An open-source slicer for 3D mSLA printing of microfluidic chips

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics
• 3D Printing
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Microfluidic chips are crucial for automated lab experiments.
• Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft lithography is standard but labor-intensive.
• Masked stereolithography (mSLA) 3D printing is a faster alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address limitations in current 3D printing slicing for microfluidic chips.
• To introduce a novel slicing tool, OpenSLAice, for improved microfluidic chip fabrication.
• To enhance the quality and reliability of 3D printed microfluidic devices.

Main Methods:

• Developed OpenSLAice, a novel slicing tool optimized for microfluidic chip 3D printing.
• Implemented an automatic feature detection and dynamic slicing method.
• Included chip orientation, auto-arrangement of multiple parts, and print exposure calibration.

Main Results:

• OpenSLAice successfully avoids imperfections like clogged channels and rough surfaces.
• The tool optimizes slicing for internal microfluidic features, not just external geometry.
• Print exposure calibration ensures efficient determination of resin-printer specific exposure times.

Conclusions:

• OpenSLAice significantly improves the quality of 3D printed microfluidic chips.
• The open-source tool facilitates pre-processing for mSLA fabrication.
• This advancement enables more reliable and accessible microfluidic device manufacturing.