DIY 3D Microparticle Generation from Next Generation
Optofluidic Fabrication.
ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2018;
5:1800252. [PMID:
30027056 PMCID:
PMC6051230 DOI:
10.1002/advs.201800252]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Complex-shaped microparticles can enhance applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and structural materials, although techniques to fabricate these particles remain limited. A microfluidics-based process called optofluidic fabrication that utilizes inertial flows and ultraviolet polymerization has shown great potential for creating highly 3D-shaped particles in a high-throughput manner, but the particle dimensions are mainly at the millimeter scale. Here, a next generation optofluidic fabrication process is presented that utilizes on-the-fly fabricated multiscale fluidic channels producing customized sub-100 µm 3D-shaped microparticles. This flexible design scheme offers a user-friendly platform for rapid prototyping of new 3D particle shapes, providing greater potential for creating impactful engineered microparticles.
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