The need for developing biodegradable, sustainable, environmentally-friendly and low-cost materials have increased in recent years. Wood-based devices and platforms are a major focus for research for this reason. Harnessing wood as a possible alternative to thermoplastics for point-of-care (POC) devices would greatly reduce waste generated by the polymer-based industry.<br/>This work demonstrates the ease of fabrication and adaptability of wood for point-of-care (POC) applications. These devices are made from easily sourced renewable materials for fabrication while exhibiting all the advantages of plastic devices without the problem of non-biodegradable waste and cost. We utilized laser engraving, traditional mechanical methods and adapted their surface to counter the wicking effect of wood. Plywood surfaces were coated with different solutions (Polymethylmethacrylate-, cellulose acetate-, Teflon, mineral oil, and semi-solid beeswax), and the contact angle of a water droplet was measured each of the coated surfaces. The Teflon coating resulted in a contact angle greater than 90° and low wicking properties compared to the other coatings (Figure 1 A). Teflon coated serpentine devices were bonded to a polymer (polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA) sheet using double-sided tape to demonstrate a functional device (Figure 1 B). This work demonstrates the ability to utilize wood as a viable structural alternative to thermoplastic devices and will provide examples of different biodegradable POC devices.

Wood microfluidic devices for point-of-care applications

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.