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Printing 3D microfluidic chips with a 3D sugar printer

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Abstract

This study demonstrated how to quickly and effectively print two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic chips with a low-cost 3D sugar printer. The sugar printer was modified from a desktop 3D printer by redesigning the extruder, so the melting sugar could be extruded with pneumatic driving. Sacrificial sugar lines were first printed on a base layer followed by casting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) onto the layer and repeating. Microchannels were then printed in the PDMS solvent, microfluidic chips dropped into hot water to dissolve the sugar lines after the PDMS was solidified, and the microfluidic chips did not need further sealing. Different types of sugar utilized for printing material were studied with results indicating that maltitol exhibited a stable flow property compared with other sugars such as caramel or sucrose. Low cost is a significant advantage of this type of sugar printer as the machine may be purchased for only approximately $800. Additionally, as demonstrated in this study, the printed 3D microfluidic chip is a useful tool utilized for cell culture, thus proving the 3D printer is a powerful tool for medical/biological research.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is sponsored by the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51221004) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51375440).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The State Key Lab of Fluid Power Transmission and Control, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Yong He, Jingjiang Qiu, Jianzhong Fu & Jiong Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory of 3D Printing Process and Equipment of Zhejiang Province, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Yong He, Jingjiang Qiu, Jianzhong Fu & Jiong Zhang

  3. College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Yina Ren

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, China

    An Liu

Authors
  1. Yong He
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  2. Jingjiang Qiu
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  3. Jianzhong Fu
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  4. Jiong Zhang
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  5. Yina Ren
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  6. An Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jianzhong Fu.

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He, Y., Qiu, J., Fu, J. et al. Printing 3D microfluidic chips with a 3D sugar printer. Microfluid Nanofluid 19, 447–456 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-015-1571-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-015-1571-7

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