Fast Prototyping of Sensorized Cell Culture Chips and Microfluidic Systems with Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Micromachines

Sebastian M. Bonk¹  Paul Oldorf²  Rigo Peters²  Werner Baumann¹  Jan Gimsa¹ 

[1] Chair of Biophysics, University of Rostock, Rostock 18057, Germany; E-Mails:;SLV Mecklenburg-Vorpommern GmbH, Rostock 18069, Germany; E-Mails:

关键词: rapid prototyping;    micro sensor chip;    ITO;    oxygen;    pH;    picosecond laser;    cell monitoring system;    top-down approach;   

DOI  :  10.3390/mi6030364

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

We developed a confined microfluidic cell culture system with a bottom plate made of a microscopic slide with planar platinum sensors for the measurement of acidification, oxygen consumption, and cell adhesion. The slides were commercial slides with indium tin oxide (ITO) plating or were prepared from platinum sputtering (100 nm) onto a 10-nm titanium adhesion layer. Direct processing of the sensor structures (approximately three minutes per chip) by an ultrashort pulse laser facilitated the production of the prototypes. pH-sensitive areas were produced by the sputtering of 60-nm Si₃N₄ through a simple mask made from a circuit board material. The system body and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molding forms for the microfluidic structures were manufactured by micromilling using a printed circuit board (PCB) milling machine for circuit boards. The microfluidic structure was finally imprinted in PDMS. Our approach avoided the use of photolithographic techniques and enabled fast and cost-efficient prototyping of the systems. Alternatively, the direct production of metallic, ceramic or polymeric molding tools was tested. The use of ultrashort pulse lasers improved the precision of the structures and avoided any contact of the final structures with toxic chemicals and possible adverse effects for the cell culture in lab-on-a-chip systems.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.