Archer Materials Ltd (ASX:AXE, OTC:ARRXF) has passed a key milestone in the early-stage assembly of its lab-on-a-chip technology by successfully fabricating microfluidic channels required for the biochip and integrated sensor components.
This is significant, as the company now has, with its in-house capability, miniaturised microfluidic channels to 20 micrometres or less in width on silicon, potentially allowing for 3,000+ channels within 1 square centimetre, and has also integrated nanosized biosensor components within these channels
The work validates the company’s early-stage capabilities in developing a significant aspect of lab-on-a-chip devices, required for Archer’s future operations.
Towards commercialisation
Archer CEO Dr Mohammed Choucair said: "The Archer team has been ultra-focused on strengthening and expanding our nano- and micro-fabrication capabilities, including for the development of Archer’s biochip, as this is one of the biggest challenges to potential commercialisation of lab-on-a-chip technology.
"We have demonstrated miniaturisation with deliberate, precision control of nanosized components’ fabrication and positioning for integrating biosensing functions on-chip substrates, which Archer ultimately aims to translate into a sophisticated and unique biochip technology.”
Shares have been as much as 9.4% higher intraday to A$1.75 while AXE's market cap before the opening today was approximately A$393.8 million.
Fabricated microfluidic channels
Archer is developing a biochip that would allow tiny amounts of liquid or gas samples (eg saliva, blood, breath, etc) to be analysed
The biochip requires the advanced fabrication of features like hair-thin microfluidic channels that allow sample processing such as mixing, chemical or physical reactions.
These channels also allow the transportation of samples to smaller built-in sensors for analysing biochemical targets, for example, viruses or bacteria.
Notably, lab-on-a-chip devices are a subset of Sensors/MEMS products that represent a high-growth opportunity in the semiconductor industry.
Biochip technology
Archer’s biochip is lab-on-a-chip technology developed to enable the complex detection of some of the world’s most deadly communicable diseases
The company strengthened its biochip fabrication capabilities working towards best-in-class sub-10 nanometre fabrication and establishing chip testing operations.
Archer is currently focused on micro-and nano-fabrication of the biochip device components, which is a significant technological challenge to potentially commercialising lab-on-a-chip devices.