Going with the flow [optofluidics]

This paper reports on how the advent of optofluidics has made the development of a new breed of miniaturized, adaptable, low-power optical devices possible. These optical devices incorporate liquid lenses with the shape-changing properties of the human eye and use microelectronic or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to control their shape. Several companies including Varioptic, Philips and Lucent Technologies are now working on offering digital cameras with optical systems that feature liquid autofocus lenses. Beyond using liquid as a focusing element, researchers are also studying how this optofluidics can be applied to the so-called lab on a chip device. They believe that fluidics have potential as the basis for building versatile, easily adaptable systems. However, they first need to develop new fabrication techniques and address the issue of chemical compatibility of fluidics with solid structures and long-term stability.