To understand the full benefit of microfluidic systems, it is important to first understand the physics of fluids on the microscale and how this affects their behavior.^{[3, 4]} The effects that become dominant in microfluidics include laminar flow, diffusion, and surface tension.

Microfluidics emerged at the intersection of molecular analysis, microelectronics, biodefense, and molecular biology. ^[1]

Its origins can be traced back to early microanalytical techniques such as gas chromatography and capillary electrophoresis, which transformed chemical analysis by enabling high-resolution results from minimal sample volumes.

In the 1980s, advancements in microfabrication were driven by technologies developed in the semiconductor industry. Photolithography, originally used for fabricating microelectronic circuits, was adapted to create the first microfluidic devices from glass and silicon.^[5] A pioneering work came in 1979, when Terry et al. developed a miniaturized gas chromatograph on a silicon chip—one of the first examples of a “lab-on-a-chip.”^[6]

In 1990, Manz et al. introduced the concept of “miniaturized total chemical analysis systems” (µTAS), which aimed to integrate all steps of chemical analysis into a single chip. ^[7]

The field advanced further in the 1990s with the development of soft lithography. This technology enabled the use of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for microfluidics fabrication, a flexible and biocompatible material, making microfluidics more accessible for biological applications. ^{[8, 9]}

A lesser-known driver of microfluidics development was biodefense. In the 1990s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded microfluidics for portable biodefense diagnostics and greatly contributed to the growth of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).^{[1, 3]} At the same time, the Human Genome Project accelerated demand for sensitive analysis in molecular biology.^[3]

Despite the great potential of PDMS and soft lithography for rapid prototyping, they were not well translatable to high-volume production. To meet industrial demands, injection molding of thermoplastic materials became increasingly important. Injection molding evolved into a highly efficient and scalable method for producing microfluidic components with high precision and reproducibility.^[3] Moreover, the broad range of thermoplastics available allows developers to select materials suited for nearly any application.^[10]

Since the early 2000s, microfluidics has expanded rapidly. Innovations include paper-based microfluidics for low-cost diagnostics, ^[11] droplet microfluidics for high-throughput biological assays, ^{[12, 13]} and organ-on-a-chip systems that replicate human physiological processes. ^{[2, 14]} Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated innovation in microfluidics.^[2] In particular, microfluidic platforms enabled the scalable and precise production of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)—a core technology for the formulation and delivery of mRNA vaccines. ^[15]

Today, microfluidics is a key enabler of innovation across healthcare, diagnostics, drug development, and life sciences. The adoption of scalable, cost-effective manufacturing methods, such as injection molding, continues to enhance design flexibility and broaden the impact of microfluidic technologies.