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Fabrication of Hard-Soft Microfluidic Devices Using Hybrid 3D Printing
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Fabrication of Hard-Soft Microfluidic Devices Using Hybrid 3D Printing

Carlos Ruiz, Karteek Kadimisetty, Kun Yin, Michael G. Mauk, Hui Zhao and Changchun Liu
Micromachines (Basel), v 11(6), p567
01 Jun 2020
PMID: 32492980
url
https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11060567View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Chemistry Chemistry, Analytical Instruments & Instrumentation Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Physical Sciences Physics Physics, Applied Science & Technology Science & Technology - Other Topics Technology
Widely accessible, inexpensive, easy-to-use consumer 3D printers, such as desktop stereolithography (SLA) and fused-deposition modeling (FDM) systems are increasingly employed in prototyping and customizing miniaturized fluidic systems for diagnostics and research. However, these 3D printers are generally limited to printing parts made of only one material type, which limits the functionality of the microfluidic devices without additional assembly and bonding steps. Moreover, mating of different materials requires good sealing in such microfluidic devices. Here, we report methods to print hybrid structures comprising a hard, rigid component (clear polymethacrylate polymer) printed by a low-cost SLA printer, and where the first printed part is accurately mated and adhered to a second, soft, flexible component (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) printed by an FDM printer. The prescribed mounting and alignment of the first-printed SLA-printed hard component, and its pre-treatment and heating during the second FDM step, can produce leak-free bonds at material interfaces. To demonstrate the utility of such hybrid 3D-printing, we prototype and test three components: i) finger-actuated pump, ii) quick-connect fluid coupler, and iii) nucleic acid amplification test device with screw-type twist sealing for sample introduction.

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34 citations in Scopus

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Analytical
Instruments & Instrumentation
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Physics, Applied
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