Design and Development of Microfluidic Devices Using Vat Polymerization Technology

Additive manufacturing technologies have become a significant asset in microfluidic engineering due to their ability to fabricate 3D microstructures for a variety of functions. Despite this, most microfluidic applications use these technologies primarily to create simple microchannels for fluid transport, constrained by the printer’s resolution limitations. More complex components, such as mixers, pumps, pillars, cellular traps, and membranes, demand intricate designs. Traditionally, microfabrication technologies such as photolithography and soft lithography have been utilized to produce these miniaturized components. However, constructing 3D microstructures remains challenging with these methods. In this context, vat polymerization technology, an additive manufacturing technology with exceptionally high resolution, has emerged as a crucial method for fabricating complex microfluidic components. Given the fact that vat polymerization technology offers high resolution structures for microfluidic devices, we took advantage of this technology to develop complex designs in microfluidics. In this dissertation, we contribute to the use of vat polymerization technology, specifically stereolithography, in several applications such as intradermal drug delivery, emulsion generation, and addressing the gap in developing microfluidic molds with meso/microscale features.