Additively Manufactured Fluidic Devices With Non-Sacrificial Flow Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluidic device manufacturing methods, particularly using additive manufacturing, require numerous steps and are prone to fluid leakage due to the use of membrane layers, which increase the complexity and risk of leakage at interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a substrate with a support member in the first channel, allowing the formation of a second body via additive manufacturing without a cover plate or membrane, which includes a fluid flow path for transport and reduces the need for additional steps and leakage risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a membrane layer is used to support the second body during additive manufacturing, then the structural integrity during printing is improved, but the risk of fluid leakage at interfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the membrane layer from the manufacturing process entirely. Instead of using a membrane to support the second body during printing, the patent directly prints the second body onto the first body, eliminating the interface where leakage occurs while maintaining structural integrity through direct bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the first body and second body into a single integrated structure through direct additive manufacturing. By printing the second body directly onto the first body without an intervening membrane, the two components form a unified structure with improved reliability and reduced leakage risk at interfaces.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple manufacturing steps including membrane placement and sacrificial material removal are used, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity and number of steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by directly printing the support structure and channels into the first body during the initial additive manufacturing process. This eliminates the need for subsequent sacrificial material placement and removal steps, reducing overall process complexity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process is made universal by using it for both structural fabrication and channel formation in a single integrated process. The same printing process that creates the body structures also creates the internal channels, eliminating the need for separate sacrificial material steps and reducing device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If sacrificial material is used to define channels, then the channel formation precision is improved, but the manufacturing time and process steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by directly printing the final channel structures into the body during the initial additive manufacturing process. Channels are formed as integral parts of the printed structure, eliminating the need for subsequent sacrificial material placement, curing, and removal steps, thereby reducing manufacturing cycle time while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the sacrificial material step from the manufacturing process. Instead of using temporary materials that must be removed, the patent directly prints permanent channel structures, removing the time-consuming removal steps while maintaining accurate channel definition through the printing process itself.
Data Source
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Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
:Provided is a method (100) of fabricating a fluidic device (214). The method comprises providing (102, 104) a substrate (200) supporting a first body (202). A first channel (204) is defined in the first body, and a support member (206) is provided in the first channel. The method further comprises forming (106), in an additive manufacturing process, a second body (208) supported by the first body and the support member. The support member comprises at least one fluid flow path therethrough for permitting fluid transport along the first channel while the support member is supporting the second body.Further provided is the fluidic device per se, which fluidic device comprises the first body, the support member in the first channel defined in the first body, and the additive manufactured second body supported by the first body and the support member.