Nearing 30 years since its introduction, 3D printing technology is set to revolutionize research and teaching laboratories. This feature encompasses the history of 3D printing, reviews various printing methods, and presents current applications. The authors offer an appraisal of the future direction and impact this technology will have on laboratory settings as 3D printers become more accessible.

We report two 3D printed devices that can be used for electrochemical detection. In both cases, the electrode is housed in commercially available, polymer-based fittings so that the various electrode materials (platinum, platinum black, carbon, gold, silver) can be easily added to a threaded receiving port printed on the device; this enables a module-like approach to the experimental design, where the electrodes are removable and can be easily repolished for reuse after exposure to biological samples. The first printed device represents a microfluidic platform with a 500 × 500 μm channel and a threaded receiving port to allow integration of either polyetheretherketone (PEEK) nut-encased glassy carbon or platinum black (Pt-black) electrodes for dopamine and nitric oxide (NO) detection, respectively. The embedded 1 mm glassy carbon electrode had a limit of detection (LOD) of 500 nM for dopamine and a linear response (R2= 0.99) for concentrations between 25-500 μM. When the glassy carbon electrode was coated with 0.05% Nafion, significant exclusion of nitrite was observed when compared to signal obtained from equimolar injections of dopamine. When using flow injection analysis with a Pt/Pt-black electrode and standards derived from NO gas, a linear correlation (R2 = 0.99) over a wide range of concentrations (7.6 - 190 μM) was obtained, with the LOD for NO being 1 μM. The second application showcases a 3D printed fluidic device that allows collection of the biologically relevant analyte adenosine triphosphate (ATP) while simultaneously measuring the release stimulus (reduced oxygen concentration). The hypoxic sample (4.76 ± 0.53 ppm oxygen) released 2.37 ± 0.37 times more ATP than the normoxic sample (8.22 ± 0.60 ppm oxygen). Importantly, the results reported here verify the reproducible and transferable nature of using 3D printing as a fabrication technique, as devices and electrodes were moved between labs multiple times during completion of the study.

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Fluidic devices fabricated using conventional soft lithography are well suited as prototyping methods. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, commonly used for producing design prototypes in industry, allows for one step production of devices. 3D printers build a device layer by layer based on 3D computer models. Here, a reusable, high throughput, 3D printed fluidic device was created that enables flow and incorporates a membrane above a channel in order to study drug transport and affect cells. The device contains 8 parallel channels, 3 mm wide by 1.5 mm deep, connected to a syringe pump through standard, threaded fittings. The device was also printed to allow integration with commercially available membrane inserts whose bottoms are constructed of a porous polycarbonate membrane; this insert enables molecular transport to occur from the channel to above the well. When concentrations of various antibiotics (levofloxacin and linezolid) are pumped through the channels, approximately 18-21% of the drug migrates through the porous membrane, providing evidence that this device will be useful for studies where drug effects on cells are investigated. Finally, we show that mammalian cells cultured on this membrane can be affected by reagents flowing through the channels. Specifically, saponin was used to compromise cell membranes, and a fluorescent label was used to monitor the extent, resulting in a 4-fold increase in fluorescence for saponin treated cells.

A mini-review with 79 references. In this review, the most recent trends in 3D-printed microfluidic devices are discussed. In addition, a focus is given to the fabrication aspects of these devices, with the supplemental information containing detailed instructions for designing a variety of structures including: a microfluidic channel, threads to accommodate commercial fluidic fittings, a flow splitter; a well plate, a mold for PDMS channel casting; and how to combine multiple designs into a single device. The advantages and limitations of 3D-printed microfluidic devices are thoroughly discussed, as are some future directions for the field.

