Fabrication and Characterization of 3D Printed Microfluidics

Microfluidics is a rapid, high throughput, and cost-effective means of processing small quantities of fluids through micro-scale channels. Several techniques are available today for the manufacturing of microfluidic channels such as injection moulding, soft-lithography, and paper microfluidics. Due to the advancements in modern additive manufacturing methods, 3D-printing (3DP) has been shown as a promising platform for the fabrication of microfluidic devices. In this paper, we explore the possibility of using fused deposition modelling (FDM) and selective laser sintering (SLS) technology for internal features of the microfluidic devices. These technologies have been compared in terms of their ability to print internal features to fabricate microfluidic devices. The outcome of the study provides a comparison of the minimum possible diameter size, fluid flowrate, and leakage through the internal features of the microfluidic devices.