Aging behavior of fully 3D printed microfluidic devices.

Elements of microfluidic systems created by 3D printing offer numerous advantages, such as rapid manufacturing, low cost, and the ability to create complex 3D channel topologies. Their parameters and performance can be quickly adjusted by editing the model loaded into the printer. However, the mechanical properties of polymers used for printing are often poorly documented and can significantly change over time due to aging, relaxation, or creep effects, leading to unexpected behaviour of 3D-printed devices. To address this issue, we performed a complete mechanical characterization of the samples made by 3D printing, including stress relaxation and creep tests, at different time intervals after printing. The determined properties of the material allowed us to model the mechanical and hydrodynamical performance of the 3D-printed microfluidic device, which we demonstrate using an example of a fully printed check valve specially developed for use in microfluidic systems. This approach allows easy quantitative evaluation of the optimal production cycle and lifetime of 3D-printed microfluidic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]