Previously, it was reported that red blood cells (RBCs) are required to demonstrate participation of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of rabbit pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). RBCs do not synthesize NO; hence, we postulated that ATP, present in millimolar amounts in RBCs, was the mediator, which evoked NO synthesis in the vascular endothelium. First, we found that deformation of RBCs, as occurs on passage across the pulmonary circulation with increasing flow rate, evoked increments in ATP release. Here, ATP (300 nM), administered to isolated, salt solution-perfused (PSS) rabbit lungs, decreased total and upstream (arterial) PVR, a response inhibited by N G -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 M). In lungs perfused with PSS containing RBCs, L-NAME increased total and upstream PVR. In lungs perfused with PSS containing glibenclamide-treated RBCs, which inhibits ATP release, L-NAME was without effect. Apyrase grade VII (8 U/ml), which degrades ATP to AMP, was without effect on PVR in PSS-perfused lungs. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that ATP, released from RBCs as they traverse the pulmonary circulation, evokes endogenous NO synthesis.adenosine-5Ј triphosphate; red blood cell EXTRACELLULAR ATP has been suggested to play an important role in the regulation of vascular resistance in a number of vascular beds, including the kidney (24, 26), mesentery (5, 28), heart (17, 20), and lung (8,10,11,12,16,31). The spacial relationship between the cell that is the source of extracellular ATP and vascular smooth muscle is an important determinant of the vascular response to ATP. Thus ATP released from nerve terminals adjacent to vascular smooth muscle would be expected to activate purinergic receptors that produce contraction of that muscle (18,21). In contrast, ATP released from formed elements in the circulation such as red blood cells (RBCs) (6,9,31,33) or ATP released from the endothelium itself (27) would interact with purinergic receptors present on the endothelium. The stimulation of such receptors has been shown to result in the synthesis of endothelium-derived relaxing factors, including nitric oxide (NO) (5,8,12,11,16). Thus extracellular ATP released from nerve terminals would be expected to increase vascular resistance, whereas ATP released into the vascular lumen could be an important mechanism for decreasing vascular resistance.We reported previously that 1) ATP is released from rabbit RBCs as they traverse the pulmonary circulation (29) and 2) RBCs that are capable of releasing ATP were a requisite component in the perfusate of isolated rabbit lungs to demonstrate the participation of NO as a determinant of vascular resistance (31, 33). In the work presented here, we present evidence that ATP, in the absence of RBCs, is capable of promoting NO synthesis in the pulmonary circulation of the rabbit. Thus we determined the effect of ATP infused into the circulation of isolated rabbit lungs on vascular resistance. Moreover, we present evidence that the major mechanism by which ATP ac...

In this paper, we describe a microchip-based system for amperometrically monitoring the amount of catecholamines released from rat pheochromocytoma (PC 12) cells. Key to this system is a novel, yet simple method for the immobilization of PC 12 cells in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microchannels. The procedure involves selectively coating microchannels with collagen followed by introduction of PC 12 cells over the PDMS structure, with the cells being immobilized only on the coated portion of the channels. The cell-coated microchannels can then be reversibly sealed to a glass plate containing electrodes for amperometric detection, resulting in an immobilized cell reactor with integrated microelectrodes. Nafion-coated microelectrodes made by micromolding of carbon inks were used to measure calcium-induced catecholamine release from the cells. Varying concentrations of PC 12 cells immobilized in the microchannels led to a catecholamine release ranging from 20 to 160 mM when the cells were stimulated with a calcium solution. This microchip approach leads to a three-dimensional culture that can be used with this or other cells lines to study the effect of external stimuli on neurotransmitter release.

In this paper, we report a new technique to pattern carbon microelectrodes for use in microfluidics. This technique, termed micromolding of carbon inks, uses poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) microchannels to define the size of the microelectrode. First, PDMS microchannels of the approximate dimensions desired for the microelectrode are made by soft lithography. The PDMS is then reversibly sealed to a substrate and the microchannels are filled with carbon ink. After a heating step the PDMS mold is removed, leaving a carbon microelectrode with a size slightly smaller than the original PDMS microchannel. The resulting microelectrode (27 microm wide and 6 microm in height) can be reversibly sealed to a PDMS-based flow channel. Fluorescence microscopy showed that no leakage occurred around the chip/electrode seal, even up to flow rates of 10 microL min(-1). The electrode was characterized by microchip-based flow injection analysis. Injections of catechol in Hank's Balanced Salt Solution (pH 7.4), showed a linear response from 2 mM to 10 microM (r(2)= 0.995), with a sensitivity of 56.5 pA microM(-1) and an estimated limit of detection of 2 microM (0.27 picomole, S/N=3). Reproducibility of the electrode response was shown by repeated injections (n= 10) of a 500 microM catechol solution, resulting in a RSD of 4.6%. Finally, selectivity was demonstrated by coating the microelectrode with Nafion, a perfluoronated cation exchange polymer. Dopamine exhibited a response at the modified microelectrode while ascorbic acid was rejected by the Nafion-coating. These electrodes provide inexpensive detectors for microfluidic applications while also being viable alternatives to use of other carbon microelectrode materials, such as carbon fibers. Furthermore, the manner in which the microelectrodes are produced will be of interest to researchers who do not have access to state of the art microfabrication facilities.