Medical Design Briefs - May 2024 - 24

and an inner material such as magnetic
steel with healing properties. Likewise,
structures in space could have a
high-temperature resistant material surrounding
inner material with cooling
properties to help the structure maintain
a consistent temperature.
" This concept has both welders printing,
so we can use multiple materials in
the same layer itself, creating advantages
as they combine, " says Bandyopadhyay.
" And it doesn't have to stop at just
two materials. It can be expanded. "
The researchers and WSU have submitted
a provisional patent application
for this development. In addition to
Bandyopadhyay and Squires, the research
team includes second author
Ethan Roberts, a WSU undergraduate
mechanical engineering student. This
research received support from the National
Science Foundation.
For more information, contact Amit
Bandyopadhyay, WSU School of Mechanical
and Materials Engineering, 509335-4862,
amitband@wsu.edu or visit
www.wsu.edu.
Rapid Prototyping Method for Microscale Spiral Devices
The method opens
new possibilities
for bioanalytical
applications, such as
cell separations in
the realm of medical
diagnostics.
Tohoku University
Sendai, Japan
A team of researchers from Tohoku
University and Okinawa Institute
of Science and Technology
(OIST) has achieved significant advancement
in the field of microfluidics,
allowing for precise and efficient
manipulation of fluids in
three- dimensional microscale environments.
This work opens up new
possibilities for bioanalytical applications,
such as cell separations in
the realm of medical diagnostics.
Microfluidic devices are designed
to handle minuscule fluid volumes,
allowing researchers to perform
analyses and processes with remarkable
precision and efficiency. In recent
years, microfluidic technology
has rapidly advanced across various
fields, including medicine, biology,
and chemistry. Among them,
three-dimensional spiral microfluidic
devices stand out as game-changers.
Their intricate corkscrew-like
design allows for precise fluid control,
efficient particle separation,
and reagent mixing. However, their
potential to revolutionize bioanalytical
applications is hindered by the
current challenges in fabrication.
The process is time-consuming and
costly, and existing manufacturing
techniques limit material options
and structural configurations.
24
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A new rapid prototyping method allows for precise and efficient manipulation of fluids in three-dimensional
microscale environments. (Credit: Tohoku University)
Twisted Fiber Microfluids
microchannel
transparent polymer fiber
rotation
1
0.5
1
0.5
secondary flow
200 um
primary flow
Watch the slide show to see the concept, fabrication procedure, and prototyped fiber. (Credit: Kato et al.)
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Medical Design Briefs, May 2024
heat, 260°C
pull
normalized velocity magnitude

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Medical Design Briefs - May 2024

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