Blood flow visualization and measurements in microfluidic devices fabricated by a micromilling technique

Abstract

The most common and used technique to produce microfluidic devices for biomedical applications is the soft-lithography. However, this is a high cost and time-consuming technique. Recently, manufacturers were able to produce milling tools smaller than 100 m and consequently have promoted the ability of the micromilling machines to fabricate microfluidic devices capable of performing cell separation. In this work, we show the ability of a micromilling machine to manufacture microchannels down to 30 m and also the ability of a microfluidic device to perform partial separation of red blood cells from plasma. Flow visualization and measurements were performed by using a high-speed video microscopy system. Advantages and limitations of the micromilling fabrication process are also presented.