Dataset Information

Microfluidic Droplet-Generation Device with Flexible Walls.

ABSTRACT: Controlling droplet sizes is one of the most important aspects of droplet generators used in biomedical research, drug discovery, high-throughput screening, and emulsion manufacturing applications. This is usually achieved by using multiple devices that are restricted in their range of generated droplet sizes. In this paper, a co-flow microfluidic droplet-generation device with flexible walls was developed such that the width of the continuous (C)-phase channel around the dispersed (D)-phase droplet-generating needle can be adjusted on demand. This actuation mechanism allowed for the adjustment of the C-phase flow velocity, hence providing modulated viscous forces to manipulate droplet sizes in a single device. Two distinct droplet-generation regimes were observed at low D-phase Weber numbers, i.e., a dripping regime at high- and medium-channel widths and a plug regime at low-channel widths. The effect of channel width on droplet size was investigated in the dripping regime under three modes of constant C-phase flow rate, velocity, and Capillary number. Reducing the channel width at a constant C-phase flow rate had the most pronounced effect on producing smaller droplets. This effect can be attributed to the combined influences of the wall effect and increased C-phase velocity, leading to a greater impact on droplet size due to the intensified viscous force. Droplet sizes in the range of 175-913 µm were generated; this range was ~2.5 times wider than the state of the art, notably using a single microfluidic device. Lastly, an empirical model based on Buckingham's Pi theorem was developed to predict the size of droplets based on channel width and height as well as the C-phase Capillary and Reynolds numbers.

SUBMITTER: Yazdanparast S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10536617 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Microfluidic Droplet-Generation Device with Flexible Walls.

Yazdanparast Sajad S Rezai Pouya P Amirfazli Alidad A

Micromachines 20230915 9

Controlling droplet sizes is one of the most important aspects of droplet generators used in biomedical research, drug discovery, high-throughput screening, and emulsion manufacturing applications. This is usually achieved by using multiple devices that are restricted in their range of generated droplet sizes. In this paper, a co-flow microfluidic droplet-generation device with flexible walls was developed such that the width of the continuous (C)-phase channel around the dispersed (D)-phase dro ...[more]

PMID: 37763933

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Project description:Droplet microfluidics are characterized by the generation and manipulation of discrete volumes of solutions, generated with the use of immiscible phases. Those droplets can then be controlled, transported, analyzed or their content modified. In this wide droplet microfluidic toolbox, no means are available to generate, in a controlled manner, droplets co-encapsulating to aqueous phases. Indeed, current methods rely on random co-encapsulation of two aqueous phases during droplet generation or the merging of two random droplets containing different aqueous phases. In this study, we present a novel droplet microfluidic device to reliably and efficiently co-encapsulate two different aqueous phases in micro-droplets. In order to achieve this, we combined existing droplet microfluidic modules in a novel way. The different aqueous phases are individually encapsulated in droplets of different sizes. Those droplet populations are then filtered in order to position each droplet type towards its adequate trapping compartment in traps of a floating trap array. Single droplets, each containing a different aqueous phase, are thus paired and then merged. This pairing at high efficiency is achieved thanks to a unique combination of floating trap arrays, a droplet railing system and a droplet size-based filtering mechanism. The microfluidic chip design presented here provides a filtering threshold with droplets larger than 35 μm (big droplets) being deviated to the lower rail while droplets smaller than 20 μm (small droplets) remain on the upper rail. The effects of the rail height and the distance between the two (upper and lower) rails were investigated. The optimal trap dimensions provide a trapping efficiency of 100% for small and big droplets with a limited double trapping (both compartments of the traps filled with the same droplet type) of 5%. The use of electrocoalescence enables the generation of a droplet while co-encapsulating two aqueous phases. Using the presented microfluidic device libraries of 300 droplets, dual aqueous content can be generated in less than 30 min.

Dataset Information

Microfluidic Droplet-Generation Device with Flexible Walls.

Publications

Microfluidic Droplet-Generation Device with Flexible Walls.

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