Assistant professor Huachao Mao and his team at Purdue University’s Polytechnic college have developed an innovative method to fabricate affordable multilevel microfluidic devices that are as small as 10 microns deep and 100 microns wide. These devices, which are used for rapid and accurate analysis of small volumes of materials, have applications in various fields such as biomedical research, environmental testing, and manufacturing.
The patent-pending technology, called vat photopolymerization (VPP), improves upon traditional fabrication methods and 3D printing. It allows for the direct fabrication of highly transparent microfluidics with high resolution, enabling the creation of channels as narrow as 100 microns. By leveraging liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, VPP uses ultraviolet light to facilitate the photopolymer solidification process.
The precise control of fluid flow and reaction conditions at the microliter or nanoliter scale offered by these microfluidic devices can accelerate biomedical research, enhance the accuracy and speed of diagnostic tests, and enable portable testing solutions. Traditional methods of fabricating microfluidic devices are costly and time-consuming, requiring multiple steps, high-end equipment, and a cleanroom environment.
Mao and his team work in Purdue Polytechnic’s Additive and Intelligent Manufacturing Lab, where they are pushing the boundaries of microfluidic technology. The full story can be found on the Purdue Research Foundation’s website.
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