{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,15]],"date-time":"2025-10-15T16:37:55Z","timestamp":1760546275225,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2015,12,9]],"date-time":"2015-12-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1449619200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Micromachines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We present a method to fabricate polymer optofluidic systems by means of injection molding that allow the insertion of standard optical fibers. The chip fabrication and assembly methods produce large numbers of robust optofluidic systems that can be easily assembled and disposed of, yet allow precise optical alignment and improve delivery of optical power. Using a multi-level chip fabrication process, complex channel designs with extremely vertical sidewalls, and dimensions that range from few tens of nanometers to hundreds of microns can be obtained. The technology has been used to align optical fibers in a quick and precise manner, with a lateral alignment accuracy of 2.7 \u00b1 1.8 \u03bcm. We report the production, assembly methods, and the characterization of the resulting injection-molded chips for Lab-on-Chip (LoC) applications. We demonstrate the versatility of this technology by carrying out two types of experiments that benefit from the improved optical system: optical stretching of red blood cells (RBCs) and Raman spectroscopy of a solution loaded into a hollow core fiber. The advantages offered by the presented technology are intended to encourage the use of LoC technology for commercialization and educational purposes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mi6121468","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,12,9]],"date-time":"2015-12-09T15:21:41Z","timestamp":1449674501000},"page":"1971-1983","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Fiber-Based, Injection-Molded Optofluidic Systems: Improvements in Assembly and Applications"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3660-5621","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Matteucci","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, \u00d8rsteds Plads, Building 345B, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Triches","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DFM A\/S Matematiktorvet 307, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"},{"name":"Department of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, \u00d8rsteds Plads, Building 343, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9573-7301","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Nava","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Universit\u00e0 degli Studi di Milano, Milan 20122, Italy"}]},{"given":"Anders","family":"Kristensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, \u00d8rsteds Plads, Building 345B, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"}]},{"given":"Mark","family":"Pollard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"DFM A\/S Matematiktorvet 307, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9977-3980","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kirstine","family":"Berg-S\u00f8rensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, Fysikvej, Building 309, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2491-1098","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafael","family":"Taboryski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, \u00d8rsteds Plads, Building 345B, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,12,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"381","DOI":"10.1038\/nature05060","article-title":"Developing optofluidic technology through the fusion of microfluidics and optics","volume":"442","author":"Psaltis","year":"2006","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1038\/nphoton.2011.206","article-title":"Optofluidic microsystems for chemical and biological analysis","volume":"5","author":"Fan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. Photonics"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"658","DOI":"10.1364\/BOE.2.000658","article-title":"Optofluidic lab-on-a-chip for rapid algae population screening","volume":"2","author":"Schaap","year":"2011","journal-title":"Biomed. Opt. 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