Microfluidics using the laser cutter

[Jo]

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping to make a kind of simple flow cell using sheet acrylic engraved using the laser cutter at the space. I was wondering if anyone has any experience doing this kind of thing, and would be willing to help me get started?

(ok so I put microfluidics in the title, but I'm not actualy expecting the device I make to be "micro"!)

Many thanks,

Jo

[Jim MacArthur]

Hi Jo,

I had a go at this a while ago (using water rather than air), but I couldn't find much information about how to design fluidic logic other than a few old pictures, so just guessed, and unsurprisingly it didn't work!

Rather than engraving I cut the gate shapes out of one layer of 3mm clear acrylic and then cut 'source' and 'drain' layers with lots of holes and sandwiched them all together and fed water into the top. I keep meaning to post some pictures and writeup of it, maybe now I'll get round to it. So I can't really offer you much useful advice, but I'd really like to see how you get on.

So far as I'm aware the laser at the space is waiting for some replacement optical components, and solexious (Charles Yarnold) will post to this mailing list when it's working again and when he's able to run induction sessions on it. He's very overworked at the moment though so please don't ask for status updates. 

Hope you get something working!

Jim

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[Jo]

Hi Jim,

thanks for the reply. Actually I'm not even planning to do any fluidic logic at this stage (possibly in the future), all I want to make is a very simple flow cell with a couple of fluidic channels and a space to insert a silver substrate (it's for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy).

it's a shame to hear that the laser cutter's out of action, so I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for that.

Would certainly be interested to see what you did.

Regards,

Jo

[Dirk-Willem van Gulik]

You may want to have a look at Krimpy Dinky / Shrink sheet (http://www.thecraftbarn.co.uk/section.php/156/1/shrink-plastic etc). Wonderful to get your design a lot smaller 'again'. 

Dw.

[Jo]

Ah, that's an interesting option, thanks! Do you have experience in using this stuff?

J