Evard Hanno, Priks Hans, Saar Indrek, Aavola Heili, Tamm Tarmo, Leito Ivo
Institute of Chemistry, Chair of Analytical Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila 14a, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Intelligent Materials and Systems Lab, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
Micromachines (Basel). 2021 Jun 8;12(6):671. doi: 10.3390/mi12060671.
In this work, the feasibility of a novel direction for microfluidics is studied by demonstrating a set of new methods to fabricate microfluidic systems. Similarly to microfluidic paper-based analytical devices, porous materials are being used. However, alternative porous materials and different printing methods are used here to give the material the necessary pattern to act as a microfluidic system. In this work, microfluidic systems were produced by the following three separate methods: (1) by curing a porous monolithic polymer sheet into a necessary pattern with photolithography, (2) by screen printing silica gel particles with gypsum, and (3) by dispensing silica gel particles with polyvinyl acetate binder using a modified 3D printer. Different parameters of the printed chips were determined (strength of the printed material, printing accuracy, printed material height, wetting characteristics, repeatability) to evaluate whether the printed chips were suitable for use in microfluidics. All three approaches were found to be suitable, and therefore the novel approach to microfluidics was successfully demonstrated.
在这项工作中，通过展示一套制造微流控系统的新方法，研究了微流控一个新方向的可行性。与基于微流控纸的分析装置类似，这里使用了多孔材料。然而，这里使用了替代的多孔材料和不同的印刷方法，以使材料具有作为微流控系统所需的图案。在这项工作中，微流控系统通过以下三种独立方法制备：（1）通过光刻将多孔整体聚合物片材固化成所需图案；（2）用石膏丝网印刷硅胶颗粒；（3）使用改进的3D打印机用聚醋酸乙烯酯粘合剂分配硅胶颗粒。确定了印刷芯片的不同参数（印刷材料强度、印刷精度、印刷材料高度、润湿性、重复性），以评估印刷芯片是否适合用于微流控。发现所有三种方法都是合适的，因此成功展示了微流控的新方法。
