Microfluidic Manifolds Podcast: In-Depth Discussions with Industry Experts

Join Controlled Fluidics as we delve into the intricacies of microfluidic manifold design and manufacturing. In this podcast, gain valuable insights into when and how microfluidic manifolds are used, the materials best suited for their construction, and the specialized processes involved in their fabrication. Discover how these components are revolutionizing applications in life sciences, medical devices, and beyond.

Please note that within the podcast episode, Tom Rohlfs is identified as the current president and principal engineer at Controlled Fluidics. Controlled Fluidics was sold to Ingersoll Rand in February 2024, and since then Tom Rohlfs has left the company to explore other ventures.

Definition and Scope:Understanding what constitutes a microfluidic manifold and their significance in an array of applications.

Industry Applications:Exploring the use of microfluidic manifolds in life sciences, particularly in mRNA studies and personalized medicine development.

Design Considerations:Insights into channel sizes, shapes, and configurations, including bonding capabilities down to 100µm x 100µm channels.

Material Selection:Discussion on preferred materials like acrylic, COP, and COC, highlighting their properties such as clarity and low autofluorescence.

Manufacturing Processes:An overview of the specialized equipment and techniques required for microfluidic manifold fabrication.

John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher. I'm here today with Tom Rohlfs, President and Principal Engineer at Controlled Fluidics, a plastics machining company specializing in precision manifolds. Our topic today is micro fluidic manifolds. Welcome, Tom.

Tom Rohlfs: Morning, John. Thanks for having me.

John: Sure. Tom, what are microfluidic manifolds?

Tom: In controlled fluidics, there's a lot of knowledge base out there about lab arm, chip type applications. At Controlled Fluidics, we define internally microfluidics as anything below half millimeter channel size. Anything down between what we can bond below half millimeter, we consider that microfluidics. It's a special process for us. It moves us out of our standard bonding equipment into specialized microfluidic bonding equipment.

We're capable of bonding down to a hundred micron by a hundred micron channels. Typically, for microfluidics requests from our customers, we're seeing square channel or D-shaped channel, single-sided channels, down to, as I said, about four thousands by four thousands in various plastics.

John: Okay. Who are microfluidics made for? What types of industries or applications, generally?

Tom: As we've been talking about, life science is very much in that space where they're trying to use tiny amounts of reagents to... we have a customer who is actively involved in mRNA studies who has a microfluidic chip. They're using that, interestingly enough, to develop personalized medicine to help cure cancer. They're using these microfluidic chips to develop drugs for people, via the mRNA technology to cure cancer. Those are the types of applications that we're seeing out there.

John: In the advantage of micro fluidics, is it just the size that it can fit into a certain type of machine? What is it that they're using them for that that requires them to have it be of that size?

Tom: Yeah, so from what I understand, I don't get heavily involved in my customers' applications, but from what I understand, their ability to use very small amounts of chemicals. Sometimes, when they're operating just at the very cellular stage, they want to use tiny amounts of materials. That's able to really save money, save cost, save space.

John: Anything else that's important for people to know about microfluidic manifolds?

Tom: Yeah, sure. We do a machining process. There's lots of ways to produce microfluidics. One of the common ones is embossing. That's not a process we use. We're strictly a machine shop. The nice thing about machining is we can create features and sizes that sometimes are more difficult on the embossing front. We just machine all our features.

We usually can hold tolerances to about half a thousandths 0.005 thousandths of an inch in accuracy. As you can imagine, if you have a channel that's only four thousandths in diameter, you have to have a fairly accurate size, or else your channel won't be the shape that you want it.

We're able to hold fairly close tolerances with good finishes. It's something that there's a need for on the machining front because it allows the customer to flex their design rapidly with machining, whereas once you're embossing, you tend to be locked into that design. You've built a dye to emboss. We fit into that space where customers are looking for flexibility and design, being able to iterate, being able to order small quantities, and then iterate on their design until they can dial in for their application.

John: All right, well that's really great information, Tom. Thanks again for speaking with me today.

Tom: You're welcome.

John: For more information, you can visit the website at ControlledFluidics.com, or call 603-673-4323.