Freeform microfluidic networks encapsulated in laser printed three-dimensional macro-scale glass objects

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel laser microfabrication technique for creating complex, freeform microfluidic networks embedded in large 3D printed glass objects, enabling advanced biomedical and industrial applications.

Contribution

It presents a new method combining ultrashort pulse laser fabrication and chemical etching to produce high-aspect-ratio, tunable microfluidic channels within large glass structures, overcoming previous fabrication limitations.

Findings

Successfully fabricated complex 3D microfluidic networks in fused silica.

Achieved uniform channel diameters through access port distribution.

Encapsulated a blood vessel system within a large glass object.

Abstract

Large-scale microfluidic microsystems with complex three-dimensional (3D) configurations are highly in demand by both fundamental research and industrial application, holding the potentials for fostering a wide range of innovative applications such as lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip as well as continuous-flow manufacturing of fine chemicals. However, freeform fabrication of such systems remains challenging for most of the current fabrication techniques in terms of fabrication resolution, flexibility, and achievable footprint size. Here, we report ultrashort pulse laser microfabrication of freeform microfluidic circuits with high aspect ratios and tunable diameters embedded in 3D printed glass objects. We achieve uniform microfluidic channel diameter by carefully distributing a string of extra access ports along the microfluidic channels for avoiding the over-etching in the thin microfluidic channels. After the chemical etching is completed, the extra access ports are sealed using carbon dioxide laser induced localized glass melting. We demonstrate a model hand of fused silica with a size of ~3 cm * 2.7 cm * 1.1 cm in which the whole blood vessel system is encapsulated.