2019•Research Publications (Maastricht University)Open access
A simple and robust fabrication method for creating 3D tapered polydimethylsiloxane channels
Hoon Suk Rho, Henk‐Willem Veltkamp, Danielle Baptista, Séverine Le Gac, Pamela Habibović
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Abstract
We present a simple and robust microfabrication technique to create three-dimensional (3D) tapered polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channels. Tapered photoresist structures were fabricated by single-step lithography and thermal reflowing process, and the topography of the structures was controlled by varying design parameters, e.g., channel widths and length. Two half funnel-shaped PDMS replicas were combined to realize a 3D funnel-shaped PDMS structure. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in the 3D funnel channel to form an artificial vessel network. We believe that the 3D topographic structures with controlled curvatures would be useful in many scientific and engineering fields, including lab-on-a-chip devices and bio-inspired platforms.