Fig. 1

Workflow for direct 3D printing of a microfluidic chip. 1 CAD model: a CAD model of the device is created. This includes the intended channel geometry. 2 Slicing: the CAD model is exported as an STL file and loaded in the slicer software Ultimaker Cura. The software calculates the printing movements for each layer on the basis of the entered parameters and saves it in a G-code file. 3 3D printing: the G-code is sent to the 3D printer, which prints the device according to the parameters listed in the file. 4 Microfluidic device: the printing process is complete after approximately 30–60 min, depending on the device size. The printed microfluidic device is ready to use. Figure created with BioRender.com