CO2 laser cutting and ablative etching for the fabrication of paper-based devices

We describe a method for fabricating paper-based microfluidic devices using a commercially available CO₂ laser system. The method is versatile and allows for controlled through-cutting and ablative etching of nitrocellulose substrates. In addition, the laser system can cut a variety of components that are useful in the fabrication of paper-based devices, including cellulose wicking pads, glass fiber source pads and Mylar-based substrates for the device housing.