3D printing monolithic, multifunctional polymer acoustofluidic devices with tunable mixing and particle focusing
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Acoustic forces offer a powerful, contact-free modality for manipulating particles and fluids within microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems. However, realizing the full potential of acoustic manipulation has been constrained by conventional cleanroom-based fabrication methods. Typically formed from high-acoustic-impedance materials like silicon or glass, these processes typically yield devices with limited design complexity owing to the planar channel geometries inherent in micromachine. Here, we introduce a class of polymer-based acoustofluidic platforms fabricated using micro-digital light processing (µDLP) 3D printing. In contrast to micromachining, this additive manufacturing approach enables complex, truly three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic architectures in a monolithic device form factor. We demonstrate strategies to overcome challenges associated with low-acoustic-impedance polymer resins and establish design rules based on precise control over channel and surrounding material dimensions (e.g., wall thicknesses) to achieve robust acoustofluidic functions including efficient sharp-edge-based mixing and effective particle focusing using a bulk acoustic wave resonance mode. By leveraging the design freedom provided by additive manufacturing, we fabricated an integrated, monolithic device driven by a single piezoelectric element that sequentially performs acoustic mixing and focusing within spatially distinct regions enabled by engineered variations in the 3D channel structure. This work establishes µDLP additive manufacturing as a key enabler for next generation acoustofluidic platforms by demonstrating how true 3D architectural control over channel geometry can yield integrated, multifunctional polymer acoustofluidic devices with an expanded functional design space.
Source: Lab on a Chip
DOI: 10.1039/d6lc00107f
Authors: Roxanne Kate Balanay, Justin W. Yip, Justin Do, Omair Adil, Keith Johnson, Tyler R. Ray
Institution: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, National Institutes of Health, NASA Headquarters, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
Awards: G1026043372, G1181296607, RII Track-4:NSF: Programmed Material Transport Properties via Scalable Assembly Processes, G6583545130, CAREER: Additive Manufacturing with Acoustically Assembled Multi-Scale Composite Materials, G828620456, G8388291038, MARC at University of Hawaii at Manoa, COBRE-DIABETES
OpenAlex ID: W4409966543