Characterization and Evaluation of 3D-Printed Connectors for Microfluidics

Autor: Qianwen Xu, Jeffery C. C. Lo, Shi-Wei Ricky Lee
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Micromachines, Vol 12, Iss 8, p 874 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2072-666X
DOI: 10.3390/mi12080874
Popis: 3D printing is regarded as a useful tool for the fabrication of microfluidic connectors to overcome the challenges of time consumption, clogging, poor alignment and bulky fixtures existing for current interconnections. 3D-printed connectors without any additional components can be directly printed to substrate with an orifice by UV-assisted coaxial printing. This paper further characterized and evaluated 3D-printed connectors fabricated by the proposed method. A process window with an operable combination of flow rates was identified. The outer flow rate could control the inner channel dimensions of 3D-printed connectors, which were expected to achieve less geometric mismatch of flow paths in microfluidic interfaces. The achieved smallest inner channel diameter was around 120 µm. Furthermore, the withstood pressure of 3D-printed connectors was evaluated to exceed 450 kPa, which could enable microfluidic chips to work at normal pressure.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals