Rapid-manufacturing and cost-effective single-layer microfluidic device for high-throughput three-dimensional...

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics
• Biotechnology
• Cellular analysis

Background:

• Hydrodynamic focusing is vital for single-cell analysis in microfluidic devices.
• Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is common but deforms under high throughput, reducing focusing.
• Existing methods face limitations in speed and efficiency for high-throughput cell analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel 3D hydrodynamic focusing device for improved single-cell analysis.
• To enhance manufacturing speed and efficiency compared to traditional methods.
• To evaluate the device's focusing performance using optical time-stretch microscopy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D hydrodynamic focusing device using a double transfer process with polyurethane acrylate (PUA).
• Elimination of time-consuming heating steps, significantly increasing manufacturing speed.
• Evaluation of focusing efficiency using optical time-stretch (OTS) microscopy on clinical urine samples.

Main Results:

• The new PUA microfluidic device demonstrates an order of magnitude increase in manufacturing speed.
• Focusing efficiency improves with increased flow rate in both vertical and lateral directions.
• Achieved 98.4% vertical and 95.0% lateral focusing efficiency at 16.7 m/s average velocity.

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D hydrodynamic focusing device offers a simplified, efficient, and adaptable solution for microfluidics.
• This technology shows significant promise for high-throughput single-cell analysis requiring precise cell focusing.
• The rapid fabrication method and high efficiency make it suitable for clinical applications.