Recent advances in
nano/microfluidics have led to the miniaturization
of surface-based chemical and biochemical sensors, with applications
ranging from environmental monitoring to disease diagnostics. These
systems rely on the detection of analytes flowing in a liquid sample,
by exploiting their innate nature to react with specific receptors
immobilized on the microchannel walls. The efficiency of these systems
is defined by the cumulative effect of analyte detection speed, sensitivity,
and specificity. In this perspective, we provide a fresh outlook on
the use of important parameters obtained from well-characterized analytical
models, by connecting the mass transport and reaction limits with
the experimentally attainable limits of analyte detection efficiency.
Specifically, we breakdown when and how the operational (e.g., flow
rates, channel geometries, mode of detection, etc.) and molecular
(e.g., receptor affinity and functionality) variables can be tailored
to enhance the analyte detection time, analytical specificity, and
sensitivity of the system (i.e., limit of detection). Finally, we
present a simple yet cohesive blueprint for the development of high-efficiency
surface-based microfluidic sensors for rapid, sensitive, and specific
detection of chemical and biochemical analytes, pertinent to a variety
of applications.