Science on demand, 3D printing heat with microfluidics

Hello, knowledge explorers! Today I’m telling you about some geniuses at MIT who are putting a hot twist on science with their new move: 3D printing devices that heat themselves! Microfluidics are like the MVPs (most valuable players) of miniature science, they manipulate fluids and are the key to discovering diseases in very little blood. Imagine you are the master of ceremonies at the Covid-19 home tests, but here comes the dilemma: some need specific heat to dazzle with their tricks. Scientists at MIT, instead of getting into the complicated and expensive roll of microfluidic devices, have decided to give it a whirl in a big way. 3D print these self-heating gizmos! Imagine a 3D printer making scientific magic.

How do they do it? They use a polymer called PLA, which is like the base material for 3D printing, but they don’t stop there, they add copper nanoparticles to make it electrically conductive! The trick is to print a heating element with the magic PLA and, at the same time, the microscopic channels through which the liquid flows. All in a single act of printing! And don’t think it’s just anything, these devices can heat the fluid as it flows, science in action, my friends.

Best of all, this move doesn’t break the bank, with about $2 in materials, you have a microfluidic ready for action. And why is it exciting? Because in remote locations without much access to expensive laboratories, this can be the magic key to more affordable diagnostics. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the PLA is transparent, so you can see what’s going on inside the device, like a window into a microscopic world full of science. Unbelievable!

These scientists are in “democratize technology” mode, according to Luis Fernando Velasquez-Garcia, the mastermind behind the move, and not only that, they are thinking of printing magnets directly into these devices to make even crazier chemical reactions. So, dear friends, science is advancing by leaps and bounds, 3D printing and warming curious hearts, this is just the beginning of a world where technology blends with simplicity and beauty. Until next time, explorers!