scholarly journals The Microfluidic Trainer: Design, Fabrication and Validation of a Tool for Testing and Improving Manual Skills

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 872
Author(s):  
Francesco Costa ◽  
Luigi Falzetti ◽  
Nicola Baldini ◽  
Sofia Avnet
Keyword(s):  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Warm Up ◽  
Valid Assessment ◽  
Manual Skills ◽  
Technical Challenges ◽  
Continuous Use

Microfluidic principles have been widely applied for more than 30 years to solve biological and micro-electromechanical problems. Despite the numerous advantages, microfluidic devices are difficult to manage as their handling comes with several technical challenges. We developed a new portable tool, the microfluidic trainer (MT), that assesses the operator handling skills and that may be used for maintaining or improving the ability to inject fluid in the inlet of microfluidic devices for in vitro cell culture applications. After several tests, we optimized the MT tester cell to reproduce the real technical challenges of a microfluidic device. In addition to an exercise path, we included an overfilling indicator and a correct infilling indicator at the inlet (control path). We manufactured the MT by engraving a 3 mm-high sheet of methacrylate with 60W CO2 laser plotter to create multiple capillary paths. We validated the device by enrolling 21 volunteers (median age 33) to fill both the MT and a commercial microfluidic device. The success rate obtained with MT significantly correlated with those of a commercial microfluidic culture plate, and its 30 min-continuous use for three times significantly improved the performance. Overall, our data demonstrate that MT is a valid assessment tool of individual performances in using microfluidic devices and may represent a low-cost solution to training, improve or warm up microfluidic handling skills.

scholarly journals Micropipette-Based Microfluidic Device for Monodisperse Microbubbles Generation

Micromachines ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 387
Author(s):  
Carlos Toshiyuki Matsumi ◽  
Wilson José da Silva ◽  
Fábio Kurt Schneider ◽  
Joaquim Miguel Maia ◽  
Rigoberto E. M. Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Soft Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Average Diameter ◽  
Internal Diameter ◽  
Medical Diagnostic ◽  
Average Size

Microbubbles have various applications including their use as carrier agents for localized delivery of genes and drugs and in medical diagnostic imagery. Various techniques are used for the production of monodisperse microbubbles including the Gyratory, the coaxial electro-hydrodynamic atomization (CEHDA), the sonication methods, and the use of microfluidic devices. Some of these techniques require safety procedures during the application of intense electric fields (e.g., CEHDA) or soft lithography equipment for the production of microfluidic devices. This study presents a hybrid manufacturing process using micropipettes and 3D printing for the construction of a T-Junction microfluidic device resulting in simple and low cost generation of monodisperse microbubbles. In this work, microbubbles with an average size of 16.6 to 57.7 μm and a polydispersity index (PDI) between 0.47% and 1.06% were generated. When the device is used at higher bubble production rate, the average diameter was 42.8 μm with increased PDI of 3.13%. In addition, a second-order polynomial characteristic curve useful to estimate micropipette internal diameter necessary to generate a desired microbubble size is presented and a linear relationship between the ratio of gaseous and liquid phases flows and the ratio of microbubble and micropipette diameters (i.e., Qg/Ql and Db/Dp) was found.

scholarly journals A Modular Toolkit to Fabricate Microfluidic Devices for 3D Cell Culture and Near Real-time Measurements

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giraso Kabandana ◽  
Adam Michael Ratajczak ◽  
Chengpeng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Microfluidic Channel ◽  
3D Cell Culture ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
In Vitro Cell Cultures ◽  
Scoring Tools

Microfluidic technology has tremendously facilitated the development of in vitro cell cultures and studies. Conventionally, microfluidic devices are fabricated with extensive facilities by well-trained researchers, which hinders the widespread adoption of the technology for broader applications. Enlightened by the fact that low-cost microbore tubing is a natural microfluidic channel, we developed a series of adaptors in a toolkit that can twine, connect, organize, and configure the tubing to produce functional microfluidic units. Three subsets of the toolkit were thoroughly developed: the tubing and scoring tools, the flow adaptors, and the 3D cell culture suite. To demonstrate the usefulness and versatility of the toolkit, we assembled a microfluidic device and successfully applied it for 3D macrophage cultures, flow-based stimulation, and automated near real-time quantitation with new knowledge generated. Overall, we present a new technology that allows simple, fast, and robust assembly of customizable and scalable microfluidic devices with minimal facilities, which is broadly applicable to research that needs or could be enhanced by microfluidics.

scholarly journals Low Cost Micro Milling Machine for Prototyping Plastic Microfluidic Devices

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (13) ◽  
pp. 707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Mubarak Hossain ◽  
Tanzilur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Micro Milling ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Milling Machine ◽  
Plastic Materials ◽  
Milling Machines

Micro-milling is one of the commonly used methods of fabrication of microfluidic devices necessary for cell biological research and application. Commercial micro-milling machines are expensive, and researchers in developing countries can’t afford them. Here, we report the design and the development of a low-cost (<130 USD) micro milling machine and asses the prototyping capabilities of microfeatures in plastic materials. We demonstrate that the developed machine can be used in fabricating the plastic based microfluidic device.

