Hybrid Printing of Fully Integrated Microfluidic Devices for Biosensing
Yipu Du1, Julius Reitemeier2, Qiang Jiang1
1Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|September 27, 2023
Summary
A new hybrid 3D printing method enables the creation of sophisticated microfluidic biosensors. This advanced technique integrates diverse materials for precise lactate detection in sweat, advancing point-of-care health monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- 3D printing offers accessible and cost-effective microfluidic device fabrication.
- Current methods face limitations in integrating diverse structural and functional materials.
- Sophisticated microfluidic device fabrication requires advanced printing techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a multi-materials, multi-scale hybrid printing method for complex microfluidic devices.
- To demonstrate a fully printed, assembly-free microfluidic biosensor for sweat lactate detection.
- To enable seamless integration of various materials for enhanced device functionality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel multi-materials multi-scale hybrid printing approach.
- Fabricated a microfluidic biosensor with integrated fluidic channels and functionalized electrodes.
- Achieved sub-100 µm spatial resolution for precise component placement.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a fully printed and assembly-free microfluidic biosensor.
- Successfully detected lactate in sweat with high sensitivity.
- Achieved a limit of detection of 442 nm and a linear dynamic range of 1-10 mm.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid printing method facilitates the fabrication of complex integrated devices.
- This approach enables next-generation microfluidic biosensors for point-of-care health monitoring.
- The technology offers a versatile pathway for advanced sensing applications.
