Microfluidic chips in poly(methyl methacrylate): method of laser ablation and thermal binding

A method of laser ablation (LA) of polymers combined with thermal sealing of microstructures is introduced as a tool for rapid fabrication of microfluidic devices (including microfluidic chips) for analytical instruments. Some specific features of LA are discussed, models to evaluate the obtained structures (channels) are described, experimental results achieved in forming microscale structures in plates and films of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) are presented. It is shown that geometrical characteristics and dimensions of the obtained structures depend on the light beam parameters, instrumentation characteristics, and polymer properties. Optimization and control of those parameters allow one to form reproducible microstructures in PMMA, which can be successfully used for fabrication of microfluidic devices and chips.