A TINY LEGO FLUID LAB BUILT WITH 3D PRINTING
When you need to manipulate and direct fluids in small volumes, microfluidic systems are the technology of choice.
Used by engineers, chemists and biotechnologists in applications from enzymatic and DNA analysis to the detection of pathogens to clinical diagnostic testing and synthetic chemistry, the tiny systems once required a clean room to create and thousands of dollars to manufacture. They also required numerous iterations to achieve the required complexity.
Sometimes called a “Lab-on-a-Chip,” the systems are now, through the work of USC researcher Krisna Bhargava, designed as 3D printable sets of building blocks which researchers can clip together in hours. The 1cc blocks can accomplish LOC functions like routing, mixing or analysis in three-dimensions. The researchers say a large share of the success in the fabrication process came as a result of recent advancements in high-resolution, 3D printing.
Full Story: 3Dprinterworld
