Direct laser writing-enabled 3D printing strategies for microfluidic applications

Young, Olivia M.; Xu, Xin; Sarker, Sunandita; Sochol, Ryan D.

doi:10.1039/d3lc00743j

Lab Chip

2024

DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00743j

|View full text |Cite|

Direct laser writing-enabled 3D printing strategies for microfluidic applications

Olivia M. Young,

Xin Xu,

Sunandita Sarker

et al.

Abstract: This Tutorial Review highlights strategies for leveraging the micron-to-submicron-scale additive manufacturing technique, “direct laser writing”, to enable 3D microfluidic technologies.

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...

Citation Types

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Year Published

2024

Publication Types

Select...

Article3

Relationship

Self Cite0

Independent3

Authors

Journals

Cited by 3 publications

References 243 publications

(493 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

Photothermal Laser Printing of Sub‐Micrometer Crystalline ZnO Structures

Steurer,

Somers,

Kraft

et al. 2024

Advanced Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During light‐driven 3D additive manufacturing, an object represented in digital form is initially translated into a spatial distribution of light intensity (sequentially or in parallel), which then results in a spatial material distribution. To date, this process typically proceeds by photoexcitation of small functional molecules, leading to photochemically induced crosslinking of soft materials. Alternatively, thermal triggers can be employed, yet thermal processes are often slow and provide only low spatial localization. Nevertheless, sub‐micrometer ZnO structures for functional microelectronic devices have recently been laser‐printed. Herein, the photothermal laser‐printing of ZnO is advanced by i) introducing single‐crystalline rather than amorphous sub‐micrometer ZnO shapes that crystallize in the hexagonal ZnO wurtzite structure, ii) employing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) instead of water, enabling higher local process temperatures without micro‐bubble formation, and iii) using substrates tailored for light absorption and heat management, resolving the challenge of light to heat conversion. Finally, the herein‐demonstrated ZnO printing requires no post‐processing and is a cleanroom‐free technique for the fabrication of crystalline semiconductors.

show abstract

Photothermal Laser Printing of Sub‐Micrometer Crystalline ZnO Structures

Steurer,

Somers,

Kraft

et al. 2024

Advanced Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

3D-printed microfluidic and millifluidic devices for cell culture and mechanotransduction studies: A review

Santiago,

Martínez,

Sundaram

2024

Journal of Micromanufacturing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The practice of conventional cell culture techniques affects the quality of biological research in mechanobiology by not replicating the cell’s microenvironment adequately. Microfluidic devices resembling 3D in vivo cell culture offer viable alternatives for mechanobiology studies and other applications including cell screening, cell separation, and point-of-care diagnostics. This review highlights recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate microfluidic and millifluidic devices through fast design iterations and cost reduction compared with conventional device manufacturing. Key advances in AM technologies such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), stereolithography apparatus (SLA), and digital light processing (DLP) have allowed the direct manufacture of complex microfluidic devices with master molds and sacrificial structures using multiple material components. Currently, available 3D printed devices for the precise fabrication of milli- and microfluidic devices, essential to mimicking the cellular microenvironment, while economically reducing production costs by eliminating expensive clean-room environments and reducing material waste are highlighted.

show abstract

Zweifach–Fung Microfluidic Device for Efficient Microparticle Separation: Cost-Effective Fabrication Using CO2 Laser-Ablated PMMA

Rodríguez,

Báez-Suárez,

Muñoz-Camargo

et al. 2024

Micromachines

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microfluidic separators play a pivotal role in the biomedical and chemical industries by enabling precise fluid manipulations. Traditional fabrication of these devices typically requires costly cleanroom facilities, which limits their broader application. This study introduces a novel microfluidic device that leverages the passive Zweifach–Fung principle to overcome these financial barriers. Through Lagrangian computational simulations, we optimized an eleven-channel Zweifach–Fung configuration that achieved a perfect 100% recall rate for particles following a specified normal distribution. Experimental evaluations determined 2 mL/h as the optimal total flow rate (TFR), under which the device showcased exceptional performance enhancements in precision and recall for micrometer-sized particles, achieving an overall accuracy of 94% ± 3%. Fabricated using a cost-effective, non-cleanroom method, this approach represents a significant shift from conventional practices, dramatically reducing production costs while maintaining high operational efficacy. The cost of each chip is less than USD 0.90 cents and the manufacturing process takes only 15 min. The development of this device not only makes microfluidic technology more accessible but also sets a new standard for future advancements in the field.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Direct laser writing-enabled 3D printing strategies for microfluidic applications

Abstract: This Tutorial Review highlights strategies for leveraging the micron-to-submicron-scale additive manufacturing technique, “direct laser writing”, to enable 3D microfluidic technologies.

Cited by 3 publications

References 243 publications

Photothermal Laser Printing of Sub‐Micrometer Crystalline ZnO Structures

Photothermal Laser Printing of Sub‐Micrometer Crystalline ZnO Structures

3D-printed microfluidic and millifluidic devices for cell culture and mechanotransduction studies: A review

Zweifach–Fung Microfluidic Device for Efficient Microparticle Separation: Cost-Effective Fabrication Using CO2 Laser-Ablated PMMA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About