Case Studies

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Cadworks3D takes immense pride in earning the trust of global partners and the opportunity to collaborate with reputable companies and accomplished researchers. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in the remarkable success achieved by our esteemed collaborators, and we are honored to be a part of their journey.

2023

Polymer-based lab-on-a-disc (LoaD) devices for isolating ribonucleic acid (RNA) from whole blood samples have gained considerable attention for accurate biomedical analysis and point-of-care diagnostics.  Read More

2023

Skin-interfaced wearable systems with integrated microfluidic structures and sensing capabilities offer powerful platforms for monitoring the signals arising from natural physiological processes. Read More

2022

Stereolithographic (SL) 3D printing, especially digital light processing (DLP) printing, is a promising rapid fabrication method for bio-microfluidic applications such as clinical tests, lab-on-a-chip devices, and sensor integrated devices.  Read More

2020

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a long‐standing material of significant interest in microfluidics due to its unique features. As such, rapid prototyping of PDMS‐based microchannels is of great interest. The most prevalent and conventional method for fabrication of PDMS‐based microchips relies on softlithography, the main drawback of which is the preparation of a master mold, which is costly and time‐consuming. Read More

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2024

The hydrodynamic solution was validated using a multi-well fluidic multiplexing and particle metering manifold. Computational image analysis of multiplex metering efficiency using this method showed an average reduction in well-to-well variation in particle concentration from 45% (Q = 1 mL/min, n = 32 total wells) to 17% (Q = 10 mL/min, n = 48 total wells).

2024

This platform provides a tool to observe cellular interactions between organoid surfaces that are spaced apart in a controlled manner, and may ultimately have value in exploring neuronal migration, axon targeting, and assembloid formation mechanisms.

2024

This open-top hydrogel-based fluidic system to deliver chemoattractant cues over square-centimeter-scale areas and millimeter-scale depths can potentially serve as a robust screening platform to assess emerging glioma models and chemotherapeutic agents to eradicate them.

2024

Can a biomimetic microfluidic sperm-sorter isolate motile sperm while minimizing DNA damage, in comparison to density gradient centrifugation (DGC)?

2024

Fabrication time and cost were also evaluated. The precision, reliability, and surface quality of industrial-grade 3-D resin printing were satisfactory for operations requiring depths or heights larger than 0.1 mm due to a low discrepancy between targeted and measured dimensions across a range of 1 mm to 0.1 mm.

2024

The analysis of many environmental and clinical samples requires the modification of the original pH, which is conventionally carried out by manual/automatic addition of acid, base, or buffering reagents.

2024

We experimentally validated the efficacy of our complex field diffractive imager designs through 3D-printed prototypes operating at the terahertz spectrum, with the output amplitude and phase channel images closely aligning with our numerical simulations

2024

Our pore-level measurements reveal that the average velocity of emulsions scales with the inverse residence time of an emulsion, and this scaling separates the emulsions into distinct groups along the emergent preferential pathways.

2023

By establishing the design principles for 3D printing of SlipChip devices, this work will enhance the ability to rapidly prototype such devices at mid-scale levels of production.

2023

In this work, we have carried out research on the microstructured substrates obtained with molds made by the 3D DPL printing technique, in order to obtain a microstructured substrate with maximum displacement. Microstructured PDMS and PDMS/aerogel substrates were tested.

2023

This particle-flow control, combined with the ease of integrating scaffold-free organ models (microtissues or organoids) in HDNs, constitutes the basis for an experimental setup enabling the control of the residence time of single cells around 3D organ models.

2023

The report work will present a new solution to advance gene therapy in treating sensorineural hearing loss

2023

By using accurate 3D-printed models of the scala tympani with geometrical alterations, it was possible to demonstrate the insensitivity of the insertion forces to the size and shape of the scala tympani, after controlling for the angular insertion depth.

2023

This study aims to present our newly developed sensor, detailing the comprehensive investigations we conducted to understand how different parameters affect its behaviour.

2023

Using this system, complex impedance is demonstrated as a marker of fibrosis progression that is directly measurable from cochlear implants to enable real-time tracking of fibrosis formation in patients, creating opportunities for earlier treatment intervention to improve cochlear implant efficacy.

2023

Current systemic therapies for inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are unable to locally target lesions and have substantial systemic side effects. Here, a compact mesoscale spring actuator capable of delivering an anchoring drug deposit to point locations in the GI tract is demonstrated.

