Braiding Three-Dimensional Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices

Three-dimensional paper-based microfluidic devices have shown great potential in various applications, including point-of-care diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and tissue engineering. However, their fabrication is still limited to stacking and origami methods. Inspired by the art of bamboo braiding in China, we developed a novel fabrication technique based on the braiding concept to create three-dimensional paper-based microfluidic devices with PDMS-impregnated paper substrate as the building units. The resulting three-dimensional paper device brings unique advantages, including compactness, facile disassembly, and real-time flow visualization. The multiplexed glucose analysis with a braided device integrated with 16-switchable valves for flow control was further fabricated to demonstrate the device's applicability. We envision braiding-based fabrication technology opening new possibilities and bringing broad applications for three-dimensional paper microfluidic devices.