The Fabrication and Bonding of Thermoplastic Microfluidics: A Review

Abstract

Various fields within biomedical engineering have been afforded rapid scientific advancement through the incorporation of microfluidics. As literature surrounding biological systems become more comprehensive and many microfluidic platforms show potential for commercialization, the development of representative fluidic systems has become more intricate. This has brought increased scrutiny of the material properties of microfluidic substrates. Thermoplastics have been highlighted as a promising material, given their material adaptability and commercial compatibility. This review provides a comprehensive discussion surrounding recent developments pertaining to thermoplastic microfluidic device fabrication. Existing and emerging approaches related to both microchannel fabrication and device assembly are highlighted, with consideration toward how specific approaches induce physical and/or chemical properties that are optimally suited for relevant real-world applications.

Breaking the clean room barrier: exploring low-cost alternatives for microfluidic devices

“…Cyclic olefin copolymers (COC) in particular, are a type of thermoplastic material composed of cyclic olefin monomers and linear olefins ( Bruijns et al, 2020 ; Agha et al, 2022 ). COC possesses numerous advantageous properties, including low water absorption, excellent electrical insulation, long-term surface treatment stability, and resistance to a broad range of acids and solvents ( Shakeri et al, 2022b ; Guan et al, 2022 ). It is an ideal material for use in diverse applications, such as biological, membrane, and semiconductor fields ( Etxeberria et al, 2022 ; Xia et al, 2023 ).…”

“…COC is remarkable for its stiffness, optical clarity, and heat deflection temperature, which varies between 70°C and 170°C, depending on the COC grade ( Bruijns et al, 2019 ; Agha et al, 2022 ). Microchannels in COC can be fabricated using a variety of processes, including micromilling, injection molding, and heat embossing ( Gang et al, 2019 ; Shakeri et al, 2022b ; Li et al, 2022 ; Qin Y et al, 2022 ).…”

Elastomeric Polyesters in Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering and Organs-on-a-Chip

“…Laser ablation involves using brief laser bursts in the ultraviolet spectrum to rupture polymer chains, creating photoablated cavities . This technique is commonly used for processing hard polyesters. ,− Nevertheless, researchers have implemented laser ablation in the fabrication of PGS-based scaffolds with diamond-shaped holes for soft tissue engineering. ,, Laser ablation can also be used to create microholes on PICO or POMaC microtubes to enhance permeability and cell communication . (Figure b) While laser ablation is a rapid and flexible approach, the surface finish quality, however, is poor and bulge formation along the scan route is a common problem in this technique.…”

Advances in cardiac tissue engineering and heart‐on‐a‐chip

“…These requirements limit the throughput of device fabrication and reproducibility. Alternatively, master molds can be fabricated by other techniques such as hot embossing, laser ablation, micro‐milling and additive manufacturing, which accelerate the production rate at the cost of feature resolution 45,91 …”

“…Alternatively, master molds can be fabricated by other techniques such as hot embossing, laser ablation, micro-milling and additive manufacturing, which accelerate the production rate at the cost of feature resolution. 45,91 PDMS has emerged as the preferred material for replica molding in cardiac tissue engineering and OOC research. 45,[92][93][94] PDMS-based devices can be readily fabricated using soft lithography.…”