Lab-on-a-print: from a single polymer film to three-dimensional integrated microfluidics

Lab Chip. 2009 Apr 21;9(8):1133-7. doi: 10.1039/b816287e. Epub 2009 Jan 21.

Abstract

With the major advances in soft lithography and polymer materials, use of microfluidic devices has attracted tremendous attention recently. A simple and fast micromachining process is highly in demand to prototype such a device efficiently and economically. In this paper, we first reported an out-of-cleanroom printing-based integrated microfabrication process, referred to as the lab-on-a-print (LOP), for rapid-prototyping three-dimensional microfluidics. Using this lab-on-a-print process, we demonstrated the potential to accomplish an entire design-to-fabrication cycle within an hour, including about 70 microm resolution of direct-lithography patterning, well-controlled polyimide wet etching, three-dimensional pattern alignment and multilayer wax thermal-fusion packaging. A microfluidic gradient generator was prepared and tested for validation of the lab-on-a-print microfabrication process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / methods*
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Printing*

Substances

  • Polymers