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Table 1 Characteristics and possible applications of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) andpolycarbonate (PC) in the generation of microfluidic devices

From: Direct 3D printed biocompatible microfluidics: assessment of human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and cytotoxic drug screening in a dynamic culture system

Polymer

Characteristics

Possible applications

PLA

Advantage:

• Easy to use

• Recyclable

• Transparent

• Low auto-fluorescence [53]

• No absorption of small molecules [53]

Disadvantage:

• Hydroscopic material – swelling in water

• Lactic acid as degradation product

• Can show cytotoxic effects

Prototype design

Organ on-chip [53]

Cell culture [53]

Incorporation of Microelectrodes [54]

PMMA

Advantage:

• Transparent

• Biocompatible [48, 49]

• Surface modification [50]

• Heat resistant up to 90 °C [55]

• Impermeable to air [56]

• UV-resistant

• Resistant to many acids, bases, alcohols, oils and fats [57]

Disadvantage:

• Not resistant to many organic solvents

PCR-on-chip [50]

Lab-on-chip [58,59,60]

DNA/Protein analysis [61, 62]

Electrochemical detection [54, 63]

Colorimetric assays

Assembling of micro and nanoparticles [44, 64]

PC

Advantage:

• Transparent

• Heat resistant up to 140 °C [52]

• Acid resistance [51]

• Naturally hydrophilic surface [65]

• Surface modification [66]

Disadvantage:

• Sensitive during printing process: environmental conditions

• Poor adhesion properties during the printing process

Electrochemical detection [54, 67]

Lab-on-chip [60, 67]

PCR-on-chip [65, 68]

Biomedical studies [68]

Droplet generation [65]