Rapid method for design and fabrication of passive micromixers in microfluidic devices using a direct-printing process
Rapid method for design and fabrication of passive micromixers in microfluidic devices using a direct-printing process
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DOI：
10.1039/b502764k
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发表时间：
2005-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
6.1
通讯作者：
Xia, XH
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Liu, AL;He, FY;Xia, XH
我们开发了一种简单快速的一步技术，用于使用直接打印工艺设计和制造微流体装置中的被动微混合器。巧妙地采用激光打印机制，使用矢量图形软件对不同灰度级的微通道进行图案化。利用本方法，可以通过简单的印刷工艺在透明胶片上容易地制造周期性有序的特定浅浮雕微结构。所得微结构的尺寸和形状由图形软件的灰度级和激光打印机的分辨率决定。通道底部的特定浅浮雕微结构图案充当平流混合流动路径中的障碍物，可用作高效的混合元件。使用CCD荧光光谱评估所得微混合器在微流体装置中的混合效果。我们发现混合性能很大程度上取决于灰度值。在最佳条件下，微流体装置中的周期性有序模式的快速被动混合已在层流的早期阶段实现。此外，使用目前的通用技术制造微混合器需要不到一个小时。本方法有望以低成本在微流控装置中制造微混合器，无需复杂的设备和环境，为微全分析系统领域的混合问题提供简单的解决方案。
We developed a facile and rapid one-step technique for design and fabrication of passive micromixers in microfluidic devices using a direct-printing process. A laser printing mechanism was dexterously adopted to pattern the microchannels with different gray levels using vector graphic software. With the present method, periodically ordered specific bas-relief microstructures can be easily fabricated on transparencies by a simple printing process. The size and shape of the resultant microstructures are determined by the gray level of the graphic software and the resolution of the laser printer. Patterns of specific bas-relief microstructures on the floor of a channel act as obstacles in the flow path for advection mixing, which can be used as efficient mixing elements. The mixing effect of the resultant micromixer in microfluidic devices was evaluated using CCD fluorescence spectroscopy. We found that the mixing performance depends strongly on the gray level values. Under optimal conditions, fast passive mixing with our periodic ordered patterns in microfluidic devices has been achieved at the very early stages of the laminar flow. In addition, fabrication of micromixers using the present versatile technique requires less than an hour. The present method is promising for fabrication of micromixers in microfluidic devices at low cost and without complicated devices and environment, providing a simple solution to mixing problems in the micro-total-analysis-systems field.