HIGH-THROUGHPUT ROLL-TO-ROLL PRODUCTION OF BIO-FUNCTIONALIZED POLYMER COMPONENTS

Within the last decades, a growing number of miniaturized solutions for biological and chemical analysis processes have been developed by scaling these analyses down to a lab-on-a-chip (LoC) level, thanks to sensitive and rapid testing abilities of LoCs. In parallel to that, a significant need for high-throughput and cost-efficient production of LoC components arises. Our roll-to-roll (R2R) pilot-line for imprinting micro- and nano- structures onto polymers in various designs provides high-throughput manufacturing solutions for polymer based flexible LoC components. The structure imprinting (<1 μm resolution) is performed on polymer foils with 125-200 μm thickness using a long-lasting stamp. The system also enables accelerated 19 and localized bio-functionalization with molecular probes (e.g., DNA) using low quantities of biomaterials with a photoactive, commercial linker. Without a surface pre-functionalization, efficient generation of DNA micro-arrays are done and probe DNAs can be tethered successfully onto structured polymer components in a continuous and rapid micro-spotting process.