Characterization and evaluation of 3D printed microfluidic chip for cell processing

Microfluidics has found ubiquitous presence in biological applications such as tissue spheroid fabrication and pharmacology investigation. The increasing prevalence and complexity demand a highly adaptable fabrication method for the rapid and convenient production of these microfluidic systems. 3D printing, as an emerging fabrication technique, was investigated in this paper. Microfluidic features were fabricated using two most widely used 3D printing technologies namely the inkjet printing and filament deposition techniques. The printing resolution, accuracy, repeatability, surface roughness, wetting ability, and biocompatibility of the printed microfluidic chips were characterized. The capability of 3D printing was demonstrated by printing a number of microfluidic devices such as rotational flow device and gradient generator. Results showed that 3D printing techniques were successful in making intricate microscale architectures and have the potential of greatly simplifying the manufacturing process.