3D Printing for Microfluidics

The ability to fabricate a microfluidic device in one single step from a CAD model is advantageous in the field of microfluidics. 3D printing techniques, based on fused deposition modelling (FDM), provide an effective solution for non-expensive, easy, and fast microfluidic prototyping.

3D printing can be used to effectively reduce the time between design and practical experimentation, from weeks to hours, which greatly accelerates the research and development process for microfluidic applications and devices. Commonly available 3D printers are not suitable for creating fluidically-sealed devices and, in response to this, Dolomite Microfluidics has developed  Fluidic Factory – a highly innovative tool which enables FDM printing of fluidically-sealed microfluidic devices using a biocompatible polymer (COC).

Benefits of Dolomite Fluidic Factory:

• Ability to 3D print structures that can hold fluids up to 20bar (depending on design geometry)
• Biocompatible, highly chemically-resistant printing polymer
• Pause Function, allows integration of external elements (sensors, membranes, ports, etc.) within the printed geometry and seamless creation of hybrid devices
• Layer Offset Function, enables the ability to print on top of additional COC polymer substrates

Find out more about Fluidic Factory.