2023

Organ-on-a-chip engineering aims to create artificial living organs that mimic the complex and physiological responses of real organs, in order to test drugs by precisely manipulating the cells and their microenvironments. To achieve this, the artificial organs should to be microfabricated with an extracellular matrix (ECM) and various types of cells, and should recapitulate morphogenesis, cell differentiation, and functions according to the native organ.

2023

Stereolithographic (SL) 3D printing, especially digital light processing (DLP) printing, is a promising rapid fabrication method for bio-microfluidic applications such as clinical tests, lab-on-a-chip devices, and sensor integrated devices.

2023

Aquatic germplasm repositories can play a pivotal role in securing the genetic diversity of natural populations and agriculturally important aquatic species.

2023

Abstract Plastic pollution has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. In particular, the most abundant plastic debris, microplastics, has necessitated the development of rapid and effective identification methods to track down the stages and evidence of pollution.

2023

Silicon photonic (SiP) evanescent-field biosensors aim to combine the information-rich readouts offered by lab-scale diagnostics, at a significantly lower cost, and with the portability and rapid time to result offered by paper-based assays.  

2023

Chain reactions are characterized by initiation, propagation and termination, are stochastic at microscopic scales and underlie vital chemical (e.g. combustion engines), nuclear and biotechnological (e.g. polymerase chain reaction) applications.1–5 

2023

Significant improvements are being made in 3D printed microfluidics. 3D printing of microfluidic prototypes gained importance due to the fabrication flexibility compared to conventional techniques.

2023

Microfluidic devices have shown promising applications in the bioprocessing industry. However, the lack of modularity and high cost of testing and error limit their implementation in the industry. Read More

2023

A unidirectional imager would only permit image formation along one direction, from an input field-of-view (FOV) A to an output FOV B, and in the reverse path, B → A, the image formation would be blocked. We report the first demonstration of unidirectional imagers, presenting polarization-insensitive and broadband unidirectional imaging based on successive diffractive layers that are linear and isotropic. Read More

2023

Microinjection protocols are ubiquitous throughout biomedical fields, with hollow microneedle arrays (MNAs) offering distinctive benefits in both research and clinical settings. Unfortunately, manufacturing-associated barriers remain a critical impediment to emerging applications that demand high-density arrays of hollow, high-aspect-ratio microneedles.

2023

A variety of biosensors have been proposed to quickly detect and measure the properties of individual microorganisms among heterogeneous populations, but challenges related to cost, portability, stability, sensitivity, and power consumption limit their applicability. Read More

2023

Chain reactions are characterized by initiation, propagation and termination, are stochastic at microscopic scales and underlie vital chemical (e.g. combustion engines), nuclear and biotechnological (e.g. polymerase chain reaction) applications.1–5 Read More

2023

A new study published in Nature in 2022 describes a breakthrough in miniaturizing ELISA using microfluidic chain reaction. Researchers were able to structurally encode an ELISA for detecting antibodies into a small chip, eliminating the need for external equipment. However, challenges remain with precise pipetting and surfactant tolerance, limiting broader adoption. Read More

2022

To improve basic designs for even temperature distribution, several steps were taken. These included creating a model of the design, testing it, making changes as needed, and repeating the process until the desired results were achieved. Read More

2022

Fluid flow is an integral part of microfluidic and organ-on-chip technology, ideally providing biomimetic fluid, cell, and nutrient exchange as well as physiological or pathological shear stress. Currently, many of the pumps that actively perfuse fluid at biomimetic flow rates are incompatible with use inside cell culture incubators, require many tubing connections, or are too large to run many devices in a confined space. Read More

2022

During cochlear implant (CI) insertion, the mechanical trauma causes a loss of residual hearing in up to 50% of implantations. This can severely limit CI performance through neural degeneration and fibrosis caused by acute mechanical damage and chronic inflammation.  Read More

2022

Silicon photonic (SiP) evanescent-field biosensors aim to combine the information-rich readouts offered by lab-scale diagnostics, at a significantly lower cost, and with the portability and rapid time to result offered by paper-based assays.  Read More

2022

Privacy protection is a growing concern in the digital era, with machine vision techniques widely used throughout public and private settings. Existing methods address this growing problem by, e.g., encrypting camera images or obscuring/blurring the imaged information through digital algorithms. Read More

2022

The PDMS-based microfluidic organ-on-chip platform represents an exciting paradigm that has enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity and adoption. A particularly promising element of this platform is its amenability to rapid manufacturing strategies, which can enable quick adaptations through iterative prototyping.  Read More

2022

Plastic pollution has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. In particular, the most abundant plastic debris, microplastics, has necessitated the development of rapid and effective identification methods to track down the stages and evidence of the pollution. Read More

2022

Chain reactions, characterized by initiation, propagation and termination, are stochastic at microscopic scales and underlie vital chemical (for example, combustion engines), nuclear and biotechnological (for example, polymerase chain reaction) applications. Read More

2021

By establishing the design principles for 3D printing of SlipChip devices, this work will enhance the ability to rapidly prototype such devices at mid-scale levels of production.

