Purdue researchers 3D print tiny multilevel microfluidic devices

According to Purdue University Polytechnic Institute, Huachao Mao, assistant professor of engineering technology, and his team have created a method to fabricate economical multilevel microfluidic devices as small as 10 microns deep and 100 microns wide, using vat photopolymerization (VPP) 3D printing.

Microfluidic devices are diagnostic systems that analyze small volumes of materials rapidly and accurately. Applications for the new method include cancer cell analysis, drug screenings, environmental testing, geology, manufacturing, single-cell isolation, and point-of-care diagnostics.

“VPP allows for the direct fabrication of highly transparent microfluidics with a much higher resolution, allowing for channels as narrow as 100 microns,” said Mao. “An emerging method within VPP is the use of liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, which uses ultraviolet light to facilitate the photopolymer solidification process.”

Biomedical research can be accelerated by precisely controlling fluid flow and reaction conditions at the microliter or nanoliter scale. These devices also improve the accuracy and speed of diagnostic tests and enable portable testing solutions across diverse fields.

“The traditional method to fabricate microfluidic devices is costly and time-consuming. Fabrication takes several steps and requires high-end equipment and a cleanroom environment,” said Mao. “Our next development steps are bridging 3D printed microfluidic devices with conventional 2D microfluidics, which can combine the advantages of both 3D printing and 2D nanofabrication.”

Mao and his team conduct research in Purdue Polytechnic’s Additive and Intelligent Manufacturing Lab.