Best practices for design and fabrication of biomicrofluidic devices by resin 3D printing

Abstract

AbstractStereolithographic (SL) 3D printing, especially digital light processing (DLP) printing, is a promising rapid fabrication method for bio-microfluidic applications such as clinical tests, lab-on-a-chip devices, and sensor integrated devices. The benefits of 3D printing lead many to believe this fabrication method will accelerate the use of bioanalytical microfluidics, but there are major obstacles to overcome to fully utilize this technology. For commercially available printing materials, this includes challenges in producing prints with the print resolution and mechanical stability required for a particular design, along with cytotoxic components within many SL resins and low optical compatibility for imaging experiments. Potential solutions to these problems are scattered throughout the literature and rarely available in head-to-head comparisons. Therefore, we present here principles for navigation of 3D printing techniques and systematic tests to inform resin selection and optimization of the design and fabrication of SL 3D printed bio-microfluidic devices.