Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) systems are utilized for medicine and biotechnology applications. The field reaches from synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients up to the detection of specific biomarkers and the cultivation of human cells and human tissues for substance testing, personalized and regenerative medicine. LoC systems can be realized quickly and flexibly with an established closed technology chain developed at Fraunhofer IWS. In the first step, the system is constructively split into individual layers, which are later formed in each case by a separate foil. In the second step, a material with the desired properties is selected from the functional boundary conditions for each layer. In the third step, the foils are cut by means of laser micro-material processing, structured on both sides and optionally functionalized. In the fourth and final step, the individual foils are laminated together into a multilayer system using different technologies. In order to increase the effectiveness of laser micro-material processing, the established scanner-based optical design was further developed. The f-Theta lens was removed and replaced by a dynamic beam shaping element and a fixed focal length lens located in the beam path in advance of the scanner (“post-objective scanning”). As a high-dynamic beam shaping module, a mirror with piezo-driven surface curvature is used. The focal spot can be placed in a plane via a defined curvature as a function of the scanner mirror positions. By eliminating the f-Theta objective, the working area is increased by a factor of 4, resulting in a total process efficiency improvement.
An integrated technology chain for laser-microstructuring and bonding of polymer foils for fast, flexible and low-cost manufacturing of multilayer lab-on-a-chip devices especially for complex cell and tissue culture applications, which provides pulsatile fluid flow within physiological ranges at low media-to-cells ratio, was developed and established. Initially the microfluidic system is constructively divided into individual layers which are formed by separate foils or plates. Based on the functional boundary conditions and the necessary properties of each layer the corresponding foils and plates are chosen. In the third step the foils and plates are laser microstructured and functionalized from both sides. In the fourth and last manufacturing step the multiple plates and foils are joined using thermal diffusion bonding. Membranes for pneumatically driven valves and micropumps where bonded via chemical surface modification. Based on the established lab-on-a-chip platform for perfused cell-based assays, a multilayer microfluidic system with two parallel connected cell culture chambers was successfully implemented.
Over the recent years the novel fiber laser technology and its potentials have been exciting laser manufacturers as well as
researchers and industrial users. Fiber lasers with their excellent beam quality promised noticeable advantages and
improvements in high precision and micro material processing. Besides the excellent beam quality there are more
advantages of the fiber laser technology such as compact installation size, high laser efficiency, moderate system price
and easy to be integrated. The paper presents the results of extensive comparative tests of short pulse fiber laser systems
and a common q-switch rod solid state laser with nearly identical system parameters. The intention was to determine the
specific advantages in practical application work. Where are the advantage and how large are the improvements?
Therefore typical applications of laser micro machining have been chosen - drilling, cutting and lateral material removal
as well as marking. By choosing different materials like aluminum, silicon and ruby a broad field has been examined.
Distinct improvements have been proven in several applications especially regarding precision and surface quality of the
created structures. Under almost identical conditions the fiber laser achieved more narrow cutting kerfs and smaller hole
diameters compared to the rod laser system.
The main focus of this article lies on the development of a novel joining technology for LTCC ceramic and
polymer sub-assemblies utilising laser radiation. Technical processes and the latest results are presented as
well as potential future applications. The developed joining process can be divided into two steps utilizing
the same laser system: a surface modification of the joining partners and a thermal process that is melting a
small portion of the polymer matrix that is being pressed into the roughness of the ceramic surface.
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