3D-printed microfluidic automation

Abstract

Microfluidic automation – the automated routing, dispensing, mixing, and/or separation of fluids through microchannels – generally remains a slowly-spreading technology because device fabrication requires sophisticated facilities and the technology’s use demands expert operators. Integrating microfluidic automation in devices has involved specialized multi-layering and bonding approaches. Stereolithography is an assembly-free, 3D-printing technique that is emerging as an efficient alternative for rapid prototyping of biomedical devices. Here we describe fluidic valves and pumps that can be stereolithographically printed in optically-clear, biocompatible plastic and integrated within microfluidic devices at low cost. User-friendly fluid automation devices can be printed and used by non-engineers as replacement for costly robotic pipettors or tedious manual pipetting. Engineers can manipulate the designs as digital modules into new devices of expanded functionality. Printing these devices only requires the digital file and electronic access to a printer.

Rapid assembly of multilayer microfluidic structures via 3D-printed transfer molding and bonding

“…Commonly, these membrane (or 'Quake') valves are two-layer constructions that use multiple pneumatic inputs to control complex arrays of microfluidic reactors, although some studies use multiple layers to implement valves with active control or integrated pressure gain 69,70 . Fully 3D-printed microfluidic systems with valving mechanisms have also been developed 22,[71][72][73] .…”

Magnetic Microreactors with Immobilized Enzymes—From Assemblage to Contemporary Applications

“…It is also noteworthy that 3D printing technology bares the potential to generate sterilizable products, thus expanding the scope of feasible biological applications. Three-dimensional printed microreactors have been reported to consist of biocompatible and photo-curable resins, while heat and organic solvent resistant resins are also currently incorporated in this upcoming technology [12,13].…”

3D-printed peristaltic microfluidic systems fabricated from thermoplastic elastomer

“…The 3D-printed microfluidic system described in this paper employs a TPE as the fabrication material, allowing flexible diaphragms to be incorporated into the microfluidic system as mechanical actuators to pump and mix sample fluids, similar to the pneumatic PDMS devices reported in our previous work (Yao et al 2013a). 3D-printed microfluidic devices have been previously reported using stereolithography (SL) (Au et al 2015;Sochol et al 2016), polypropylene (Kitson et al 2012), and ABS (Lee et al 2016). The photopolymer used in SL, polypropylene, and ABS is typically stiff, making it difficult to design compliant diaphragms for pneumatic actuation.…”