Customisable 3D printed microfluidics for integrated analysis and optimisation
2016-08-05T13:29:54Z (GMT)
by
The formation of smart Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices featuring integrated sensing optics is currently hindered
by convoluted and expensive manufacturing procedures. In this work, a series of 3D-printed LOC
devices were designed and manufactured via stereolithography (SL) in a matter of hours. The spectroscopic
performance of a variety of optical fibre combinations were tested, and the optimum path length for
performing Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy determined. The information gained in these trials was
then used in a reaction optimisation for the formation of carvone semicarbazone. The production of high
resolution surface channels (100–500 μm) means that these devices were capable of handling a wide range
of concentrations (9 μM–38 mM), and are ideally suited to both analyte detection and process optimisation.
This ability to tailor the chip design and its integrated features as a direct result of the reaction being
assessed, at such a low time and cost penalty greatly increases the user's ability to optimise both their device
and reaction. As a result of the information gained in this investigation, we are able to report the first
instance of a 3D-printed LOC device with fully integrated, in-line monitoring capabilities via the use of embedded
optical fibres capable of performing UV-vis spectroscopy directly inside micro channels.