2022

Sandwich immunoassays such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have been miniaturized and performed in a lab-on-a-chip format, but the execution of the multiple assay steps typically requires a computer or complex peripherals. Recently, an ELISA for detecting antibodies was encoded structurally in a chip thanks to the microfluidic chain reaction but the need for precise pipetting and intolerance to commonly used surfactant concentrations limited the potential for broader adoption. Read More

2020

Organ-on-a-chip is a microfluidic cell culture model that replicates key organ-specific microarchitecture and pathophysiology in vitro. The current methods to fabricate these devices rely on softlithography, which is usually tedious, laborious, and requires adroit users as well as cleanroom facilities. Read More

2021

With the microfluidics community embracing 3D resin printing as a rapid fabrication method, controlling surface chemistry has emerged as a new challenge. Fluorination of 3D-printed surfaces is highly desirable in many applications due to chemical inertness, low friction coefficients, antifouling properties, and the potential for selective hydrophobic patterning. Read More

2020

Inertial microfluidics has been broadly investigated, resulting in the development of various applications, mainly for particle or cell separation. Lateral migrations of these particles within a microchannel strictly depend on the channel design and its cross-section. Read More

2019

Background: Tumor heterogeneity and evolution of SCLC is poorly defined. Serial longitudinal interrogation of tumor heterogeneity from CTCs detected in peripheral blood patient (pt) samples is a potential strategy to address this gap in knowledge. Read More

2020

The ability to detect rare human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in differentiated populations is critical for safeguarding the clinical translation of cell therapy, as these undifferentiated cells have the capacity to form teratomas in vivo. The detection of hPSCs must be performed using an approach compatible with traceable manufacturing of therapeutic cell products. Here, we report a novel microfluidic approach, stem cell quantitative cytometry (SCQC), for the quantification of rare hPSCs in hPSC-derived cardiomyocyte (CM) populations. Read More

2018

During cancer progression, many tumours shed circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and other biomarkers into the bloodstream. The analysis of CTCs offers the prospect of collecting a liquid biopsy from a patient’s blood to predict and monitor therapeutic responses and tumour recurrence. In this Review, we discuss progress towards the isolation and recovery of bulk CTCs from whole blood samples for the identification of cells with high metastatic potential. Read More

2018

Cell-to-cell variation in gene expression creates a need for techniques that can characterize expression at the level of individual cells. This is particularly true for rare circulating tumor cells, in which subtyping and drug resistance are intensely interesting. Here we describe a method for cell analysis—single-cell mRNA cytometry—that enables the isolation of rare cells from whole blood as a function of target mRNA sequences. Read More

2018

The second edition of the “Summer School on Complex Fluid-Flows in Microfluidics” was held at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Portugal from July 9 – 13, 2018 sponsored by Anton Paar, Applied Sciences, BlackHole Lab, Elveflow, Formulaction, the Portuguese Society of Rheology, and Rheinforce (in alphabetical order). The company Creative CADWorks kindly provided microfluidic connectors, chips and molds fabricated with its 3Dprinter. Read More

2017

Organ-on-a-chip engineering aims to create artificial living organs that mimic the complex and physiological responses of real organs, in order to test drugs by precisely manipulating the cells and their microenvironments. Read More

2016

Bonding of polymer-based microfluidics to polymer substrates still poses a challenge for Lab-On-a-Chip applications. Especially, when sensing elements are incorporated, patterned deposition of adhesives with curing at ambient conditions is required. Here, we demonstrate a fabrication method for fully printed microfluidic systems with sensing elements using inkjet and stereolithographic 3D-printing. Read More

2016

Profiling the heterogeneous phenotypes of rare circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in whole blood is critical to unravelling the complex and dynamic properties of these potential clinical markers. This task is challenging because these cells are present at parts per billion levels among normal blood cells. Here we report a new nanoparticle-enabled method for CTC characterization, called magnetic ranking cytometry, which profiles CTCs on the basis of their surface expression phenotype. We achieve this using a microfluidic chip that successfully processes whole blood samples.  Read More