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Schneider PJ, Christie LB, Eadie NM, Siskar TJ, Sukhotskiy V, Koh D, Wang A, Oh KW. Pysanky to Microfluidics: An Innovative Wax-Based Approach to Low Cost, Rapid Prototyping of Microfluidic Devices. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:240. [PMID: 38398969 PMCID: PMC10892862 DOI: 10.3390/mi15020240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
A wax-based contact printing method to create microfluidic devices is demonstrated. This printing technology demonstrates a new pathway to rapid, cost-effective device prototyping, eliminating the use of expensive micromachining equipment and chemicals. Derived from the traditional Ukrainian Easter egg painting technique called "pysanky" a series of microfluidic devices were created. Pysanky is the use of a heated wax stylus, known as a "kistka", to create micro-sized, intricate designs on the surface of an egg. The proposed technique involves the modification of an x-y-z actuation translation system with a wax extruder tip in junction with Polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) device fabrication techniques. Initial system optimization was performed considering design parameters such as extruder tip size, contact angle, write speed, substrate temperature, and wax temperature. Channels created ranged from 160 to 900 μm wide and 10 to 150 μm high based upon system operating parameters set by the user. To prove the capabilities of this technology, a series of microfluidic mixers were created via the wax technique as well as through traditional photolithography: a spiral mixer, a rainbow mixer, and a linear serial dilutor. A thermo-fluidic computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was generated as a means of enabling rational tuning, critical to the optimization of systems in both normal and extreme conditions. A comparison between the computational and experimental models yielded a wax height of 57.98 μm and 57.30 μm, respectively, and cross-sectional areas of 11,568 μm2 and 12,951 μm2, respectively, resulting in an error of 1.18% between the heights and 10.76% between the cross-sectional areas. The device's performance was then compared using both qualitative and quantitative measures, considering factors such as device performance, channel uniformity, repeatability, and resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Schneider
- SMALL (Sensors and Micro Actuators Learning Lab), Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; (P.J.S.); (L.B.C.); (V.S.); (D.K.); (A.W.)
| | - Liam B. Christie
- SMALL (Sensors and Micro Actuators Learning Lab), Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; (P.J.S.); (L.B.C.); (V.S.); (D.K.); (A.W.)
| | - Nicholas M. Eadie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA;
| | - Tyler J. Siskar
- Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA;
| | - Viktor Sukhotskiy
- SMALL (Sensors and Micro Actuators Learning Lab), Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; (P.J.S.); (L.B.C.); (V.S.); (D.K.); (A.W.)
| | - Domin Koh
- SMALL (Sensors and Micro Actuators Learning Lab), Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; (P.J.S.); (L.B.C.); (V.S.); (D.K.); (A.W.)
| | - Anyang Wang
- SMALL (Sensors and Micro Actuators Learning Lab), Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; (P.J.S.); (L.B.C.); (V.S.); (D.K.); (A.W.)
| | - Kwang W. Oh
- SMALL (Sensors and Micro Actuators Learning Lab), Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA; (P.J.S.); (L.B.C.); (V.S.); (D.K.); (A.W.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY at Buffalo), Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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Frimodig J, Autio A, Lahtinen E, Haukka M. Recovery of 17β-Estradiol Using 3D Printed Polyamide-12 Scavengers. 3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 2023; 10:1122-1129. [PMID: 37886421 PMCID: PMC10599425 DOI: 10.1089/3dp.2021.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, endocrine-disrupting compounds have been under active studies due to their potential environmental impact and increased usage. The actual hormones, especially estrogens, have shown to be one of the major contributors to hormonal waste in wastewater. Wastewater treatment facilities have variable capabilities to handle hormonal compounds and, therefore, different quantities of harmful compounds may end up in the environment. We introduce a simple technique to remove estrogens, such as 17β-estradiol (E2) from wastewater by using 3D printed polyamide-12 (PA12) filters. A selective laser sintering 3D printing was used to manufacture porous PA12 filters with accessible functional groups. Adsorption and desorption properties were studied using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The results showed that near quantitative removal of E2 was achieved. The 3D printed filters could also be regenerated and reused without losing their efficiency. During regeneration, E2 could be extracted from the filter without destroying the compound. This opens up possibilities to use the hormone scavenger filters also as concentration tools enabling accurate analyses of sources with trace concentrations of E2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Frimodig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Aino Autio
- Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Elmeri Lahtinen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Matti Haukka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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Fersurella G, Torre AD, Quaranta F, Losito P, D'Alessandro L, Invitto S, Rinaldi R. A wearable and smart actuator for haptic stimulation. MICRO AND NANO ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2022.100161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Fabrication of a highly stretchable and electrically conductive silicone-embedded composite textile through optimization of the thermal curing process. J IND ENG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2021.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Chang YY, Jiang BC, Chen PY, Chiang YY. An affordable and tunable continuous wrinkle micropattern for cell physical guidance study. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtice.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Criscuolo V, Montoya NA, Lo Presti A, Occhipinti LG, Netti PA, Vecchione R, Falconi C. Double-Framed Thin Elastomer Devices. