Digital fabrication (DM) of functional capillary circuits (CC) using an intrinsically hydrophilic ink (CCInk). a) 1) Additive manufacturing of CC from a digital design file using a light engine and layer-by-layer in-vat photopolymerization. 2) Removal of uncured CCInk under a stream of compressed air (<1 min). 3) Functional CC loaded with reagents and primed to execute structurally encoded (i.e., pre-programmed) capillary flow events after addition of the trigger solution. b) CCInk composition comprising polyethylene glycol diacrylate monomer (PEGDA-250), acrylic acid additive (AA) to adjust hydrophilicity, photoinitiator (TPO) and photoadsorber (ITX). Credit: Advanced materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303867
Researchers at McGill University have achieved a breakthrough in diagnostic technology by inventing a “lab-on-a-chip” that can be 3D printed in just 30 minutes. The chip has the potential to make on-site testing widely accessible.
As part of a recent study whose results were published in the journal Advanced materials, the McGill team developed hair chips that act like miniature laboratories. Unlike other computer microprocessors, these chips are single-use and require no external power source; a simple strip of paper is enough. They work by capillarity, the same phenomenon by which a liquid spilled on the kitchen table spontaneously evacuates into the absorbent paper used to wipe it up.
“Traditional diagnostics require peripherals, while ours can bypass them. Our diagnostics are kind of what the cell phone was to traditional desktop computers that required a separate monitor, keyboard and power supply to work,” explains Professor David Juncker, director of the department. in biomedical engineering at McGill and lead author of the study.
At-home testing has become crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. But rapid tests have limited availability and can only pass a single liquid through the strip, meaning most diagnostics are still done in central labs. Notably, hair chips can be 3D printed for various tests, including quantification of COVID-19 antibodies.
The study brings 3D printed home diagnostics closer to reality, although some challenges remain, such as regulatory approvals and obtaining the necessary testing equipment. The team is actively working to make its technology more accessible, adapting it for use with affordable 3D printers. The innovation aims to accelerate diagnostics, improve patient care and usher in a new era of accessible testing.
“These advances have the potential to enable individuals, researchers and industries to explore new possibilities and applications in a more cost-effective and user-friendly way,” says Professor Juncker. “This innovation also has the potential to enable healthcare professionals to quickly create solutions tailored to specific needs right at the point of care. »
More information:
Vahid Karamzadeh et al, Digital fabrication of ready-to-use functional microfluidic systems, Advanced materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202303867
Provided by McGill University
Quote: Made-to-order diagnostic tests could be on the horizon: Researchers invent a lab on a chip that can be 3D printed in minutes (November 29, 2023) retrieved November 30, 2023 from
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