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3D printing ceramic micro system to promote microfluidic chip or human organ chip application
Lab-on-a-chip technology, often referred to as microfluidics, brings together key steps in biological, chemical, and medical analysis—such as sample preparation, reactions, separations, and detections—onto a small chip, automating the entire analytical process. Its vast potential in areas like biology, chemistry, and medicine has transformed it into a multidisciplinary field, blending biology, chemistry, medicine, fluid dynamics, electronics, materials science, and mechanical engineering.
An emerging cutting-edge technology known as organs-on-a-chip offers a novel way to study biological processes in drug discovery, disease mechanisms, and toxicity predictions. Recently, researchers from the Autonomous University of Madrid and Lithoz, a company specializing in ceramic 3D printing, have developed a sophisticated 3D-printed ceramic microsystem. This innovation aims to enhance the development and practical applications of both lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip technologies. The team claims their 3D-printed ceramics represent a significant breakthrough in biomedical science.
Utilizing Lithoz's CeraFab 7500 machine—an additive manufacturing system based on lithography—the ceramic material is blended with a photosensitive resin and printed layer by layer in 3D. Following the printing of the octagonal chip, the resin is removed through a sintering process, fusing the ceramic particles into a solid structure. This step is crucial as it ensures the chip's sealing material meets the stringent biomedical requirements, preventing leaks of living materials.
This 3D-printed ceramic chip demonstrates the possibility of using ceramics for biomedical purposes due to their superior strength and heat resistance compared to traditional materials like glass or plastic. Additionally, the ceramic microsystem is designed to be a single-use device, eliminating the need for components and maintenance. Its structure incorporates a porous membrane that divides different levels of cell culture chambers, akin to the functionality of a transwell.
According to researchers, the composite microsystem also includes a network of channels interconnected by cantilever ceramic membranes. These intricate designs exhibit complex features, high integration, compact dimensions, and exceptional detail. Overall, 3D-printed ceramic microsystems offer an efficient and relatively simple alternative to more complex cell culture testing devices, driving advancements in bionic 3D cell culture research.
In China, notable progress has been made in microfluidic chip research. Institutions like Zhejiang University, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, and Dalian University of Technology have achieved significant milestones. The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has developed a series of functional organ chip systems using engineering principles and interdisciplinary approaches, creating miniature models of vital organs such as the liver, kidney, intestines, and blood-brain barrier. They’ve also built multi-organ integrated chip systems, which are now being applied in biological studies, toxicity tests, and stem cell research.
He Yong and his team at Zhejiang University proposed a capillary-driven 3D-printed microfluidic chip (μ3DPADs). This innovation shares similarities with pumpless-driven 2D paper-based microfluidic devices (μPADs). By extending the 2D paper-based microfluidic chip to a 3D scale through 3D printing, the flow rate can be adjusted programmatically by modifying the channel depth. Experiments confirmed that this chip complements current 2D paper-based microfluidic chips, offering simpler fluid drives without sacrificing the ability to achieve complex flow controls.
Internationally, Dolomite, a leading innovator in microfluidics, introduced the FluidicFactory in Madrid, Spain, a groundbreaking 3D printer capable of producing fluid-tight microfluidic devices. FluidicFactory is the first commercially available 3D printer that prints fluid-tight devices, offering rapid, easy, and reliable production at just $1 per chip. The material used, a strong and translucent cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) approved by the FDA, is both affordable and accessible for most applications.
Optomec’s Aerosol Jet Technology enables 3D printing of micron-scale smart structures, with promising applications in electronics and biomedicine for developing smaller, lower-cost next-generation products. Other institutions, including the University of Connecticut, are exploring 3D printing’s role in organ-on-a-chip biofabrication, streamlining the traditionally labor-intensive microfluidic chip production process.
Bio 3D printing holds immense promise for creating complex 3D human tissue structures. Microfluidic systems supply nutrients, oxygen, and growth factors to these tissues. Future advancements could enable bio 3D printers to directly print microscopic human tissues within a microfluidic platform.
In Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute of Ceramic Technology and the IKTS System Research Institute have pioneered a 3D printing method to produce not only medical devices like orthopedic implants and dental prosthetics but also highly intricate microreactors. Their ceramic microreactors feature complex microchannels and dual liquid connectors, addressing challenges in conventional manufacturing techniques. This advancement allows for the creation of monolithic reactors, offering improved durability and efficiency.
These developments collectively highlight the transformative potential of 3D printing in microfluidics and bioengineering, pushing boundaries in both research and practical applications.