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Breaking the clean room barrier: exploring low-cost alternatives for microfluidic devices
Cristian F Rodríguez1, Valentina Andrade-Pérez1, María Camila Vargas1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Low-cost microfluidic devices, or labs-on-a-chip (LOCs), offer precise fluid manipulation for various industries. This review explores affordable materials and fabrication methods like 3D printing for accessible LOC development.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) technology.
- Interdisciplinary science and engineering applications.
Background:
- Microfluidics enables precise manipulation of minute fluid volumes.
- Conventional LOC fabrication is expensive, driving demand for alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of low-cost LOC development.
- To highlight materials and fabrication techniques for accessible microfluidic devices.
Main Methods:
- Review of inexpensive materials: polymers, paper, and hydrogels.
- Exploration of fabrication techniques: soft lithography, laser plotting, and 3D printing.
Main Results:
- Identification of viable low-cost materials and scalable manufacturing processes.
- Demonstration of LOCs' potential for cost optimization in various sectors.
Conclusions:
- Low-cost LOCs can be developed using alternative materials and fabrication methods.
- Accessible microfluidic devices can benefit pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and biomedical industries.
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