Laser ablation for low-cost microfluidic device fabrication

BRESSAN, F.; VAZQUEZ, A.; MADRID RE; LUCIANNA, F.; GOY, CARLA B.

Congreso; XXIV Congreso Argentino de Bioingeniería Y XIII Jornadas de Ingeniería Clínica ? SABI 2023; 2023

Microfluidic devices have contributed to technological development in various engineering areas, especially in the field of biomedicine and biotechnology. However, the materials and manufacturing processes of these devices are expensive and require a considerable investment of time and equipment, which limits their accessibility for many laboratories. In this study, it is proposed the use of the laser ablation technique and low-cost materials for the fabrication of microfluidic devices. Functionality and capillarity tests were carried out to evaluate the ability of the technique to create devices with the ability to produce a passive flow of fluids. Promising results were obtained, demonstrating the feasibility of the technique for the fabrication of inexpensive microfluidic devices. In addition, the presence of the capillarity phenomenon in all the manufactured channels is highlighted.