Optimization and Application of a Micro-Wire Molding Fabrication Method of Microfluidic Devices

Micro-wire molding fabrication methods are simple and inexpensive techniques that benefit from the properties of polydimethylsiloxane. However, this approach generally can’t be used to form intersecting microchannels, which limits the scope of achievable geometries. This article describes the optimization of a micro-wire molding method that allows for the fabrication of complex channels, which connect various templates without using bonding treatments or dissolving templates. Meanwhile, the relationship between the volume of glue and the deformation zone was explored. Then, Channels manufactured in this way were used for the droplet generation and mixing experiments. Both T-channel and cross-channel were fabricated and optimized using this method, and their droplet-generating capabilities were investigated. Overall, the results verified that these structures were attainable and applicable as droplet generators. Further, more complex channels could be constructed by combining templates with different dimensions and shapes to generate multifunctional microfluidic chips. The results presented herein indicate that complex channels with multifunctional applications can generate and mix droplets, which further confirms the versatility and practicability of this complex microchannel-forming technique.