Conferences \ Innovations in Microfluidics 2024: Rapid Prototyping, 3D-Printing \ Agenda \ Vivek Rajasenan |
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3D Hydrodynamic Focusing Using 3D-Printed Microfluidic Nozzles for Complex Microfluidic Fiber FabricationTuesday, 7 May 2024 at 15:45 Add to Calendar ▼2024-05-07 15:30:002024-05-07 16:30:00Europe/London3D Printed Droplet and Inertial MicrofluidicsInnovations in Microfluidics 2024: Rapid Prototyping, 3D-Printing in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com Microfibers are indispensable in various fields including bioprocessing, tissue engineering, optics, and medicine. Current methods for fabricating microfibers often rely on complex hydrodynamic and inertial shaping techniques, limiting capability and scalability. Our work presents microfiber fabrication by utilizing coaxial flow patterns enabled by low-cost, 3D printed nozzles. This approach allows for the rapid prototyping of intricate fiber structures within hours, bypassing the need for complex device fabrication protocols. Through three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing, we achieve continuous and stable photopolymerization of monomer solutions, yielding microfibers with feature resolutions below 100 micrometers. Our method enables the production of diverse microfiber shapes, including circular, non-circular, and hollow-shell architectures, with the capability of incorporating multiple materials. Furthermore, we demonstrate the parallelization of devices to scale fiber production. These advancements have broad implications in biosensing, drug delivery, gas exchange, fiber optics, and soft robotics, enhancing capabilities across various disciplines. 3D Printed Droplet and Inertial MicrofluidicsTuesday, 7 May 2024 at 15:30 Add to Calendar ▼2024-05-07 15:30:002024-05-07 16:30:00Europe/London3D Printed Droplet and Inertial MicrofluidicsInnovations in Microfluidics 2024: Rapid Prototyping, 3D-Printing in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com Resin 3D printing is replacing conventional techniques in microfluidics manufacturing due to its prototyping speed and channel-shaping capabilities. While simple in nature, this manufacturing approach is typically limited by channel resolution (>100 microns), caused by large penetration depths in resins resulting in partially polymerized resins in embedded microchannels. Techniques aiming to address this challenge, such as resin absorbers and optical tuning, constrain material properties or require complex, custom-built printers, posing obstacles that frequently impede accessibility. Leveraging the remnant reactive groups in the resin following low-cost LCD-based SLA printing, we introduce a simple and scalable compression bonding method to create high-resolution, high-strength, and transparent microfluidic devices capable of withstanding pressures greater than 280 psi. We demonstrate shear-free step emulsifiers with sub-100-micron channels that can produce very precise droplets (<5% CV) and particles at scale. We also demonstrate a rigid inertial microfluidic device capable of focusing microparticles into single streams. |