Editorial
Rapid prototyping using 3D printing in bioanalytical research
“Advantages of 3D printing for fabrication of bioanalysis prototypes
include reproducibility, high precision, ease of learning, fast building time, and low printing costs.”
First draft submitted: 17 November 2016; Accepted for publication: 5 December 2016; Published online: 10 January 2017
Keywords: 3D-printed analytical devices • 3D printing • microfluidic devices • paper-spray cartridge • rapid prototyping
In bioanalytical research laboratories, 3D printing is no longer just a conception; it has become a useful tool for the fabrication of various analytical devices and custom labware in the past few years. Due to its fast design- to-object workflow, ease of learning and the ability to make complex structures with suf- ficient
resolution, 3D printing technology
has shown its application in biomedical engi- neering, tissue scaffolding, surgical prepara- tion, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, forensic science and medical science [1,2]. Microfluidics is one of the most represented
areas of 3D printing with several review arti- cles describing the latest improvements of the fabrication of novel 3D-printed microfluidic devices. These include the integration of these devices with electrodes, biosensors and valves, and their applications in chemistry and biol- ogy [3–5], such as the analyses of cells and bio- molecules as well as interfaces that enable bio- analytical measurements using cellphones [6]. Applications of 3D printing in other analyti- cal devices have also been reported, such as 3D-printed paper spray ionization cartridge with fast wetting and continuous solvent sup- ply features [7], 3D-printed supercapacitor- powered electrochemiluminescent for protein immunoarray [8], membrane module design with 3D printing technology [9], 3D-printed grinding device for reproducible preparation of nanospray tips [10], and 3D-printed plat- forms for solute delivery, separations and diagnostics [11].
10.4155/bio-2016-0293 © 2017 Future Science Ltd There are a number of interesting examples
in literature about the use of 3D printing in bioanalytical research, and we will highlight just a few here. 3D printing is a promising technique for developing sample-to-device interfaces for limited-resource settings and point-of-care diagnostics. Jue et al. demon- strated a 3D-printed interlock meter-mix device for metering and lysing clinical urine samples [12]. The 3D-printed static mixer contains elements designed to mix urine and lysis buffer that are injected into the device simultaneously. Rapid mixing within the first few static mixer elements was achieved. Gowers et al. described a 3D-printed micro- fluidic device with integrated electrode bio- sensors for continuous monitoring of human tissue metabolite levels, such as glucose and lactate [13]. The 3D-printed microfluidic chip and 3D-printed electrode holder in this wearable device enabled a simple con- nection between the microdialysis probes and electrode biosensors. In addition, a soft 3D-printed elastomer was used to ensure a good seal between electrode holder and microfluidic chip. 3D-printed devices also have been used to increase efficiency dur- ing the drug-development process. Lock- wood et al. showed the parallel in vitro phar- macokinetic profiling of molecules by using a 3D-printed fluidic device [14]. The device con- tained multiple flow channels, and each chan- nel was integrated with porous membrane- based insert wells. The membranes enabled
Bioanalysis (2017) 9(4), 329–331
Chengsen Zhang Author for correspondence: Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
zhang458@iupui.edu
Brandon J Bills Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Nicholas E Manicke Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
part of
ISSN 1757-6180
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