Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand.
BD Biosciences, 2222 Qume Drive, San Jose, CA, 95131, USA.
Small. 2020 Aug;16(34):e2002035. doi: 10.1002/smll.202002035. Epub 2020 Jul 23.
"After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artists as well." said Albert Einstein. Currently, photographic images bridge the gap between microfluidic/lab-on-a-chip devices and art. However, the microfluidic chip itself should be a form of art. Here, novel vibrant epoxy dyes are presented in combination with a simple process to fill and preserve microfluidic chips, to produce microfluidic art or art-on-a-chip. In addition, this process can be used to produce epoxy dye patterned substrates that preserve the geometry of the microfluidic channels-height within 10% of the mold master. This simple approach for preserving microfluidic chips with vibrant, colorful, and long-lasting epoxy dyes creates microfluidic chips that can easily be visualized and photographed repeatedly, for at least 11 years, and hence enabling researchers to showcase their microfluidic chips to potential graduate students, investors, and collaborators.
“当技术达到一定水平后，科学和艺术往往会在美学、可塑性和形式上融合在一起。最伟大的科学家也总是艺术家。”阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦说。目前，摄影图像弥合了微流控/芯片实验室设备与艺术之间的差距。然而，微流控芯片本身应该是一种艺术形式。在这里，新颖的、充满活力的环氧树脂染料与一种简单的工艺相结合，用于填充和保存微流控芯片，从而产生微流控艺术或芯片上的艺术。此外，该工艺还可用于制作图案化的环氧树脂染料基底，保留微流道的几何形状——高度误差在模具主件的 10%以内。这种用鲜艳、持久的环氧树脂染料保存微流控芯片的简单方法，创造了可以轻松反复观察和拍摄的微流控芯片，至少可以持续 11 年，从而使研究人员能够向潜在的研究生、投资者和合作者展示他们的微流控芯片。
