Rapid & controlled manufacturing of microfluidic devices using hot embossing

Abstract

Microfluidics are becoming commonplace in research and medicine, particularly in point-of-care diagnostics and drug development. Many manufacturing methods exist for such devices, but initial setup can be costly and slow, hindering the ability to quickly iterate on designs. Hot embossing has previously been demonstrated to have low capital costs and high flexibility. This work focuses on leveraging this flexibility to implement a closed-loop feedback controller within an automated hot embossing manufacturing cell. Three families of controllers are implemented and analyzed for compatibility with this system. The first is based on a classic discrete integral controller. The second extends this work by developing a method for optimizing the system outputs. The third combines statistical methods and traditional process control to suit the non-linear embossing process. Finally, preliminary experiments demonstrate the ability of the hot embossing system to replicate nano-scale features, providing the future opportunity to manufacture nanofluidic devices with the same equipment and methodology as microfluidic devices.