In laboratory environments, 3D printing is used for fast prototyping of assays and devices. Stereolithographic (SLA) 3D printers are proven to be the best choice for most researchers due to their small feature size, which is achieved by selectively curing liquid resin using a laser with a small focal point and then forming consecutive layers out of cured polymer. However, in microfluidic applications, where the limits of these machines are reached, the final results are influenced by many factors. In this work, the Form 2 SLA printer is tested to show how to achieve the best printing results for the creation of microfluidic channels. Several test structures are designed and printed with embedded and open channels in different orientations, sizes, and resins. Embedded channels significantly under perform when compared with open surface channels in terms of accuracy. Under the best printing conditions, 500 μm is the limit for embedded channels, whereas the open surface channels show good accuracy up to widths and depths of 250 μm.

中文翻译：

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微流体的自由化：将2型台式3D打印作为既有制造方法的一种经济实惠的选择

在实验室环境中，3D打印用于快速测定和设备原型。立体光刻（SLA）3D打印机因其较小的特征尺寸而被证明是大多数研究人员的最佳选择，这是通过使用具有小焦点的激光选择性地固化液态树脂，然后由固化的聚合物形成连续的层来实现的。但是，在微流体应用中，达到了这些机器的极限，最终结果会受到许多因素的影响。在这项工作中，对Form 2 SLA打印机进行了测试，以显示如何在创建微流体通道时获得最佳的打印结果。设计和测试了几种测试结构，并以不同的方向，大小和树脂在嵌入式和开放通道上进行打印。与开放表面通道相比，嵌入式通道在性能上明显欠佳。在最佳打印条件下，嵌入式通道的限制为500μm，而敞开的表面通道在宽度和深度达到250μm时显示出良好的精度。