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Micromachines
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Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation...
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Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation to Industrial Production

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B：Biology and Biomedicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2026 | Viewed by 3488

Editors

Dr. Xinchuan Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Industrial Professions, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL 35632, USA
Interests: micro-manufacturing; MEMS; BioMEMS; industrial process optimization; quality control (six sigma); biomedical devices
Dr. Xuejun Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23220, USA
Interests: BioMEMS; biomaterials; tissue engineering; stem cell; regenerative medicine; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Cheng Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, 500 W First St., Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Interests: MEMS; NEMS; microfluidics; surface wetting; bone implants; energy harvesting; solid mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid advancement of BioMEMS and micro-manufacturing technologies has led to revolutionary breakthroughs in diagnostics, drug delivery, and personalized medicine at the laboratory scale. However, transitioning these sophisticated laboratory innovations into reliable, cost-effective, and mass-produced industrial products remains a significant challenge. The gap between a "proof-of-concept" prototype and a “market-ready” device involves complex hurdles in manufacturing scalability, process stability, and rigorous quality control.

This Special Issue, “Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation to Industrial Production”, aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that address these transitional challenges. We seek contributions that not only showcase innovative micro-fabrication techniques, but also emphasize the methodologies required for industrialization.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative micro-/nano-fabrication processes for BioMEMS.
  • Scalable manufacturing and assembly techniques for biomedical micro-devices.
  • Quality engineering and process optimization (e.g., Six Sigma, Design of Experiments) in micro-manufacturing.
  • Reliability testing and standardization of BioMEMS.
  • Integration of smart sensors and actuators into industrial-grade micro-systems.
  • Case studies on the successful translation of BioMEMS from lab to market.

Dr. Xinchuan Liu
Dr. Xuejun Wen
Prof. Dr. Cheng Luo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • BioMEMS
  • biosensors
  • biomedical micro-devices
  • biomedical instrumentation
  • wearable devices
  • micro-fabrication
  • industrialization/scalability
  • process optimization
  • process reliability and quality control
  • lab-on-a-chip production
  • precision engineering
  • translational medicine devices

