Textile-Based Microfluidic Devices - Design and Applications

The field of textile-based microfluidics represents a groundbreaking convergence of textile engineering, materials science, and biomedical technology. These devices leverage the inherent properties of textiles—such as flexibility, porosity, and capillarity—to manipulate fluids at the microscale, enabling innovative applications in diagnostics, environmental sensing, and wearable technologies. The origins of this interdisciplinary field can be traced back to the early 2000s, when researchers began exploring the potential of fibrous substrates as alternatives to traditional silicon or polymer-based microfluidic platforms. Unlike rigid microfluidic chips, textile-based systems offer unparalleled advantages, including conformability to curved surfaces, breathability, and compatibility with large-scale manufacturing techniques like weaving, knitting, and embroidery