# A Low-Cost Laser-Prototyped Microfluidic Device for Separating Cells and Bacteria
## 4 Discussion
This limitation can be overcome with better bonding strategies. For example, chemical bonding of PMMA layers can be implemented using suitable setups. Low-resourced environments greatly benefit from the use of low-cost and disposable microfluidic devices, highlighting their significance. These devices offer numerous advantages that address the unique challenges faced in such settings. Firstly, their affordability ensures accessibility, allowing healthcare providers in low-resourced areas to utilize advanced diagnostic and analytical tools without incurring significant costs. Additionally, their disposable nature eliminates the need for complex and expensive cleaning and sterilization processes, reducing the risk of contamination and the burden on limited resources. Moreover, these devices are often designed to be portable and user-friendly, enabling point-of-care testing and rapid disease screening in remote and underserved regions. By providing cost-effective and user-friendly solutions, low-cost and disposable microfluidic devices play a crucial role in enhancing healthcare delivery and disease management in low-resourced environments. The separation of bacteria from blood and other cell solutions holds immense significance in biomedical applications and rapid disease screening, particularly in low-resource areas. Efficiently isolating bacteria from these complex samples enables a deeper understanding of their characteristics, behavior, and response to different treatments. By studying bacteria separately, researchers and healthcare professionals can develop targeted therapies, design effective antibiotics, and enhance patient outcomes. Moreover, the ability to rapidly screen and identify bacteria in low-resource settings is crucial for timely disease diagnosis and management. Separating bacteria from blood and cell solutions in these settings allows for cost-effective and accessible screening methods that can aid in the early detection and control of infectious diseases, reducing their spread and mitigating public health risks. This capability is especially crucial in resource-limited areas where access to advanced diagnostic technologies and facilities may be limited, enabling timely interventions and improving overall healthcare outcomes. Low-cost PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) passive microfluidic cell separation devices have the potential for various applications [55]. One prominent application is in the field of biomedical research, where these devices can be utilized for the isolation and separation of specific cell populations from complex mixtures [56]. Such devices can aid in studying cellular interactions, analyzing cellular characteristics, and investigating disease mechanisms. For example, Dean flow-based cancer cell enrichment was demonstrated using microfluidic devices fabricated through traditional methods [57]. These rare cell enrichment studies can be undertaken by low-cost devices. In addition, these low-cost devices can be employed in clinical diagnostics, enabling the efficient and affordable detection and analysis of various diseases and infections. They can facilitate the separation of target cells, such as circulating tumor cells, from biological samples, allowing for early disease diagnosis and monitoring. Furthermore, these microfluidic devices can be utilized in resource-limited settings for point-of-care testing, enabling rapid and cost-effective disease screening and monitoring. The versatility and cost-effectiveness of low-cost PMMA passive microfluidic cell separation devices make them promising tools for various biomedical applications, offering potential advancements in research, diagnostics, and healthcare delivery.