Standardized Outline of PDMS Microchips with Laser-cut Stacking Mold

Abstract

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices are widely used for biomedical applications. Their large-scale commercial realization demands the standardization of PDMS microchips. However, the outer shape of chips has been difficult to shape with a single mold on a flat substrate. This paper reports the combinational use of an upper stacked mold and a lower fine mold for making standardized microchips. We employed a laser-cutting service to make a roughly designed mold cost-effectively. PDMS was cured using the lower and upper molds and chips were released from the molds. The fine pattern of the lower mold and the outline pattern of the upper mold were successfully transferred to the PDMS chips. Our technology has saved time and labor for forming a standardized microchip and increasing the productivity of microchip.