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Microfluidic droplet generators (MFDGs) produce highly uniform droplets, but unwanted satellite droplets inevitably form during breakup. Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) enables continuous, passive size-based separation; however, in our previous devices fabricated from photolithographic molds, channel depths were limited, restricting operation to droplets smaller than 100 μm. Here, we overcome this constraint using low-cost stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing to fabricate an integrated microfluidic device combining a flow-focusing MFDG (200 μm depth) and a deep DLD array of square posts (400 μm depth). Pixel-aligned design rules ensured accurate post fabrication, while an auxiliary coflow stabilized droplet entry into the DLD region. The device generated monodisperse acrylate monomer droplets (233 μm, CV 0.7%) with smaller satellites (<60 μm) and achieved complete separation with 100% purity. UV curing yielded two distinct monodisperse particle populations. This work extends DLD-based separation to the large-droplet regime and establishes SLA printing as a practical route for deep-channel, integrated droplet-processing systems.
Tang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.