Abstract
Lab-on-a-chip biological platforms have been intensively developed during the last decade since emerging technologies have offered possibilities to manufacture reliable devices with increased spatial resolution and 3D configurations. These biochips permit testing chemical reactions with nanoliter volumes, enhanced sensitivity in analysis and reduced consumption of reagents. Due to the high peak intensity that allows multiphoton absorption, ultrafast lasers can induce local modifications inside transparent materials with high precision at micro- and nanoscale. Subtractive manufacturing based on laser internal modification followed by wet chemical etching can directly fabricate 3D micro-channels in glass materials. On the other hand, additive laser manufacturing by two-photon polymerization of photoresists can grow 3D polymeric micro- and nanostructures with specific properties for biomedical use. Both transparent materials are ideal candidates for biochips that allow exploring phenomena at cellular levels while their processing with a nanoscale resolution represents an excellent opportunity to get more insights on biological aspects. We will review herein the laser fabrication of transparent microfluidic and optofluidic devices for biochip applications and will address challenges associated with their potential. In particular, integrated micro- and optofluidic systems will be presented with emphasis on the functionality for biological applications. It will be shown that ultrafast laser processing is not only an instrument that can tailor appropriate 3D environments to study living microorganisms and to improve cell detection or sorting but also a tool to fabricate appropriate biomimetic structures for complex cellular analyses. New advances open now the avenue to construct miniaturized organs of desired shapes and configurations with the goal to reproduce life processes and bypass in vivo animal or human testing.
Highlights
Ultrafast lasers are generating ultrashort pulses of light, with durations less than a few picoseconds, typically in the femtosecond regime
The first micromachining trials and demonstration with ultrafast lasers were performed on silica [4] while formation of submicron holes on metal surfaces was performed in the sequel [5]
Ultrafast laser induced photopolymerization of resins can directly create 3D micro- and nanostructures. This process known as two photon polymerization (TPP) is an alternative to conventional soft lithography methods with the advantages involving no requirement of any mask or supplementary processing phases and capability of fabricating
Summary
Ultrafast lasers are generating ultrashort pulses of light, with durations less than a few picoseconds, typically in the femtosecond (fs) regime This means that the energy deposition on a material occurs at a timescale shorter than electron–phonon coupling processes, reducing formation of heat-affected zone for high-quality micro and nano fabrication [1]. For transparent glass materials including silica, borate, soda lime silicate, and fluorozirconate, the ultrafast laser modification based on multiphoton interactions induces a permanent phase or structural change due to a densification generated by either pressure wave or fast heating-cooling processes [7,8,9]. Ultrafast laser induced photopolymerization of resins can directly create 3D micro- and nanostructures This process known as two photon polymerization (TPP) is an alternative to conventional soft lithography methods with the advantages involving no requirement of any mask or supplementary processing phases and capability of fabricating. The glass is a suitable material for biochip platform due to transparency, robustness, easy manipulation and high portability, while polymeric structures provide the sub-micron features and elasticity necessary for specific biomedical applications
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