Optimization of Microcapillary Flow Devices 3D Printed with Stereolithography Technology

The importance of microfluidics research is growing, especially in the fields of chemistry, biology or medicine.This is coupled with a growing demand for specialized capillary equipment that allows advanced research at the microscale.Conventional methods of manufacturing such devices are expensive, time-consuming and do not guarantee good results.An alternative to these methods is the use of 3D printing technology.Despite the existence of numerous works presenting the possibilities of 3D printing in the context of creating microfluidic devices, there is a lack of comprehensive works presenting qualitative analysis of printed objects.This paper presents a method of producing microcapillary structures for microfluidics research with the help of 3D printing using stereolithography technology.The quality requirements that the printed objects should meet are defined and all stages of production are characterized.A qualitative analysis of the obtained objects was carried out, taking into account both the influence of individual printing parameters and print processing methods.The results of microfluidic tests using printed objects are also presented.This work is aimed at providing specific knowledge that allows the manufacture of precision devices for microfluidics purposes at low cost.