Recent advances in nano/microfluidics have led to the miniaturization of surface-based chemical and biochemical sensors, with applications ranging from environmental monitoring to disease diagnostics. These systems rely on the detection of analytes flowing in a liquid sample, by exploiting their innate nature to react with specific receptors immobilized on the microchannel walls. The efficiency of these systems is defined by the cumulative effect of analyte detection speed, sensitivity, and specificity. In this perspective, we provide a fresh outlook on the use of important parameters obtained from well-characterized analytical models, by connecting the mass transport and reaction limits with the experimentally attainable limits of analyte detection efficiency. Specifically, we breakdown when and how the operational (e.g., flow rates, channel geometries, mode of detection, etc.) and molecular (e.g., receptor affinity and functionality) variables can be tailored to enhance the analyte detection time, analytical specificity, and sensitivity of the system (i.e., limit of detection). Finally, we present a simple yet cohesive blueprint for the development of high-efficiency surface-based microfluidic sensors for rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of chemical and biochemical analytes, pertinent to a variety of applications.

中文翻译：

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开发快速、特定和灵敏的微流体传感器：综合设备蓝图

纳米/微流体的最新进展导致基于表面的化学和生化传感器的小型化，其应用范围从环境监测到疾病诊断。这些系统依赖于液体样品中流动的分析物的检测，通过利用它们的先天性质与固定在微通道壁上的特定受体发生反应。这些系统的效率取决于分析物检测速度、灵敏度和特异性的累积效应。从这个角度来看，我们通过将传质和反应极限与分析物检测效率的实验可达到极限联系起来，为使用从充分表征的分析模型中获得的重要参数提供了全新的视角。具体来说，我们细分了操作的时间和方式（例如，流速、通道几何形状、检测模式等）和分子（例如，受体亲和力和功能性）变量可以定制，以提高系统的分析物检测时间、分析特异性和灵敏度（即检测限）。最后，我们提出了一个简单而有凝聚力的蓝图，用于开发高效的基于表面的微流体传感器，用于快速、灵敏和特异性检测化学和生化分析物，与各种应用相关。