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Abstract Microfluidic devices have found extensive applications in mechanical, biomedical, chemical, and materials research. However, the high initial cost, low resolution, inferior feature fidelity, poor repeatability, rough surface finish, and long turn-around time of traditional prototyping methods limit their wider adoption. In this study, a strategic approach to a deterministic fabrication process based on in-situ image analysis and intermittent flow control called image-guided in-situ maskless lithography (IGIs-ML), has been proposed to overcome these challenges. By using dynamic image analysis and integrated flow control, IGIs-ML provides superior repeatability and fidelity of densely packed features across a large area and multiple devices. This general and robust approach enables the fabrication of a wide variety of microfluidic devices and resolves critical proximity effect and size limitations in rapid prototyping. The affordability and reliability of IGIs-ML make it a powerful tool for exploring the design space beyond the capabilities of traditional rapid prototyping.
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Rapid prototyping of functional acoustic devices using laser manufacturing
Acoustic patterning of micro-particles has many important biomedical applications. However, fabrication of such microdevices is costly and labor-intensive. Among conventional fabrication methods, photo-lithography provides high resolution but is expensive and time consuming, and not ideal for rapid prototyping and testing for academic applications. In this work, we demonstrate a highly efficient method for rapid prototyping of acoustic patterning devices using laser manufacturing. With this method we can fabricate a newly designed functional acoustic device in 4 hours. The acoustic devices fabricated using this method can achieve sub-wavelength, complex and non-periodic patterning of microparticles and biological objects with a spatial resolution of 60 μm across a large active manipulation area of 10 × 10 mm 2 .
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- Award ID(s):
- 2029454
- PAR ID:
- 10464130
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Lab on a Chip
- Volume:
- 22
- Issue:
- 22
- ISSN:
- 1473-0197
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 4327 to 4334
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1039/D2LC00725H
