Damping of 3D-printed polymer microbeam resonators

The emerging high-resolution 3D printing technique called two-photon polymerization (2PP) enables to print devices bottom-up rapidly, contrary to the top-down lithography-based fabrication methods. In this work, various polymer microbeams are 3D printed and their resonant characteristics are analyzed to understand the origin of damping. The...

Discrete Femtolitre Pipetting with 3D Printed Axisymmetrical Phaseguides

The capacity to precisely pipette femtoliter volumes of liquid enables many applications, for example, to functionalize a nanoscale surface and manipulate fluids inside a single-cell. A pressure-controlled pipetting method is the most preferred, since it enables the widest range of working liquids. However, precisely controlling femtoliter...

Fluidic Force Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Unveil New Insights into the Interactions of Preosteoblasts with 3D-Printed Submicron Patterns

Physical patterns represent potential surface cues for promoting osteogenic differentiation of stem cells and improving osseointegration of orthopedic implants. Understanding the early cell–surface interactions and their effects on late cellular functions is essential for a rational design of such topographies, yet still elusive. In this work...

Mechanics of bioinspired functionally graded soft-hard composites made by multi-material 3D printing

Functional gradients are material transitions that are found in nature and are known to result in materials with superior properties and multiple functionalities. The emerging multi-material 3D printing (=additive manufacturing, AM) techniques provide a powerful tool for the design and fabrication of bioinspired functionally graded materials ...

Proportional Microvalve Using a Unimorph Piezoelectric Microactuator

Microvalves are important flow-control devices in many standalone and integrated microfluidic applications. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based pneumatic microvalves are commonly used but they generally require large peripheral connections that decrease portability. There are many alternatives found in the literature that use Si-based microvalves,...

3D Printing of large areas of highly ordered submicron patterns for modulating cell behavior

Fabricating large areas of geometrically complex and precisely controlled topographies is required for the studies of cell behavior on patterned surfaces. Direct laser writing (DLW) is an advanced 3D-fabrication technique, which facilitates the manufacturing of structures within various scales (from a few hundred nanometers to millimeters)....

Proportional Microvalve Using A Piezoelectric Unimorph Microactuator

Microvalves are important flow-control components in many standalone and integrated microfluidic circuits. Although there is a large body of work regarding<br/>microvalves, there is still a need for an easyto-fabricate, small-footprint, low-power device that can control both liquids and gases at moderate pressures. This paper details the...