HoliFAB · Project

Faster, Cheaper Microfluidic Chip Prototyping — From Design to Mass Production in One Pipeline

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Imagine you want to build a tiny lab the size of a credit card — a "lab-on-a-chip" that can test blood or monitor water quality. Right now, getting from a first prototype to a factory-ready product is painfully slow because the chip, the connectors, and all the surrounding parts are designed separately. HoliFAB built a single production pipeline that takes you from 3D-printed prototype to injection-moulded mass product, with 3D printing resolution pushed down to 1–3 micrometres — ten times finer than before — and at speeds 10 to 100 times faster than existing high-resolution printers. They proved it works with real medical and environmental devices.

By the numbers

1–3µm

3D printing resolution achieved

10x

improvement in 3D printing resolution over conventional systems

10–100x

higher throughput than current high-resolution 3D printers

100x

ctDNA enrichment factor from blood

40X

minimum imaging resolution for cancer diagnosis device

20µm

minimum cell geometry scale for organ-on-chip

consortium partners across 6 countries

67%

industry ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Getting a microfluidic chip from lab prototype to factory product is slow, expensive, and fragmented. The chip, connectors, and external components are all designed and built separately, creating bottlenecks at every handoff. Companies that need custom lab-on-a-chip devices — for medical diagnostics, drug testing, or water monitoring — face months of delay and high costs just to bridge the gap between a working prototype and a manufacturable product.

The solution

What was built

Three demonstrated prototypes: a cancer diagnosis device for circulating tumour cell typing with at least 100x ctDNA enrichment, an organ-on-chip platform supporting cell survival of at least one week, and an environmental water analysis platform. Behind these, a unified production pipeline connecting high-resolution 3D printing (1–3µm, 10–100x faster throughput) with injection moulding pilot lines for mass production.

Audience

Who needs this

Diagnostics companies developing liquid biopsy or point-of-care cancer screening devicesContract manufacturers producing polymer microfluidic chips at scalePharma and biotech companies needing organ-on-chip platforms for drug testingWater utilities and environmental testing labs seeking portable field-deployable analysisMedical device OEMs looking to accelerate prototype-to-production timelines

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical Diagnostics

SME

Target: Companies developing liquid biopsy or point-of-care cancer screening devices

If you are a diagnostics company struggling with slow turnaround from chip prototype to manufacturable product — this project built a production pipeline that goes from 3D-printed prototypes at 1–3µm resolution directly to injection-moulded mass production. Their cancer diagnosis prototype demonstrated CTC typing by mechanical behaviour and at least two biomarkers in series with at least 40X imaging, plus ctDNA enrichment of at least 100x. That means you can iterate designs faster and reach clinical validation sooner.

Microfluidics Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Contract manufacturers or OEMs producing polymer microfluidic chips

If you are a microfluidic chip manufacturer dealing with the gap between prototyping and mass production — this project created inter-compatible 3D printing and injection moulding pilot lines. Their 3D printing achieves resolution at least 10x finer than conventional systems, down to 1–3µm, with throughput 10 to 100x higher than current high-resolution machines. This lets you offer customers rapid prototyping that transfers seamlessly to high-volume production.

Environmental Monitoring

any

Target: Water utilities or environmental testing labs seeking portable analysis platforms

If you are a water utility or environmental lab relying on slow centralised testing — this project demonstrated a microfluidic environmental analysis platform with manufactured chips evaluated against current validated laboratory techniques. The devices are polymer-based and designed for mass production via injection moulding, which means lower per-unit cost at scale. You get lab-grade water analysis in a portable, field-deployable format.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use this technology for our own chip development?

The project does not publish specific pricing. However, the entire pipeline was designed to lower costs: 3D printing for rapid prototyping and injection moulding for mass production at the lowest per-unit cost. The coordinator, Fluigent SA, is a commercial microfluidics company that may offer services or licensing.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes — that was a core goal. The project built a fully integrated pilot line covering injection moulding of raw chips, reagent and component integration, sealing, and quality control. The 3D printing throughput is 10 to 100x higher than current high-resolution machines, specifically to support large-scale markets requiring mass production.

What is the IP situation — can we license this technology?

The project uses a patented technology for integrating soft, bio-compatible, and active materials into the production chain. With 10 industry partners including 6 SMEs across 6 countries, IP is likely distributed among consortium members. Contact the coordinator Fluigent SA for licensing terms.

How mature is this technology — is it ready for real-world use?

The project demonstrated working prototypes in operational environments for three applications: cancer diagnosis, organ-on-chip, and environmental water monitoring. It was funded as an Innovation Action, which targets near-market technologies. The pilot lines were built on existing production infrastructure.

What resolution and speed can the 3D printing achieve?

The 3D printing resolution was pushed down to 1–3µm — at least a 10x improvement over conventional systems. Throughput is 10 to 100x higher than current high-resolution 3D printing machines, enabling complex 3D chip architectures without sacrificing production speed.

Does this work with biocompatible materials for medical applications?

Yes. The project specifically integrated soft, bio-compatible, and environment-friendly materials into the production chain. The organ-on-chip prototype demonstrated cell survival of at least one week with an optimal target of three weeks, confirming biocompatibility for tissue modelling.

Consortium

Who built it

The HoliFAB consortium is unusually industry-heavy: 10 out of 15 partners are companies (67%), including 6 SMEs, with only 3 universities and 2 research organisations. This is a strong signal of commercial intent. The coordinator, Fluigent SA, is a French SME that already sells microfluidic flow control instruments commercially — they are not a research lab exploring concepts. The consortium spans 6 countries (Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Poland), giving broad European market access. With the project classified as an Innovation Action rather than basic research, and production built on existing pilot lines, this consortium was assembled to bring technology to market, not just publish papers.

FLUIGENT SACoordinator · FR
EV GROUP E. THALLNER GMBHparticipant · AT
DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITYparticipant · IE
TECH2MARKET SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIAparticipant · PL
MICROLIQUID SLparticipant · ES
INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLIQUEES DE TOULOUSEthirdparty · FR
INSTITUT CURIEthirdparty · FR
MICRO RESIST TECHNOLOGY GESELLSCHAFT FUER CHEMISCHE MATERIALIEN SPEZIELLER PHOTORESISTSYSTEME MBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITE PAUL SABATIER TOULOUSE IIIthirdparty · FR
SCULPTEOparticipant · FR
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
T.E. LABORATORIES LIMITEDparticipant · IE

How to reach the team

Fluigent SA (France) — commercial microfluidics company specialising in flow control systems. SciTransfer can facilitate introductions.

Order a report on this consortium See FLUIGENT SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want access to HoliFAB's microfluidic production technology or need a connection to the consortium? SciTransfer can arrange a qualified introduction to the right partner. Contact us for a one-page technology brief.

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