In Situ Patterning of On-chip Gel Actuators by using Direct Laser Writing for High Integration of Gel Actuators

In this study, we achieved in situ patterning of on-chip gel actuators for high-throughput and versatile cell manipulations. Integrating actuators is essential for realizing high-throughput on-chip cell manipulation. Here, we successfully performed in situ patterning of on-chip gel actuators using direct laser writing (DLW) for high integration of the actuator. DLW enables precise placement of gel actuators on a microfluidic chip without manual alignment. As a result, many gel actuators can be integrated into the chip. Furthermore, we demonstrated the actuation of fabricated gel actuators as on-chip valves and success-fully achieved flow switching in a microchannel with high ON/OFF ratio.