Droplet generation in cross-flow for cost-effective 3D-printed “plug-and-play” microfluidic devices

RSC Advances ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (84) ◽  
pp. 81120-81129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Ming Zhang ◽  
Andres A. Aguirre-Pablo ◽  
Er Qiang Li ◽  
Ulrich Buttner ◽  
Sigurdur T. Thoroddsen
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Droplet Generation ◽  
Channel Design ◽  
Plug And Play ◽  
3D Printed

Novel low-cost 3D-printed plug-and-play microfluidic devices have been developed for droplet generation and applications. By combining a commercial tubing with the printed channel design we can generate well-controlled droplets down to 50 μm.

THEORETICAL ANALYSES FOR LASER MACHINING MICROCHANNELS AND DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR USES IN MANUFACTURE OF A MICROFLUIDIC OPTICAL SWITCH

2006 ◽  
Vol 13 (06) ◽  
pp. 795-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL LIM ◽  
ERNA GONDO SANTOSO ◽  
KIM MING TEH ◽  
STEPHEN WAN ◽  
H. Y. ZHENG
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Optical Switch ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Laser Machining ◽  
Machining Parameters ◽  
Flow Channels ◽  
Cost Effective Method ◽  
Theoretical Analyses

Silicon has been widely used to fabricate microfluidic devices due to the dominance of silicon microfabrication technologies available. In this paper, theoretical analyses are carried out to suggest suitable laser machining parameters to achieve required channel geometries. Based on the analyses, a low-power CO 2 laser was employed to create microchannels in Acrylic substrate for the use of manufacturing an optical bubble switch. The developed equations are found useful for selecting appropriate machining parameters. The ability to use a low-cost CO 2 laser to fabricate microchannels provides an alternative and cost-effective method for prototyping fluid flow channels, chambers and cavities in microfluidic lab chips.

scholarly journals Negligible-cost microfluidic device fabrication using 3D-printed interconnecting channel scaffolds

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0245206
Author(s):  
Harry Felton ◽  
Robert Hughes ◽  
Andrea Diaz-Gaxiola
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Channel ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Channel Cross Section ◽  
Microfluidic Systems ◽  
3D Printed

This paper reports a novel, negligible-cost and open-source process for the rapid prototyping of complex microfluidic devices in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using 3D-printed interconnecting microchannel scaffolds. These single-extrusion scaffolds are designed with interconnecting ends and used to quickly configure complex microfluidic systems before being embedded in PDMS to produce an imprint of the microfluidic configuration. The scaffolds are printed using common Material Extrusion (MEX) 3D printers and the limits, cost & reliability of the process are evaluated. The limits of standard MEX 3D-printing with off-the-shelf printer modifications is shown to achieve a minimum channel cross-section of 100×100 μm. The paper also lays out a protocol for the rapid fabrication of low-cost microfluidic channel moulds from the thermoplastic 3D-printed scaffolds, allowing the manufacture of customisable microfluidic systems without specialist equipment. The morphology of the resulting PDMS microchannels fabricated with the method are characterised and, when applied directly to glass, without plasma surface treatment, are shown to efficiently operate within the typical working pressures of commercial microfluidic devices. The technique is further validated through the demonstration of 2 common microfluidic devices; a fluid-mixer demonstrating the effective interconnecting scaffold design, and a microsphere droplet generator. The minimal cost of manufacture means that a 5000-piece physical library of mix-and-match channel scaffolds (100 μm scale) can be printed for ~$0.50 and made available to researchers and educators who lack access to appropriate technology. This simple yet innovative approach dramatically lowers the threshold for research and education into microfluidics and will make possible the rapid prototyping of point-of-care lab-on-a-chip diagnostic technology that is truly affordable the world over.

scholarly journals Design and characterization of a 3D-printed staggered herringbone mixer

BioTechniques ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vedika J Shenoy ◽  
Chelsea ER Edwards ◽  
Matthew E Helgeson ◽  
Megan T Valentine
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Device Design ◽  
Replica Molding ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
And Performance ◽  
To Receive

