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Chapter 4 - Microfabrication techniques in materiomics
- Edited by Jan de Boer, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, Clemens A. van Blitterswijk, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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- Book:
- Materiomics
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 02 May 2013, pp 51-66
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- Chapter
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Summary
Scope
This chapter deals with an overview of basic microfabrication techniques. The goal is to explain to the reader how such techniques can be utilized in the field of materiomics. The basic processes used in microfabrication including photolithography, etching, electron beam lithography and micromoulding are explained. Some classic examples of these techniques as applied to materiomics are also shown. Furthermore, possible uses of such techniques, and the development and application of hybrid techniques to be able to answer fundamental questions about biological behaviour of materials, are also suggested.
Basic principles of microfabrication
Introduction
Techniques used to fabricate structures or devices smaller than 100 µm are commonly referred to as microfabrication techniques. Initially meant for the electronics industry, they have found a wide range of applications in diverse fields such as chemical engineering and the life sciences. Since the early 1990s, the application of microfabrication technologies in the area of chemical and biological analysis has been termed ‘micro total analysis systems’ (µTAS) (1). Microfabricated devices meant for µTAS initially offered the advantage of sample analysis on the microscale, but over the years, the evolution of these technologies has led to the facilitation of sample preparation, fluid handling, separation systems, cell handling and cell culturing in an integrated manner (1). The application of microtechnologies for the fabrication of devices or systems to study material properties benefits from cost efficiency, high performance, precision-based design flexibility, miniaturization and automated analysis. Miniaturization involves the convergence of multiple disciplines, such as fluid dynamics, material sciences, engineering and the life sciences, that need to join expertise in order to design functional systems. Moreover, these devices can be used to evaluate biological behaviour in vitro and can help us to test thousands of different biomaterials and surface properties without the complexity related to in vivo assays.
Chapter 8 - Upscaling of high-throughput material platforms in two and three dimensions
- Edited by Jan de Boer, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, Clemens A. van Blitterswijk, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
-
- Book:
- Materiomics
- Published online:
- 05 April 2013
- Print publication:
- 02 May 2013, pp 133-154
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Scope
High-throughput screening (HTS) is carried out on two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) materials, with hundreds to thousands of conditions at various size scales. When hits are successfully found in HTS systems, upscaling to clinically relevant surfaces needs to be performed to validate whether the identified material and functionality can be replicated on the macroscale. In doing so, parameters such as surface chemistry, topography and sample dispensing must be controlled to maintain reproducibility. Here, we discuss the methods harnessed to replicate chemical and topographical features from the nano- to the macroscale in 2D and 3D systems. Technologies to control cell adhesion and 3D scaffold fabrication are introduced and discussed in terms of their potential for HTS.
Basic upscaling principles
HTS is a highly automated process that tests small amounts of large numbers of compounds for a desired function. In the previous chapters of this book, the general principles behind material chemistry and resulting physico-chemical properties, combinatorial chemistry, microfabrication technologies and development of tools to perform biological assays on HTS platforms have been described. These elements partly return here, where basic principles of polymer chemistry and surface topographies are introduced in the context of facing the technological challenges to upscale selected candidates to larger surfaces or medical devices with complex curved shapes. In addition, the basic principles behind implant fabrication technologies and precise cell deposition are discussed to illustrate the steps required to assimilate HTS into clinically relevant 3D systems.
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