Fig. 1
From: Development of a flexible 3D printed TPU-PVC microfluidic devices for organ-on-a-chip applications
Design, fabrication, and characterization of the open top 3D-FlexTPU microfluidic devices. (a) Schematic illustration of the fabrication process for the 3D-FlexTPU microfluidic device using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. TPU filaments are printed onto a PVC substrate, enabling fusion and bonding of the polymers. (b) Microfluidic channel design and fidelity assessment: (i–iii) Schematic diagrams of the designs (top) and corresponding results of printed microfluidic devices (bottom), including: (i) Letter “R” shape, (ii) Rectangular straight channels (W1, W2, W3), (iii) Serpentine channel geometry. (iv) High-resolution images showing the sectional structure and fidelity of serpentine microfluidic channels filled with sodium fluorescein. Scale bar: 500 μm. (c) Evaluation of channel fidelity: (i) Fluorescence images of sodium fluorescein-filled channels W1, W2, and W3. Scale bars: 500 μm. (ii) Fluorescence intensity profiles along the width of channels W1, W2, and W3, confirming consistent channel formation. MFI denotes mean fluorescent intensity. (iii) Printing fidelity ratio for the three channel designs. p values were determined by Tukey HSD.
