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Micro-masonry for 3D Additive Micromanufacturing
Published on: August 1, 2014
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Research highlights: printing the future of microfabrication
Peter Tseng1, Coleman Murray, Donghyuk Kim
1Department of Bioengineering, California NanoSystems Institute, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, 5121 Engineering V, Box 951600, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. diacrlo@seas.ucla.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|March 28, 2014
Summary
Emerging printing technologies, including 3D printing and paper-based methods, offer novel ways to create microfluidic devices. These advanced fabrication techniques enable the development of complex soft devices for various applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Engineering
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Microfluidic systems are crucial for various scientific applications.
- Traditional microfabrication methods can be complex and expensive.
- Emerging additive manufacturing techniques offer new possibilities for microfluidics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight emerging microfabrication approaches for microfluidic systems.
- To focus on additive manufacturing (printing) techniques.
- To showcase advancements in 3D printing for microfluidics.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent advancements in 3D printing (stereolithography) for microfluidic device fabrication.
- Exploration of printing conductive materials on paper for electrochemical sensors.
- Investigation of printing membrane-bound droplets for soft device manufacturing.
Main Results:
- 3D printing, particularly stereolithography, is now a viable technology for fabricating entire microfluidic devices.
- Printed electrodes on paper enable digital microfluidic droplet actuation.
- Printing interconnected membrane-bound droplets presents a new manufacturing approach for soft, biomimetic devices.
Conclusions:
- Additive manufacturing offers innovative and accessible methods for microfluidic device fabrication.
- Printing technologies are expanding the capabilities and applications of microfluidics.
- Future microfluidic systems may be manufactured using novel printing techniques for soft, physiological mimics.
