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

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.

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.

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 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.

Pioneering Low-Cost 3D-Printed Transtibial Prosthetics to Serve a Rural Population in Sierra Leone

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merel van der Stelt ◽  
Martin P. Grobusch ◽  
Abdul R. Koroma ◽  
Marco Papenburg ◽  
Ismaila Kebbie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Rural Population ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
3D Printed

scholarly journals UV Inscription and Pressure Induced Long-Period Gratings through 3D Printed Amplitude Masks

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1977
Author(s):  
Ricardo Oliveira ◽  
Liliana M. Sousa ◽  
Ana M. Rocha ◽  
Rogério Nogueira ◽  
Lúcia Bilro
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Resonance Wavelength ◽  
Complex Structures ◽  
Pressing Method ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Long Period Gratings ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Mechanical Pressing ◽  
First Time

In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the capability to inscribe long-period gratings (LPGs) with UV radiation using simple and low cost amplitude masks fabricated with a consumer grade 3D printer. The spectrum obtained for a grating with 690 µm period and 38 mm length presented good quality, showing sharp resonances (i.e., 3 dB bandwidth < 3 nm), low out-of-band loss (~0.2 dB), and dip losses up to 18 dB. Furthermore, the capability to select the resonance wavelength has been demonstrated using different amplitude mask periods. The customization of the masks makes it possible to fabricate gratings with complex structures. Additionally, the simplicity in 3D printing an amplitude mask solves the problem of the lack of amplitude masks on the market and avoids the use of high resolution motorized stages, as is the case of the point-by-point technique. Finally, the 3D printed masks were also used to induce LPGs using the mechanical pressing method. Due to the better resolution of these masks compared to ones described on the state of the art, we were able to induce gratings with higher quality, such as low out-of-band loss (0.6 dB), reduced spectral ripples, and narrow bandwidths (~3 nm).

scholarly journals BoSL FAL Pump: a small, low-cost, easily constructed, 3D-printed peristaltic pump for sampling of waters

HardwareX ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. e00214
Author(s):  
David T. McCarthy ◽  
Baiqian Shi ◽  
Miao Wang ◽  
Stephen Catsamas
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Peristaltic Pump ◽  
3D Printed
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