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:55255-55261. [PMID: 33252224 PMCID: PMC7735669 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c16312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Elastomers and, in particular, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are widely adopted as biocompatible mechanically compliant substrates for soft and flexible micro-nanosystems in medicine, biology, and engineering. However, several applications require such low thicknesses (e.g., <100 μm) that make peeling-off critical because very thin elastomers become delicate and tend to exhibit strong adhesion with carriers. Moreover, microfabrication techniques such as photolithography use solvents which swell PDMS, introducing complexity and possible contamination, thus limiting industrial scalability and preventing many biomedical applications. Here, we combine low-adhesion and rectangular carrier substrates, adhesive Kapton frames, micromilling-defined shadow masks, and adhesive-neutralizing paper frames for enabling fast, easy, green, contaminant-free, and scalable manufacturing of thin elastomer devices, with both simplified peeling and handling. The accurate alignment between the frame and shadow masks can be further facilitated by micromilled marking lines on the back side of the low-adhesion carrier. As a proof of concept, we show epidermal sensors on a 50 μm-thick PDMS substrate for measuring strain, the skin bioimpedance and the heart rate. The proposed approach paves the way to a straightforward, green, and scalable fabrication of contaminant-free thin devices on elastomers for a wide variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Criscuolo
- Department of Electronic
Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Roma 00133, Italy
- Center for Advanced Biomaterial for Health Care, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Nerio Andrés Montoya
- Department of Electronic
Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Roma 00133, Italy
- School of
Physics, National University of Colombia, Medellín Campus, A. A., Medellín 3840, Colombia
| | - Andrea Lo Presti
- Department of Electronic
Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Roma 00133, Italy
| | - Luigi G. Occhipinti
- Cambridge Graphene Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Antonio Netti
- Center for Advanced Biomaterial for Health Care, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Raffaele Vecchione
- Center for Advanced Biomaterial for Health Care, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Christian Falconi
- Department of Electronic
Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, Roma 00133, Italy
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A Low Contact Impedance Medical Flexible Electrode Based on a Pyramid Array Micro-Structure. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11010057. [PMID: 31906344 PMCID: PMC7019277 DOI: 10.3390/mi11010057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 12/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Flexible electrodes are extensively used to detect signals in electrocardiography, electroencephalography, electro-ophthalmography, and electromyography, among others. These electrodes can also be used in wearable and implantable medical systems. The collected signals directly affect doctors’ diagnoses of patient etiology and are closely associated with patients’ life safety. Electrodes with low contact impedance can acquire good quality signals. Herein, we established a method of arraying pyramidal microstructures on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates to increase the contact area of electrodes, and a parylene transitional layer is coated between PDMS substrates and metal membranes to enhance the bonding force, finally reducing the impedance of flexible electrodes. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed methods were effective. The contact area of the fabricated electrode increased by 18.15% per unit area, and the contact impedance at 20 Hz to 1 kHz scanning frequency ranged from 23 to 8 kΩ, which was always smaller than that of a commercial electrode. Overall, these results indicated the excellent performance of the fabricated electrode given its low contact impedance and good biocompatibility. This study can also serve as a reference for further electrode research and application in wearable and implantable medical systems.
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Wang A, Koh D, Schneider P, Breloff E, Oh KW. A Compact, Syringe-Assisted, Vacuum-Driven Micropumping Device. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10080543. [PMID: 31426526 PMCID: PMC6723763 DOI: 10.3390/mi10080543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, a simple syringe‑assisted pumping method is introduced. The proposed fluidic micropumping system can be used instead of a conventional pumping system which tends to be large, bulky, and expensive. The micropump was designed separately from the microfluidic channels and directly bonded to the outlet of the microfluidic device. The pump components were composed of a dead‑end channel which was surrounded by a microchamber. A syringe was then connected to the pump structure by a short tube, and the syringe plunger was manually pulled out to generate low pressure inside the microchamber. Once the sample was loaded in the inlet, air inside the channel diffused into the microchamber through the PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) wall, acting as a dragging force and pulling the sample toward the outlet. A constant flow with a rate that ranged from 0.8 nl · s - 1 to 7.5 nl · s - 1 was achieved as a function of the geometry of the pump, i.e., the PDMS wall thickness and the diffusion area. As a proof-of-concept, microfluidic mixing was demonstrated without backflow. This method enables pumping for point-of-care testing (POCT) with greater flexibility in hand-held PDMS microfluidic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anyang Wang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Domin Koh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Philip Schneider
- Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Evan Breloff
- Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Kwang W Oh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
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