Here we demonstrate a 3D-printable microvalve that is transparent, built with a biocompatible resin, and has a simple architecture that can be easily scaled up into large arrays. The open-at-rest valve design is derived from Quake's PDMS valve design. We used a stereolithographic (SL) 3D printer to print a thin (25 or 10 μm-thick) membrane (1200 or 500 μm-diam.) that is pneumatically pressed (∼3–6 psi) over a bowl-shaped seat to close the valve. We used poly(ethylene diacrylate) (MW = 258) (PEG-DA-258) as the resin because it yields transparent cytocompatible prints. Although the flexibility of PEG-DA-258 is inferior to that of other microvalve fabrication materials such as PDMS, the valve benefits from the bowl design and the membrane's high restoring force since it does not need a negative pressure to re-open. We also 3D-printed a micropump by combining three Quake-style valves in series. The micropump only requires positive pressure for its operation and profits from the fast return to the valves' open states. Moreover, we printed a 64-valve array constructed with 500 μm-diam. valves to demonstrate the reliability and scalability of the valves. Overall, we demonstrate the 3D-printing of compact microvalves and micropumps using a process that precludes the need for specialized, time-consuming labor.

中文翻译：

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3D 打印的 Quake 式微型阀门和微型泵。

在这里，我们展示了一种可 3D 打印的微型阀门，它是透明的，由生物相容性树脂制成，并且具有简单的架构，可以轻松扩展到大型阵列。静态打开阀门设计源自 Quake 的 PDMS 阀门设计。我们使用立体光刻 (SL) 3D 打印机打印薄（25 或 10 μm 厚）薄膜（直径 1200 或 500 μm），该薄膜通过气动压力 (∼3–6 psi) 压在碗形座上以关闭阀门。我们使用聚（二丙烯酸乙二醇酯）（MW = 258）（PEG-DA-258）作为树脂，因为它可以产生透明的细胞相容性印刷品。尽管 PEG-DA-258 的灵活性不如其他微型阀制造材料（例如 PDMS），但该阀受益于碗设计和膜的高恢复力，因为它不需要负压即可重新打开。我们还通过串联组合三个 Quake 式阀门来 3D 打印微型泵。微型泵仅需要正压即可运行，并受益于快速返回到阀门的打开状态。此外，我们还打印了一个直径为 500 μm 的 64 阀阵列。阀门以展示阀门的可靠性和可扩展性。总体而言，我们演示了紧凑型微型阀门和微型泵的 3D 打印，其工艺无需专门且耗时的劳动力。