Design of a compact microfludic device for controllable cell distribution

Colorimetric detection of urine glucose using a C/CdTe QDs–GOx aerogel based on a microfluidic assay sensor

A sensitive fluorescent microfluidic sensor based on carbon quantum dots (CQDs), cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) aerogel and glucose oxidase (GOx) for urinal glucose detection was fabricated via a simple method.

Non-photolithographic plastic-mold-based fabrication of cylindrical and multi-tiered poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels for biomimetic lab-on-a-chip applications

Cylindrical and multi-tiered PDMS microchannels were fabricated from two thermoplastic molds having large difference in glass transition temperatures, and were used for constructing LOC platforms mimicking human microvasculature and liver sinusoid.

Microfluidic sensing: state of the art fabrication and detection techniques

Here we introduce the existing fabrication techniques, detection methods, and related techniques for microfluidic sensing, with an emphasis on the detection techniques. A general survey and comparison of the fabrication techniques were given, including prototyping (hot embossing, inject molding, and soft lithography) and direct fabrication (laser micromachining, photolithography, lithography, and x-ray lithography) techniques. This is followed by an in-depth look at detection techniques: optical, electrochemical, mass spectrometry, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based sensing approaches and related techniques. In the end, we highlight several of the most important issues for future work on microfluidic sensing. This article aims at providing a tutorial review with both introductory materials and inspiring information on microfluidic fabrication and sensing for nonspecialists.

Fabrication of circular microfluidic channels by combining mechanical micromilling and soft lithography

The fabrication of microfluidic channels with complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries presents a major challenge to the field of microfluidics, because conventional lithography methods are mainly limited to rectangular cross-sections. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of mechanical micromachining to fabricate microfluidic channels with complex cross-sectional geometries. Micro-scale milling tools are first used to fabricate semi-circular patterns on planar metallic surfaces to create a master mold. The micromilled pattern is then transferred to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through a two-step reverse molding process. Using these semi-circular PDMS channels, circular cross-sectioned microchannels are created by aligning and adhering two channels face-to-face. Straight and serpentine-shaped microchannels were fabricated, and the channel geometry and precision of the metallic master and PDMS molds were assessed through scanning electron microscopy and non-contact profilometry. Channel functionality was tested by perfusion of liquid through the channels. This work demonstrates that micromachining enabled soft lithography is capable of fabricating non-rectangular cross-section channels for microfluidic applications. We believe that this approach will be important for many fields from biomimetics and vascular engineering to microfabrication and microreactor technologies.