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2591 KB  
Article
Synthesis of Alumina Nanoparticles Using Plasma-Induced Microbubbles
by Yuma Minami, Yuudai Aokusa, Nobutoshi Ota, Yu Yamashita and Yoko Yamanishi
Micromachines 2026, 17(5), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17050527 - 26 Apr 2026
Viewed by 632
Abstract
This study investigates the selective synthesis of α- and γ-alumina nanoparticles using plasma-induced microbubbles. Although plasma-induced bubbles provide an effective reaction environment for the synthesis of nanomaterials, precise phase control remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate that the modulation of the pulse off time [...] Read more.
This study investigates the selective synthesis of α- and γ-alumina nanoparticles using plasma-induced microbubbles. Although plasma-induced bubbles provide an effective reaction environment for the synthesis of nanomaterials, precise phase control remains challenging. Herein, we demonstrate that the modulation of the pulse off time regulates the thermal environment within the bubbles. Optical emission spectroscopy revealed that a shorter off time maintains a high electron temperature, indicating substantial heat accumulation. This high-energy state promotes the atomization of the precursor mist and the subsequent growth of molten droplets, providing sufficient activation energy for the formation of the thermodynamically stable α-phase. In contrast, a longer off time leads to the formation of a metastable γ-phase because of insufficient heating and rapid quenching. These findings prove that alumina nanoparticles with desired crystal phase and size can be synthesized by controlling the thermal energy inside the plasma-induced microbubbles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation to Industrial Production)
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28 pages, 46303 KB  
Article
Volumetric Control vs. Pneumatic Pressure: A Comparative Analysis of Extrusion in 3D Bioprinting
by Doru-Daniel Cristea, Eduard Liciu, Andreea Trifan and Corneliu Bălan
Micromachines 2026, 17(5), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17050521 - 24 Apr 2026
Viewed by 842
Abstract
Extrusion-based bioprinting faces significant challenges in achieving the shape fidelity and internal porosity necessary for cell viability, often hindered by subjective assessment methods. This study investigated the relationship between rheological properties and print quality using a natural polymer biomaterial ink composed of 12% [...] Read more.
Extrusion-based bioprinting faces significant challenges in achieving the shape fidelity and internal porosity necessary for cell viability, often hindered by subjective assessment methods. This study investigated the relationship between rheological properties and print quality using a natural polymer biomaterial ink composed of 12% gelatin, 5% alginate, and 1% carboxymethylcellulose. We conducted a comparative analysis between traditional pneumatic systems and screw-driven volumetric extrusion, utilizing a suite of quantitative metrics: Spreading Ratio (SR), Printability Index (Pr), Uniformity Ratio (UF), Collapse Angle (θ), and evaluated porosity. Our results demonstrate that the screw-driven system’s positive displacement mechanism provides superior control over filament morphology by enabling precise volumetric modulation. While the pneumatic system exhibited a high SR of 1.82 and the lowest porosity at 59.92%, the screw-driven system allowed for “under-extrusion” to compensate for viscoelastic die swell. Reducing the flow rate to 50% in the screw system lowered the SR to 1.09, nearly matching the nozzle diameter, and increased porosity to 76.46%. Furthermore, the screw-driven system achieved an ideal Pr of 1.0, whereas the pneumatic system produced distorted, rounded pores with a Pr of 1.57. The findings indicate that screw-driven extruders can decouple line complex rheology from the printing process, allowing for finer spatial resolution and better pore interconnectivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation to Industrial Production)
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15 pages, 3081 KB  
Article
Study of the Relation Between the Reynolds Number and the Formation of Au and Ag Nanostructures by Flow-Driven Surface Modification in Microfluidic Reactors
by Oscar Perez-Landeros, Alan Garcia-Gallegos, David Mateos-Anzaldo, Roumen Nedev, Judith Paz-Delgadillo, Mariela Dominguez-Osuna, Evelyn Magaña-Leyva, Ricardo Salinas-Martinez and Mario Curiel-Alvarez
Micromachines 2026, 17(4), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17040470 - 14 Apr 2026
Viewed by 910
Abstract
Microfluidics enables spatially controlled nanostructure synthesis by coupling confined flows with surface reactions. In this work, we study how geometry-induced laminar microenvironments govern the in situ formation of Au and Ag nanostructures inside 3D-printed microfluidic reactors. Proof-of-concept fish-scale valves were fabricated by masked [...] Read more.
Microfluidics enables spatially controlled nanostructure synthesis by coupling confined flows with surface reactions. In this work, we study how geometry-induced laminar microenvironments govern the in situ formation of Au and Ag nanostructures inside 3D-printed microfluidic reactors. Proof-of-concept fish-scale valves were fabricated by masked stereolithography in three architectures designed to define three recurring zones in the microreactor, inside the fish-scales (zone 1), between the fish-scales (zone 2), and along the rows of fish-scales (zone 3). A Cu thin film was deposited on the inner walls of the channel to serve as the sacrificial surface for galvanic replacement using AgNO3 or HAuCl4. Distinct 0D, 1D, and 2D nanostructures were simultaneously obtained in a zone-dependent manner across the valves, including nanoparticle and nanopore-rich regions, nanowires, nanoflakes and clustered 2D features. COMSOL simulations were used to solve the Navier–Stokes equation and extract specific-zone flow descriptors, including Reynolds number, velocity, and wall shear stress, and relate them to the nanostructure morphologies observed by SEM. The flow throughout the devices is strongly laminar, with local Reynolds numbers up to 0.04, exhibiting systematic spatial gradients imposed by the valve geometry. These results provide a design-guided route to tune nanostructure morphology through microchannel architecture under constant global operating conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation to Industrial Production)
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Review

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38 pages, 1390 KB  
Review
Sidewall Patterning in 3D Micro/Nanosystems: A Review
by Xinchuan Liu and Cheng Luo
Micromachines 2026, 17(9), 992; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17090992 (registering DOI) - 22 Aug 2026
Abstract
Current micro/nanosystems mainly rely on a planar fabrication framework, where structures are built layer-by-layer on flat surfaces. This conventional approach leaves vertical sidewalls underutilized, posing geometric limits in packaging density, three-dimensional (3D) interconnects, and multi-surface functionalization. To overcome these constraints, sidewall patterning has [...] Read more.
Current micro/nanosystems mainly rely on a planar fabrication framework, where structures are built layer-by-layer on flat surfaces. This conventional approach leaves vertical sidewalls underutilized, posing geometric limits in packaging density, three-dimensional (3D) interconnects, and multi-surface functionalization. To overcome these constraints, sidewall patterning has emerged as a promising strategy, enabling 3D integrated circuits, templates for directed nanostructure synthesis, and microfluidic drag reduction. Nevertheless, traditional photolithography and non-photolithographic techniques face challenges when applied to vertical or curved 3D surfaces. Unidirectional radiation and restricted focal depths prevent high-fidelity pattern transfer, even when using soft lithography, scanning probes, or nanoimprinting. To address these geometric and mechanical barriers, our group has developed several approaches for patterning the sidewalls of microsystems, which are the primary focus of this review. Building upon our approaches, this review further surveys related sidewall-patterning strategies, including micro-transfer printing, multi-stimuli-responsive mechanics, block copolymer self-assembly, two-photon polymerization, and laser-induced forward transfer. Collectively, these techniques expand the capabilities of sidewall engineering and provide valuable insights into next-generation 3D micro- and nanomanufacturing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Micro-Manufacturing and BioMEMS: Bridging the Gap from Laboratory Innovation to Industrial Production)
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