Frugal hacks

Homemade Microfluidics using adhesive tape   This simple instruction describes how to make homemade microfluidic devices without any expensive clean-room facilities. Masters for casting PDMS microfluidic channels can be cut out by hand from adhesive tape and used as moulds repeatedly. Although the accuracy is limited, the method described here can be used for fast experiments using uncritical dimensions of the fluid channels or most importantly for educational purposes and student projects.   Introduction – Why is this useful? Microfluidic devices are generally manufactured by comparatively complex methods such as etching and photolithography, requiring expensive facilities and user expertise. This short instruction describes a process to create very simple moulds for casting PDMS microfluidic devices. Masters for casting PDMS microfluidic channels can be cut out by hand from adhesive tape and used as moulds repeatedly. Although the accuracy is limited, the method ...