Novel room temperature microfluidic device fabrication: A high-resolution, 3D printing approach using electrohydrodynamic jet printing

Abstract

For the first time, electrohydrodynamic-jet printing is used to fully fabricate a microfluidic device, achieving higher resolution (<20 μm channel width) and increased build material diversity compared to fully fabricating microfluidic devices by inkjet printing. This process is conducted at room temperature, making possible the inclusion of temperature-sensitive build materials during fabrication. A prototypical resistive pulse sensor (Coulter counter) is designed and printed to demonstrate the process. In the sensor, printed electronics are leveraged in the form of chemically sintered silver ink. Microfluidic channels are defined by a printed water-soluble polymer channel mold that is later washed away. Channel profiles are measured during fabrication, and channel profile shaping is demonstrated using an alternative, UV curable, channel mold material.