Enhanced mixing efficiency for a novel 3D Tesla micromixer for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids

The fabrication of constructs with gradients for chemical, mechanical, or electrical composition is becoming critical to achieving more complex structures, particularly in 3D printing and biofabrication. This need is underscored by the complexity of in vivo tissues, which exhibit heterogeneous structures comprised of diverse cells and matrices. Drawing inspiration from the classical Tesla valve, our study introduces a new concept of micromixers to address this complexity. The innovative micromixer design is tailored to enhance the re-creation of in vivo tissue structures and demonstrates an advanced capability to efficiently mix both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. Notably, our 3D Tesla valve micromixer achieves higher mixing efficiency with fewer cycles, which represents a significant improvement over the traditional mixing method. This advance is pivotal for the field of 3D printing and bioprinting, and offers a robust tool that could facilitate the development of gradient hydrogel-based constructs that could also accurately mimic the intricate heterogeneity of natural tissues.