Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering · 2015 · 99 citations · 30 references
EngineeringMechanical EngineeringOwn Microfluidic ChipsBiofabricationMicromanufacturingBiomedical EngineeringDimensional FidelityInkjet 3DMaterials FabricationPrinted ElectronicsBiomedical DevicesMicroscale SystemMicrofluidicsFabrication TechniqueBioprinting3D Bioprinting3D PrintingMicrofabricationLab-on-a-chipShape Conformity
The study investigates inkjet 3D printing for fabricating microfluidic structures and proposes a method to evaluate printer performance and identify print errors. The authors printed CAD‑designed test structures on four printers and assessed dimensional fidelity, shape conformity, surface roughness, and identified print‑error sources. The minimum printable channel dimension is about 200 µm, smaller features deform or fail, and removing support material is essential for one‑step embedded microchannel fabrication.
This article reports, for the first time, the results of detailed research on the application of inkjet 3D printing for the fabrication of microfluidic structures. CAD designed test structures were printed with four different printers. Dimensional fidelity, shape conformity, and surface roughness were studied for each printout. It was found that the minimum dimension (width or depth) for a properly printed microfluidic channel was approximately 200 μm. Although the nominal resolution of the printers was one order of magnitude better, smaller structures were significantly deformed or not printed at all. It was also found that a crucial step in one-step fabrication of embedded microchannels is the removal of the support material. We also discuss the source of print error and present a way to evaluate other printers.
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Integrated 3D-printed reactionware for chemical synthesis and analysis
Mark D. Symes, Philip J. Kitson, Jun Yan et al. · Nature Chemistry · 2012 · 621 citations