nderstanding and improving FDM 3D printing to fabricate high-resolution and optically transparent microfluidic device

Author(s)

Quero, Reverson Fernandes ^[1] ; da Silveira, Gessica Domingos ^[1] ; Fracassi da Silva, Jose Alberto ^{[1, 2]} ; de Jesus, Dosil Pereira ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, BR-13083861 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Inst Nacl Ciencia & Tecnol Bioanalit INCTBio, Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: LAB ON A CHIP; v. 21, n. 19 JUL 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

The fabrication of microfluidic devices through fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing has faced several challenges, mainly regarding obtaining microchannels with suitable transparency and sizes. Thus, the use of this printing system to fabricate microdevices for analytical and bioanalytical applications is commonly limited when compared to other printing technologies. However, for the first time, this work shows a systematic study to improve the potential of FDM 3D printers for the fabrication of transparent microfluidic devices. Several parameters and printing characteristics were addressed in both theoretical and experimental ways. It was found that the geometry of the printer nozzle plays a significant role in the thermal radiation effect that limits the 3D printing resolution. This drawback was minimized by adapting an airbrush tip (0.2 mm orifice diameter) to a conventional printer nozzle. The influence of the height and width of the extruded layer on the resolution and transparency in 3D-printed microfluidic devices was also addressed. Following the adjustments proposed, microchannels were obtained with an average width of around 70 mu m +/- 11 mu m and approximately 80% visible light transmission (for 640 mu m thickness). Therefore, the reproducibility and resolution of FDM 3D printing could be improved, and this achievement can expand the capability of this printing technology for the development of microfluidic devices, particularly for analytical applications. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/06478-3 - Use of 3D Printing on the Fabrication of Microfluidic Devices
• Grantee: José Alberto Fracassi da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/50867-3 - INCT 2014: National Institute of Science and Technology in Bioanalysis
• Grantee: Marco Aurelio Zezzi Arruda
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/22127-2 - Development of novel materials strategic for integrated analytical devices
• Grantee: Lauro Tatsuo Kubota
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/13496-8 - CHARACTERIZATION OF SYNTHETIC DRUGS AS ADULTERANTS IN DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: USE OF VOLTAMMETRY OF IMMOBILIZED MICROPARTICLES IN SOLID STATE AS ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY
• Grantee: Géssica Domingos da Silveira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral