About this Research Topic

Background

The concept of the lab-on-a-chip, or micro-total analytical system, is intricately linked to the idea of single-use. The majority of microfluidic, lab-on-chip or point-of-care devices are made out virgin, petrochemical plastics. For convenience or to avoid cross-contamination, and maybe because devices tend to be in the centimeter scale, engineers tend to design disposable devices, which are used once, then discarded. In full expansion, the microfluidic, lab-on-chip and point-of-care markets is not only creating new commercial opportunities, it is polluting and creating new waste streams, which should not be ignored.

In the medical sector alone, more than 4 billion lateral flow tests are produced per annum. A recent WHO report estimated that during the COVID-19 pandemic more than 140 million Covid test kits have been shipped through the UN procurement portal alone. These tests end up incinerated or landfilled, adding to the growing medical waste generated in private homes, care homes, and primary, secondary and tertiary care settings.

Through the single-use approach, the microfluidic, lab-on-chip and point-of-care community has unwittingly created a “technological trap” creating unintended, additional, and potentially avoidable, waste. Thus, a legitimate question is “are we part of the solution or part of the problem?”. Can a single-use approach be reversible, or can it be alleviated through materials or methods choices? Most of the environmental sustainability is locked at the design stage and material choice is one of the main contributing factors to the environmental impact of the device. But importantly, using different materials and methods is not just an engineering problem. It has significant economic, and regulatory implications.

We are calling for engineers, economists, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, regulators and policy makers to join forces and work together to come up with solutions to reduce the amount of waste created by the microfluidic, lab-on-a-chip and point-of-care devices industry.

The scope of this Research Topic includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
• Studies demonstrating the use of new sustainable materials (bio-derived polymers, waste-derived or recycled materials) in microfluidic manufacturing
• Reviews of sustainable approaches in microfluidic, lab-on-chip manufacturing
• Studies demonstrating manufacturing methods significantly lowering energy input or wastage
• Studies demonstrating manufacturing with locally available materials
• Life Cycle Assessment of microfluidic, lab-on-chip or point-of-care devices
• Reports investigating devices post-use or quantifying wastage in microengineering laboratories with microfluidic, lab-on-chip or point-of-care developments
• Reports comparing wastage in conventional laboratory approaches, and microfluidic approaches
• Research studies on the impact of regulatory or procurement frameworks on the type of materials that can be used in medical microfluidic devices
• Research studies on the inclusion of environmental sustainability requirements in Target-Product Profiles (TPP)
• Research studies on the procurement of diagnostic devices

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Specialty Grand Challenge

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Specialty Grand Challenge

Keywords: Microfluidics, Lab-On-Chip, Point-Of-Care, Environment, Plastics, Bioplastics, Pollution, Waste, Regulations

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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