Programmed Internal Reconfigurations in a 3D-Printed Mechanical Metamaterial Enable Fluidic Control for a Vertically...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Microfluidic valves are crucial for fluid control in lab-on-chips and diagnostics.
• 3D printing allows complex microfluidic designs but faces fluid control challenges in 3D structures.
• Mechanical metamaterials offer adjustable properties to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a modular mechanical metamaterial for precise, scalable fluid regulation in 3D microfluidic systems.
• To address the limitations of planar microfluidic devices and enable complex, integrated fluidic circuits.
• To present a design algorithm for extending the metamaterial architecture to arbitrary geometries.

Main Methods:

• Computational and experimental characterization of a modified re-entrant honeycomb metamaterial structure.
• Development of a modular metamaterial for active regulation of fluid flow.
• Creation of a design algorithm for adaptable metamaterial architecture.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a modular metamaterial capable of regulating fluid flow through integrated, multiplexed channels sequentially.
• Achieved scalable, one-at-a-time fluid control within a 3D printed microfluidic device.
• Validated a design algorithm for extending the metamaterial architecture to various complex geometries.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating mechanical metamaterials into 3D printed microfluidic systems enables advanced fluid control.
• This approach facilitates the development of new biotechnological and biomedical applications.
• The modular and scalable nature of the design supports widespread adoption in complex 3D fluidic devices.