Procedures based on micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) were used to pattern a surface of a substrate with micrometerand submicrometer-scale structures. An elastomeric stamp made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and having relief features in its surface was placed on a substrate; contact between the elastomeric stamp and the substrate formed a network of interconnected channels. A fluidsa precursor to...

The objective of this study was to measure discolouration using a digital camera on various types of clear orthodontic elastic modules, immersion solutions, and time periods to determine whether the cause of discolouration of these modules was due to simple staining, chemical degradation, or both. Three types of clear orthodontic elastomeric modules were investigated [Plastic ligatures (AO); Po...

AIM The aim of this study was to determine the wettability of different hydrophilic and hydrophobic elastomeric impression materials and the gypsum castability. MATERIALS AND METHODS The wettability was evaluated by determining the contact angles of different elastomeric impression materials. The contact angle was determined by placing a drop of aqueous solution of calcium sulfate dihydrate o...

Although advanced fluid handling using elastomeric valves is useful for a variety of lab-on-a-chip procedures, their operation has traditionally relied on external laboratory infrastructure (such as gas tanks, computers, and ground electricity). This dependence has held back the use of elastomeric microvalves for point-of-care settings. Here, we demonstrate that microfabricated microvalves, via...

An elastomeric grating coupler fabricated by the replica molding technique is used to measure the modal indices of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) planar waveguide structure. Because of the van der Waals interaction between the grating mold and the waveguide, the elastomeric stamp makes conformal contact with the waveguide surface, inducing a periodic index perturbation at the contact region. The ...

We propose a method for the separation of long DNA molecules, based on elastomeric nanochannels with tunable cross section. These nanoconfinement structures can be used to stretch DNA molecules and lower their conformational entropy. The sieving mechanism of entropic recoil, proposed by Cabodi et al. [1], will be implemented using an array of elastomeric nanocheannels. Structures of various dim...

We recently developed a method of multilayer fabrication for elastomeric devices, which we used to fabricate monolithic active valves and pumps. Here we describe efforts to use these pumps and valves in an integrated DNA diagnostic chip and show results of a key component, surface patterning, with two different kind of surface chemistries by using similar elastomeric channel devices. Flow contr...

An elastomeric gel is a cross-linked polymer network swollen with a solvent (fluid). A continuum-mechanical theory to describe the various coupled aspects of fluid permeation and large deformations (e.g., swelling and squeezing) of elastomeric gels is formulated. The basic mechanical force balance laws and the balance law for the fluid content are reviewed, and the constitutive theory that we d...