Laboratories-on-a-chip and micro Total Analytical Systems (microTAS) are seen as one of the key growth industries for the 21st century. These systems are attractive due to the promise of raw unprocessed samples entering the device with quantitative analysis results as an output from the device. Because of their small size, these microdevices require small sample volumes and conceivable can return quantitative results within a matter of minutes. Such devices also have the potential to decrease the cost of analysis for applications such as medical testing, do not require technician operation, and can be adapted as point of care devices to diagnose and monitor diseases.

Electrokinetic tools show promise in the manipulation and subsequent quantification of analytes within microdevices. This work examines the use of special electric fields to reliably and rapidly rupture erythrocytes, which can be useful for subsequent subcellular analysis. Rupturing frequencies around 1 kHz were utilized and the field intensity for a series of dependence experiments was varied from 1Vpp/200?m to 10Vpp/200?m. All eight blood types were screened first as fresh samples, then as a function of age. Cell counts were tabulated as a function of time, treatment frequency, amplitude, and age. Results from this process show that there exists a relationship between the age of the blood sample and the applied field.