The past has demonstrated that when working with microfluidics only the following scenario is likely to lead to successful system development: a high level of component integration at an early development stage with an application-specific, simple (reliable) design, and a high interdisciplinary level of know-how over a broad range of technologies, pharmacology and medicine. The mere application of existing nonspecifically designed or outsourced microfluidic components is likely to fail because the system behaviour in the microworld is far different from that in the macroworld.