Low-cost rapid prototyping and assembly of open microfluidic device for 3D vascularized organ-on-a-chip

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinyu Li ◽  
Kai Niu ◽  
Ding Wang ◽  
Lian Xuan ◽  
Xiaolin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Biomedical Engineering ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Microfabricated Devices ◽  
Organ On A Chip

Reconstruction of 3D vascularized microtissue within microfabricated devices has rapidly developed in biomedical engineering, which can better mimic tissue microphysiological function and accurately model human diseases in vitro. However, the...

Facilitating Fluid Flow Through Carbon Nanotube Arrays Using 3D Printing

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis S. Emery ◽  
Anna Jensen ◽  
Koby Kubrin ◽  
Michael G. Schrlau
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotube ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Nanotube Arrays ◽  
Nanotube Array ◽  
Cnt Arrays ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Flow Through

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a novel technology whose versatility allows it to be implemented in a multitude of applications. Common fabrication techniques implemented to create microfluidic devices, such as photolithography, wet etching, etc., can often times be time consuming, costly, and make it difficult to integrate external components. 3D printing provides a quick and low-cost technique that can be used to fabricate microfluidic devices in a range of intricate geometries. External components, such as nanoporous membranes, can additionally be easily integrated with minimal impact to the component. Here in, low-cost 3D printing has been implemented to create a microfluidic device to enhance understanding of flow through carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays manufactured for gene transfection applications. CNTs are an essential component of nanofluidic research due to their unique mechanical and physical properties. CNT arrays allow for parallel processing however, they are difficult to construct and highly prone to fracture. As a means of aiding in the nanotube arrays’ resilience to fracture and facilitating its integration into fluidic systems, a 3D printed microfluidic device has been constructed around these arrays. Doing so greatly enhances the robustness of the system and additionally allows for the nanotube array to be implemented for a variety of purposes. To broaden their range of application, the devices were designed to allow for multiple isolated inlet flows to the arrays. Utilizing this multiple inlet design permits distinct fluids to enter the array disjointedly. These 3D printed devices were in turn implemented to visualize flow through nanotube arrays. The focus of this report though, is on the design and fabrication of the 3D printed devices. SEM imaging of the completed device shows that the nanotube array remains intact after the printing process and the nanotubes, even those within close proximity to the printing material, remain unobstructed. Printing on top of the nanotube arrays displayed effective adhesion to the surface thus preventing leakage at these interfaces.

Method for Characterization of Passive Mechanical Filtration of Particles in Digital Microfluidic Devices

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter D. Dunning ◽  
Pierre E. Sullivan ◽  
Michael J. Schertzer
Keyword(s):  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Vision System ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Digital Microfluidics ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Comb Filter ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Reaction Site ◽  
Digital Microfluidic

The ability to remove unbound biological material from a reaction site has applications in many biological protocols, such as those used to detect pathogens and biomarkers. One specific application where washing is critical is the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). This protocol requires multiple washing steps to remove multiple reagents from a reaction site. Previous work has suggested that a passive mechanical comb filter can be used to wash particles in digital microfluidic devices. A method for the characterization of passive mechanical filtration of particles in Digital MicroFluidic (DMF) devices is presented in this work. In recent years there has been increased development of Lab-On-A-Chip (LOAC) devices for the automation and miniaturization of biological protocols. One platform for further research is in digital microfluidics. A digital microfluidic device can control the movement of pico-to nanoliter droplets of fluid using electrical signals without the use of pumps, valves, and channels. As such, fluidic pathways are not hardwired and the path of each droplet can be easily reconfigured. This is advantageous in biological protocols requiring the use of multiple reagents. Fabrication of these devices is relatively straight forward, since fluid manipulation is possible without the use of complex components. This work presents a method to characterize the performance of a digital microfluidic device using passive mechanical supernatant dilution via image analysis using a low cost vision system. The primary metric for performance of the device is particle retention after multiple passes through the filter. Repeatability of the process will be examined by characterizing performance of multiple devices using the same filter geometry. Qualitative data on repeatability and effectiveness of the dilution technique will also be attained by observing the ease with which the droplet disengages from the filter and by measuring the quantity of fluid trapped on the filter after each filtration step.

