Low-cost production and sealing procedure of mechanical parts of a versatile 3D-printed perfusion chamber for digital holographic microscopy of primary neurons in culture

We have developed a prototype of a low-cost and versatile 3D-printed perfusion chamber for digital holographic microscopy (DHM) of primary neurons in culture. The imaging chamber is 3D-printed in biocompatible plastic. It is easily convertible between a closed configuration, for refractive index - cellular thickness decoupling, and an open configuration, for electrophysiology. In the closed arrangement, the imaging volume is small, allowing a rapid laminar flow with a fast turnover for an optimal implementation of the decoupling procedure. This paper highlights especially the challenges faced while designing and prototyping the 3D-printed closed perfusion chamber with a small imaging volume for DHM. As all 3D-printed mechanical parts were initially leaking because of internal porosities, we developed a simple sealing protocol using acetone vapors to smooth surfaces. Using this protocol, almost all mechanical parts were successfully sealed. Therefore, the production process of the actual prototype, i.e. the 3D printing and the sealing method, is satisfactory for our target application in the field of microfluidics.