Democratizing Access to Microfluidics: Rapid Prototyping of Open Microchannels with Low-Cost LCD 3D Printers.

ABSTRACT: Microfluidics offer user-friendly liquid handling for a range of biochemical applications. 3D printing microfluidics is rapid and cost-effective compared to conventional cleanroom fabrication. Typically, microfluidics are 3D printed using digital light projection (DLP) stereolithography (SLA), but many models in use are expensive (≥$10,000 USD), limiting widespread use. Recent liquid crystal display (LCD) technology advancements have provided inexpensive (<$500 USD) SLA 3D printers with sufficient pixel resolution for microfluidic applications. However, there are only a few demonstrations of microfluidic fabrication, limited validation of print fidelity, and no direct comparisons between LCD and DLP printers. We compared a 40 μm pixel DLP printer (∼$18,000 USD) with a 34.4 μm pixel LCD pri

SUBMITTER: Leong KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11561756 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature