A 3D-printed microfluidic device was designed and manufactured using a low cost
($2000)
consumer grade fusion deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printer. FDM printers are not typically
used, or are capable, of producing the fine detailed structures required for microfluidic
fabrication. However, in this work, the optical transparency of the device was improved
through manufacture optimisation to such a point that optical colorimetric assays can be
performed in a 50 µl device. A colorimetric enzymatic cascade assay was optimised using
glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase for the oxidative coupling of aminoantipyrine
and chromotropic acid to produce a blue quinoneimine dye with a broad absorbance peaking
at 590 nm for the quantification of glucose in solution. For comparison the assay was run in
standard 96 well plates with a commercial plate reader. The results show the accurate and
reproducible quantification of
0–10 mM glucose solution using a 3D-printed microfluidic
optical device with performance comparable to that of a plate reader assay
