We report two novel microfluidic devices fabricated from PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane). Such devices are indicative of the increasing migration of microfluidics to materials distinct from those of the mainstream Silicon MEMS industry. Specifically, plastics fabrication techniques and materials such as SU8 photostructurable epoxy and microcasting, which are employed in these examples, are proving particularly topical and are discussed here. The devices reported consist of PDMS-glass-piezoelectric hybrids exploiting the compliant nature of elastomer substrates to yield valuable functionality. The first device is a micropump employing novel, non-sealing valves and pumping 300 microlitres per minute and developing a maximum pressure of 6kPa. The second reported device is a micromixer employing temporal interleaving of samples via PDMS-glass microvalves in order to mix effectively within the laminar, microfluidic flow regime.

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