3D printing holds potential as a faster, cheaper alternative compared with traditional photolithography for the fabrication of microfluidic devices by replica molding. However, the influence of printing resolution and quality on device design and performance has yet to receive detailed study. Here, we investigate the use of 3D-printed molds to create staggered herringbone mixers (SHMs) with feature sizes ranging from ∼100 to 500 μm. We provide guidelines for printer calibration to ensure accurate printing at these length scales and quantify the impacts of print variability on SHM performance. We show that SHMs produced by 3D printing generate well-mixed output streams across devices with variable heights and defects, demonstrating that 3D printing is suitable and advantageous for low-cost, high-throughput SHM manufacturing.

scholarly journals Cost-effective, high-throughput phenotyping system for 3D reconstruction of fruit form

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell J Feldmann ◽  
Amy Tabb
Keyword(s):  
3D Imaging ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fruit Shape ◽  
3D Analysis ◽  
Image Capture ◽  
High Throughput Phenotyping ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Specialized Hardware

Reliable phenotyping methods that are simple to operate and inexpensive to deploy are critical for studying quantitative traits in plants. Traditional fruit shape phenotyping relies on human raters or 2D analyses to assess form, e.g., size and shape. Systems for 3D imaging using multi-view stereo have been implemented, but frequently rely on commercial software and/or specialized hardware, which can lead to limitations in accessibility and scalability. We present a complete system constructed of consumer-grade components for capturing, calibrating, and reconstructing the 3D form of small-to-moderate sized fruits and tubers. Data acquisition and image capture sessions are 9 seconds to capture 60 images. The initial prototype cost was $1600 USD. We measured accuracy by comparing reconstructed models of 3D printed ground truth objects to the original digital files of those same ground truth objects. The R2 between length of the primary, secondary, and tertiary axes, volume, and surface area of the ground-truth object and the reconstructed models was > 0.97 and root-mean square error (RMSE) was <3mm for objects without locally concave regions. Measurements from 1mm and 2mm resolution reconstructions were consistent (R2 > 0.99). Qualitative assessments were performed on 48 fruit and tubers, including 18 strawberries, 12 potatoes, 5 grapes, 7 peppers, and 4 Bosch and 2 red Anjou pears. Our proposed phenotyping system is fast, relatively low cost, and has demonstrated accuracy for certain shape classes, and could be used for the 3D analysis of fruit form.

Facilitating Fluid Flow Through Carbon Nanotube Arrays Using 3D Printing

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis S. Emery ◽  
Anna Jensen ◽  
Koby Kubrin ◽  
Michael G. Schrlau
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Nanotube Arrays ◽  
Nanotube Array ◽  
Cnt Arrays ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Flow Through

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a novel technology whose versatility allows it to be implemented in a multitude of applications. Common fabrication techniques implemented to create microfluidic devices, such as photolithography, wet etching, etc., can often times be time consuming, costly, and make it difficult to integrate external components. 3D printing provides a quick and low-cost technique that can be used to fabricate microfluidic devices in a range of intricate geometries. External components, such as nanoporous membranes, can additionally be easily integrated with minimal impact to the component. Here in, low-cost 3D printing has been implemented to create a microfluidic device to enhance understanding of flow through carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays manufactured for gene transfection applications. CNTs are an essential component of nanofluidic research due to their unique mechanical and physical properties. CNT arrays allow for parallel processing however, they are difficult to construct and highly prone to fracture. As a means of aiding in the nanotube arrays’ resilience to fracture and facilitating its integration into fluidic systems, a 3D printed microfluidic device has been constructed around these arrays. Doing so greatly enhances the robustness of the system and additionally allows for the nanotube array to be implemented for a variety of purposes. To broaden their range of application, the devices were designed to allow for multiple isolated inlet flows to the arrays. Utilizing this multiple inlet design permits distinct fluids to enter the array disjointedly. These 3D printed devices were in turn implemented to visualize flow through nanotube arrays. The focus of this report though, is on the design and fabrication of the 3D printed devices. SEM imaging of the completed device shows that the nanotube array remains intact after the printing process and the nanotubes, even those within close proximity to the printing material, remain unobstructed. Printing on top of the nanotube arrays displayed effective adhesion to the surface thus preventing leakage at these interfaces.

