Monolithically 3D-Printed, Self-Heating Microfluidics

This paper reports the proof-of-concept demonstration of novel, single-step-fabricated, low-cost, and low-waste microfluidic devices with monolithically integrated heaters. Monolithic fabrication of microfluidic features and electric resistors is achieved via multi-material extrusion using pure and copper microparticle-doped polylactic acid, respectively. Homogeneous and spatially varying heating profiles are demonstrated through the implementation of custom resistor geometries. Thermal sensitivity of the copper-doped material used for electric resistor fabrication suggests the possibility of implementing closed-loop temperature regulation within the monolithic fabrication process. This work is of great interest for the low-cost, low-waste, and fast manufacture of custom microfluidics with temperature regulation capability.