Efficient mixing in microfluidic systems is bottlenecked by laminar flow and diffusion-dominated transport, limiting the performance of biochemical assays such as conversion rates of enzymatic processes. Here, we present an acoustofluidic micromixer based on two-photon polymerization (2PP)-printed three-dimensional microneedles that act as ultrasonic microresonators to generate localized acoustic streaming. The freeform arrangement of the microneedles […]
Magnetic remote actuation of soft materials is attractive for applications such as transforming materials and medical robots. However, due to manufacturing limitations, microscale magnetoactive devices are scarce and light-based additive manufacturing methods, despite achieving microscale resolution, struggle with particle-induced light scattering. Moreover, large hard-magnetic microparticles restrict ultimate feature sizes and deformation of soft-magnetic nanoparticle composites […]
In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication as well as immediate application of 3D printed spiral phase plates on the ends of FC/PC fiber adapter ferrule tips using a NanoOne 1000 two-photon polymerization 3D printer from UpNano. The spiral phase plates were fabricated to alter the orbital angular momentum of incoming light, and a direct […]
Diseases or injuries that affect neuromuscular tissues severely impact human health, motivating the development of in vitro models of the motor control system. Current platforms either have limited reproducibility or require complex fabrication protocols that preclude high-resolution imaging and scalable functional analysis. We have developed a one-step method for fabricating an all-hydrogel limb-on-a-chip that addresses […]
Endovascular interventions—i.e., minimally invasive procedures that involve navigating guidewires and/or microcatheters through a patient’s vasculature to access target treatment sites—have emerged as a preferable alternative to traditional open surgery in many clinical contexts. Unfortunately, maneuverability constraints inherent to conventional guidewire-microcatheter systems can hinder effective navigation to target sites, elevating the risk of procedural complications or […]
Purpose Surface micropatterning is being explored as a strategy to mitigate thrombus formation and reduce long-term anticoagulation requirements in left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). This study investigated whether specific micro-topographies can modulate platelet deposition under LVAD supraphysiological wall shear stress (WSS) conditions. Materials and Methods A custom microfluidic platform was developed to generate a linear […]
Optically driven robotic actuators are synthetic materials capable of reversible shape-morphing under the control of incident light.Conventional approaches typically require a favorable illumination condition, that is small incidence angle excitement coveringlarge sample area, which poses challenges for optical integration and applicability in optically restricted environments. Here,we present a method that utilizes two-photon polymerization laser-printing of […]
Systemic inflammation associated with obesity impairs skeletal muscle function through paracrine signaling from intermuscular adipose tissue—adipose depots situated between adjacent skeletal muscle groups—as well as from visceral adipose tissue, which consist of infiltrating macrophages surrounding inflamed adipocytes. These signals disrupt metabolic homeostasis and reduce muscle contractility, yet existing models are limited in their ability to […]
Chromosome-less minicells, derived from aberrant polar division events of bacterial cells, have emerged as promising nanocarriers for targeted cancer drug delivery due to their unique characteristics. A major challenge in their purification process lies in effectively isolating such spherical minicells (< 1 μm) from their rod-shaped parental cells (1–10 μm). This study investigates the use of […]
Resonant metallic structures are crucial for telecommunications, biosensors, and microrobotics. However, it presents challenges in obtaining high-quality metallic structures using traditional microfabrication methods. Here, we present a rapid prototyping method that combines two-photon polymerization and electrochemical etching to achieve metallic cantilevers of submillimeter sizes for Micro-Mechanical Oscillators (MMOSs). A mask with cantilever designs for selective […]
