Fabrication of Microfluidic Devices with Integrated Electronic Components via Dual Extrusion-Based 3D Printing
Brandon Strong, Graduate Research Assistant, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Current microfabrication techniques typically require complex, labor-intensive processes. An alternative method of economical and rapid prototyping is extrusion-based 3D printing. While 3D printing has more recently been applied to the field of microfluidics, channel resolution is poor. Furthermore, since the current generation of microfluidics devices require the integration of electronic components, we utilized dual extrusion-based 3D printing, thereby allowing for the prototyping of multi-material microfluidic devices with integrated electronics. Devices were designed in SolidWorks (modeling software), exported to BCN3D Cura (slicing program), and printed via BCN3D Sigma (dual-extrusion 3D printer). For devices with electronic components, conductive polylactic-acid (PLA) was inlaid within a non-conductive PLA framework to create an internal circuitry.
Functional open-faced microfluidics channels as small as 50 µm in width were produced. However, 100 µm width channels were more highly reproducible. Fully enclosed horizontal (200-500 µm) and vertical (750-1000 µm) channels were also fabricated. Hybrid devices contained both vertical and horizontal channels to create 3D fluidic arrays. Multi-layered electronic devices with multi-electrode microfluidic wells were created and allowed for simple electroanalysis. 3D printed electronic circuits were also used to thermally actuate paraffin valves in microfluidics channels, which may allow for the automation of multi-step reactions.
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Add to Calendar ▼2019-04-01 00:00:002019-04-02 00:00:00Europe/LondonBioEngineering Summit 2019SELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
