Simple and versatile 3D printed microfluidics using fused filament fabrication

Morgan, Alex J. L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1975-1544, Hidalgo San Jose, Lorena, Jamieson, William D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8260-5211, Wymant, Jennifer M., Song, Bing ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9356-2333, Stephens, Phil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0840-4996, Barrow, David A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2096-7262 and Castell, Oliver K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6059-8062 2016. Simple and versatile 3D printed microfluidics using fused filament fabrication. PLoS ONE 11 (4) , e0152023. 10.1371/journal.pone.0152023

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Abstract

The uptake of microfluidics by the wider scientific community has been limited by the fabrication barrier created by the skills and equipment required for the production of traditional microfluidic devices. Here we present simple 3D printed microfluidic devices using an inexpensive and readily accessible printer with commercially available printer materials. We demonstrate that previously reported limitations of transparency and fidelity have been overcome, whilst devices capable of operating at pressures in excess of 2000 kPa illustrate that leakage issues have also been resolved. The utility of the 3D printed microfluidic devices is illustrated by encapsulating dental pulp stem cells within alginate droplets; cell viability assays show the vast majority of cells remain live, and device transparency is sufficient for single cell imaging. The accessibility of these devices is further enhanced through fabrication of integrated ports and by the introduction of a Lego®-like modular system facilitating rapid prototyping whilst offering the potential for novices to build microfluidic systems from a database of microfluidic components.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Dentistry Pharmacy Engineering
Additional Information:	This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Publisher:	Public Library of Science
ISSN:	1932-6203
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	13 April 2016
Date of Acceptance:	7 March 2016
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2024 22:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/89184

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