scholarly journals Slicing Spheroids in Microfluidic Devices for Morphological and Immunohistochemical Analysis

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Kuriu ◽  
Tetsuya Kadonosono ◽  
Shinae Kizaka-Kondoh ◽  
Tadashi Ishida
Keyword(s):  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Microfluidic Channels ◽  
Protein Distribution ◽  
Experimental Systems

Microfluidic devices utilizing spheroids play important roles in in vitro experimental systems to closely simulate morphological and biochemical characteristics of the in vivo tumor microenvironment. For the observation and analysis of the inner structure of spheroids, sectioning is an efficient approach. However, conventional microfluidic devices are difficult for sectioning, and therefore, spheroids inside the microfluidic channels have not been sliced well. We proposed a microfluidic device created from embedding resin for sectioning. Spheroids were cultured, embedded by resin, and sectioned in the microfluidic device. Slices of the sectioned spheroids yielded clear images at the cellular level. According to morphological and immunohistochemical analyses of the slices of the spheroid, specific protein distribution was observed.

scholarly journals A rapid-prototyped moulding system towards optimised scalable fabrication of elastomeric microfluidic devices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Poon ◽  
Albert Fahrenbach
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Soft Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Petri Dish ◽  
Device Fabrication ◽  
Alternative Techniques ◽  
Optimisation Techniques

3D printing and makerspace technologies are increasingly explored as alternative techniques to soft lithography for making microfluidic devices, and for their potential to segue towards scalable commercial fabrication. Here we considered the optimal application of current benchtop 3D printing for microfluidic device fabrication through the lens of lean manufacturing and present a straightforward but robust rapid prototyped moulding system that enables easy estimation of more precise quantities of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) required per device to reduce waste and importantly, making devices with better defined depths and volumes for (i) modelling gas exchange and (ii) fabrication consistency as required for quality-controlled production. We demonstrate that this low-cost moulding step can enable a 40 – 300% reduction in the amount of PDMS required for making individual devices compared to the established method of curing approximately 30 grams of PDMS prepolymer overlaid on a 4” silicon wafer master in a standard plastic petri dish. Other process optimisation techniques were also investigated and are recommended as readily implementable changes to current laboratory and foundry-level microfluidic device fabrication protocols for making devices either out of PDMS or other elastomers. Simple calculators are provided as a step towards more streamlined, software controlled and automated design-to-fabrication workflows for both custom and scalable lean manufacturing of microfluidic devices.

scholarly journals Manufacturing of 3D-Printed Microfluidic Devices for the Synthesis of Drug-Loaded Liposomal Formulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8064
Author(s):  
Giulia Ballacchino ◽  
Edward Weaver ◽  
Essyrose Mathew ◽  
Rossella Dorati ◽  
Ida Genta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Encapsulation Efficiency ◽  
Liquid Crystal Display ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
In Vitro Release ◽  
Microfluidic Devices ◽  
Fused Deposition Modelling ◽  
Ζ Potential ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
3D Printed

Microfluidic technique has emerged as a promising tool for the production of stable and monodispersed nanoparticles (NPs). In particular, this work focuses on liposome production by microfluidics and on factors involved in determining liposome characteristics. Traditional fabrication techniques for microfluidic devices suffer from several disadvantages, such as multistep processing and expensive facilities. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has been revolutionary for microfluidic device production, boasting facile and low-cost fabrication. In this study, microfluidic devices with innovative micromixing patterns were developed using fused deposition modelling (FDM) and liquid crystal display (LCD) printers. To date, this work is the first to study liposome production using LCD-printed microfluidic devices. The current study deals with 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes with cholesterol (2:1) prepared using commercial and 3D-printed microfluidic devices. We evaluated the effect of microfluidic parameters, chip manufacturing, material, and channel design on liposomal formulation by analysing the size, PDI, and ζ-potential. Curcumin exhibits potent anticancer activity and it has been reported that curcumin-loaded liposomes formulated by microfluidics show enhanced encapsulation efficiency when compared with other reported systems. In this work, curcumal liposomes were produced using the developed microfluidic devices and particle sizing, ζ-potential, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release studies were performed at 37 °C.

UV-nanoimprint lithography as a tool to develop flexible microfluidic devices for electrochemical detection

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (14) ◽  
pp. 3086-3094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhong Chen ◽  
Yiliang Zhou ◽  
Danhui Wang ◽  
Fei He ◽  
Vincent M. Rotello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Method ◽  
Electrochemical Detection ◽  
Microfluidic Device ◽  
Nanoimprint Lithography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microfluidic Devices

A low-cost and rapid method is developed to fabricate a flexible microfluidic device containing electrowetting valves and electrochemical transduction.

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