidic is combined with hydrogel, the possibilities seem to be limitless. However, it is not found in the bibliography any report that shows the wide range of developments and application fields of this combination. In this review, the bibliography is explored by looking for these new systems that, combining microfluidics and hydrogels, substantially contribute to the state of the art. Seven large application fields are identified -from 649 papers reviewed-: 1) cell culture (out of the scope of this review), 2) biosensors, 3) gradient generator microdevices (GGMD), 4) active elements of hydrogel embedded into microfluidic devices, 5) separation devices, 6) models and 7) other uses. Most of these fields are presented and discussed in detail, the great benefits of the combination are highlighted and perspectives on future directions are exposed.