Abstract
3D printed and paper-based microfluidics are promising formats for applications that require portable miniaturized fluid handling such as point-of-care testing. These two formats deployed in isolation, however, have inherent limitations that hamper their capabilities and versatility. Here, we present the convergence of 3D printed and paper formats into hybrid devices that overcome many of these limitations, while capitalizing on their respective strengths. Hybrid channels were fabricated with no specialized equipment except a commercial 3D printer. Finger-operated reservoirs and valves capable of fully-reversible dispensation and actuation were designed for intuitive operation without equipment or training. Components were then integrated into a versatile multicomponent device capable of dynamic fluid pathing. These results are an early demonstration of how 3D printed and paper microfluidics can be hybridized into versatile lab-on-chip devices.
Highlights
Microfluidic paper analytical devices are well suited to point-of-care testing due to their portability, compatibility with colourimetric analyses, and the ability to passively drive fluids by capillarity[1]
We developed a simple process for generating hybrid 3D printed-paper microfluidic devices (Fig. 1a)
Devices were successfully fabricated using other polymers commonly used in 3D printing such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polycarbonate
Summary
Microfluidic paper analytical devices (μPADs) are well suited to point-of-care testing due to their portability, compatibility with colourimetric analyses, and the ability to passively drive fluids by capillarity[1]. Time-delayed control elements have been developed to provide some fluidic control on μPADs including valves that incorporate wax barriers dissolved by solvents[4,5], swellable polymers[6,7], dissolvable sugar b arriers[8], porous hydrophobic b arriers[9] and glass fibre dissolvable b ridges[10] Because these structures rely heavily on material-liquid interactions, they are incompatible with many s olvents[11], require precise calculations to optimize timings for each application and most importantly, are single-use (i.e. once these valves are actuated, they cannot be returned to their original states). To demonstrate the capabilities of this technology, we designed finger-actuated reservoirs and reversible mechanical valves that can be intuitively operated by untrained users These elements were integrated into versatile devices that demonstrated fluidic control required for μPAD channel washing and re-use. These prototypes represent an advancement towards readily-accessible yet versatile hybrid microfluidic devices
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