VersaLive Starter Kit

Item name

Item description, link

VersaLive master

Mold for replicating VersaLive PMDS chips. Master fabrication requires a cleanroom environment but can also be purchased from specialized companies or facilities

PDMS kit

Material for the fabrication of the microfluidic chips via soft-lithography (Dow SYLGARD™ 184 Silicone Elastomer Kit)

Trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)silane

Fluorosilane for master passivation (CAS number: 78560-45-9)

Vacuum desiccator

For the degassing of the uncured PDMS as well as the passivation of the master

Glass slides, 30 mm diameter, #1 thickness

Slides for the sealing of the bottom side of the chips (Marienfeld, ref. 0111700)

Plasma surface activator (chamber or corona discharge wand)

Plasma activation is required to bond the PDMS to the glass slides. It can be achieved by using plasma chambers but also cheaper corona discharge wands

Tweezers, fine tip

Tweezers are useful to handle all components (Bahco, ref. TL AA-SA SL)

Biopsy punch

Punches are required to open the access ports of the chips. A diameter of 3 mm is suitable for most applications but other sizes can be used too (World Precise Instrument, ref. 504649)

Single-edge razor blades

To cut chips out of the PDMS slabs (Personna, ref. PSA660210)

[Optional] Scalpel

A curved blade is particularly useful to free the PDMS slab from the master mold (Swann-Morton, blade n. 12)

[Optional] Chip holder

Useful tool to carry the chips without the risk of damaging them (ThorLabs, ref. SM30L05)

[Optional] Chip holder support

Adapter for OkoLab H101 stage incubator for Nikon Ti light microscope (custom made, 2 mm laser cut acrylic)