scholarly journals 3D Printing of Rapid, Low-Cost and Patient-Specific Models of Brain Vasculature for Use in Preoperative Planning in Clipping of Intracranial Aneurysms

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1201
Author(s):  
Maciej Błaszczyk ◽  
Redwan Jabbar ◽  
Bartosz Szmyd ◽  
Maciej Radek
Keyword(s):  
3D Visualization ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Image Data ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Stl File ◽  
3D Printed

We developed a practical and cost-effective method of production of a 3D-printed model of the arterial Circle of Willis of patients treated because of an intracranial aneurysm. We present and explain the steps necessary to produce a 3D model from medical image data, and express the significant value such models have in patient-specific pre-operative planning as well as education. A Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) viewer is used to create 3D visualization from a patient’s Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) images. After generating the reconstruction, we manually remove the anatomical components that we wish to exclude from the print by utilizing tools provided with the imaging software. We then export this 3D reconstructions file into a Standard Triangulation Language (STL) file which is then run through a “Slicer” software to generate a G-code file for the printer. After the print is complete, the supports created during the printing process are removed manually. The 3D-printed models we created were of good accuracy and scale. The median production time used for the models described in this manuscript was 4.4 h (range: 3.9–4.5 h). Models were evaluated by neurosurgical teams at local hospital for quality and practicality for use in urgent and non-urgent care. We hope we have provided readers adequate insight into the equipment and software they would require to quickly produce their own accurate and cost-effective 3D models from CT angiography images. It has become quite clear to us that the cost-benefit ratio in the production of such a simplified model is worthwhile.

scholarly journals A cost-effective micromilling platform for rapid prototyping of microdevices

TECHNOLOGY ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 234-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Yen ◽  
Yuta Ando ◽  
Keyue Shen
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Lab On A Chip ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Organ On A Chip

Micromilling has great potential in producing microdevices for lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip applications, but has remained under-utilized due to the high machinery costs and limited accessibility. In this paper, we assessed the machining capabilities of a low-cost 3-D mill in polycarbonate material, which were showcased by the production of microfluidic devices. The study demonstrates that this particular mill is well suited for the fabrication of multi-scale microdevices with feature sizes from micrometers to centimeters.

scholarly journals Manufacturing of 3D-Printed Microfluidic Devices for the Synthesis of Drug-Loaded Liposomal Formulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8064
Author(s):  
Giulia Ballacchino ◽  
Edward Weaver ◽  
Essyrose Mathew ◽  
Rossella Dorati ◽  
Ida Genta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Encapsulation Efficiency ◽  
Liquid Crystal Display ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
In Vitro Release ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Fused Deposition Modelling ◽  
Ζ Potential ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
3D Printed

Microfluidic technique has emerged as a promising tool for the production of stable and monodispersed nanoparticles (NPs). In particular, this work focuses on liposome production by microfluidics and on factors involved in determining liposome characteristics. Traditional fabrication techniques for microfluidic devices suffer from several disadvantages, such as multistep processing and expensive facilities. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has been revolutionary for microfluidic device production, boasting facile and low-cost fabrication. In this study, microfluidic devices with innovative micromixing patterns were developed using fused deposition modelling (FDM) and liquid crystal display (LCD) printers. To date, this work is the first to study liposome production using LCD-printed microfluidic devices. The current study deals with 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes with cholesterol (2:1) prepared using commercial and 3D-printed microfluidic devices. We evaluated the effect of microfluidic parameters, chip manufacturing, material, and channel design on liposomal formulation by analysing the size, PDI, and ζ-potential. Curcumin exhibits potent anticancer activity and it has been reported that curcumin-loaded liposomes formulated by microfluidics show enhanced encapsulation efficiency when compared with other reported systems. In this work, curcumal liposomes were produced using the developed microfluidic devices and particle sizing, ζ-potential, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release studies were performed at 37 °C.

scholarly journals Simple and low-cost production of hybrid 3D-printed microfluidic devices

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 024108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynh Huyen Duong ◽  
Pin-Chuan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
3D Printed
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