The Way to High Volume Fabrication of Lab-on-a-Chip Devices—A Technological Approach for Polymer Based Microfluidic Systems with Integrated Active Valves and Pumps

We present a technology platform suitable for the mass production of laboratory-on-a-chip devices made of polymers with integrated active and passive components. The presented microfluidic platform with integrated valves and pumps for active flow management is realized with three layers consisting of two polymer parts separated by a thin elastic TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) membrane welded together in one step. The elastic TPE membrane acts as an integrated deflectable membrane layer between the two outer polymer layers, each made of a weldable thermoplastic polymer (polycarbonate). Valving is realized by applying pressure in a displacement chamber above a hydraulic channel causing the membrane to deform and to seal the channel. A pump is fabricated using a displacement chamber with a valve on the inlet and outlet. The presented components, namely valve and pump, show excellent behavior regarding response time, sealing quality, and pump rate needing only a low actuation pressure. The three-layer-stack is joined in a single process step by using laser welding, creating devices with high mechanical stability. This production technology fulfills the requirements of a high volume fabrication at high quality and has the potential to manufacture cost-efficient and reliable laboratory-on-a-chip systems. The used materials show a high chemical resistance against a broad range of commonly used liquids and good optical characteristics for the use in μTAS. This consistent technological approach represents a flexible platform for microfluidics with active components to be used in complex applications.