Bio-inspired mammalian hair-fabricated microfluidics

Micro Total Analysis Systems: Fundamental Advances and Biological Applications

“…While PDMS devices are commonly molded against an SU-8 template, more exotic materials such as mammalian hairs can be used to create multichannel interconnecting structures with channel surface features reflective of the hair surface topology. 49 …”

“…Microstructures with aspect ratios of 4:1 to 20:1 and angles from 5° to 40° were successfully replicated using this process. While PDMS devices are commonly molded against an SU-8 template, more exotic materials such as mammalian hairs can be used to create multichannel interconnecting structures with channel surface features reflective of the hair surface topology …”

“…While PDMS devices are commonly molded against an SU-8 template, more exotic materials such as mammalian hairs can be used to create multichannel interconnecting structures with channel surface features reflective of the hair surface topology. 49 Lengthy fabrication times, from concept design to the complete μTAS device chip, significantly slow the engineering design cycle and hinders rapid research progress. A proximity aperture lithography technique can be used to decrease cycle time and was shown to be capable of writing and etching complex channel patterns in PMMA.…”