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Wang S, Zhang Z, Xu Q, Chen Y, Wang Q, Lu B, Luo X, Wang D, Jiang X. Branch-convergence structure based on double-layer chip: a universal method for enhancing microfluidic mixing. LAB ON A CHIP 2024. [PMID: 39193997 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00405a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic mixing has significant applications in various fields, including materials synthesis and biochemical analysis. In this study, we propose a universal strategy to enhance mixing efficiency in microfluidic chips. This strategy initially divides the liquid into branches, which then converge in an interdigitated manner at the beginning of the mixing segment. This branch-convergence structure reduces the flow width of each liquid, thereby decreasing the diffusion distances required for mixing. Under the conditions of this study, the mixing efficiency could be improved by approximately 10 times. Importantly, this enhancement strategy only requires changing the structure of the liquid inflow channel without changing the structure of the mixing segment. Thus, this strategy has broad applicability, any mixing section with different principles and structures can be connected downstream of the branch-convergence structure. In addition, we applied this universal mixing enhancement strategy to the continuous synthesis of lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles, resulting in a higher uniformity of synthesized nanoparticles compared to unenhanced devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saijie Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Zhihan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Quanchen Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Yao Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Qian Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Boxi Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Xueqing Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Dou Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
| | - Xingyu Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Rd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
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2
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Almeida DRS, Gil JF, Guillot AJ, Li J, Pinto RJB, Santos HA, Gonçalves G. Advances in Microfluidic-Based Core@Shell Nanoparticles Fabrication for Cancer Applications. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2400946. [PMID: 38736024 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Current research in cancer therapy focuses on personalized therapies, through nanotechnology-based targeted drug delivery systems. Particularly, controlled drug release with nanoparticles (NPs) can be designed to safely transport various active agents, optimizing delivery to specific organs and tumors, minimizing side effects. The use of microfluidics (MFs) in this field has stood out against conventional methods by allowing precise control over parameters like size, structure, composition, and mechanical/biological properties of nanoscale carriers. This review compiles applications of microfluidics in the production of core-shell NPs (CSNPs) for cancer therapy, discussing the versatility inherent in various microchannel and/or micromixer setups and showcasing how these setups can be utilized individually or in combination, as well as how this technology allows the development of new advances in more efficient and controlled fabrication of core-shell nanoformulations. Recent biological studies have achieved an effective, safe, and controlled delivery of otherwise unreliable encapsulants such as small interfering RNA (siRNA), plasmid DNA (pDNA), and cisplatin as a result of precisely tuned fabrication of nanocarriers, showing that this technology is paving the way for innovative strategies in cancer therapy nanofabrication, characterized by continuous production and high reproducibility. Finally, this review analyzes the technical, biological, and technological limitations that currently prevent this technology from becoming the standard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte R S Almeida
- Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
- Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory (LASI), Guimarães, 4800-058, Portugal
| | - João Ferreira Gil
- Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
- Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory (LASI), Guimarães, 4800-058, Portugal
| | - Antonio José Guillot
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Ave. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, Burjassot, Valencia, 46100, Spain
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
| | - Jiachen Li
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
| | - Ricardo J B Pinto
- CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Hélder A Santos
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland
| | - Gil Gonçalves
- Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA), Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
- Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory (LASI), Guimarães, 4800-058, Portugal
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Zhang Z, Deng X, Zhang W, Chen K, Su Y, Gao C, Gong D, Zhu L, Cai J. Manipulation of magnetic beads for actively capturing Vibrio parahaemolyticus and nucleic acid based on microfluidic system. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2024; 18:034104. [PMID: 38737753 PMCID: PMC11088461 DOI: 10.1063/5.0193442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Rapid biological detection of pathogen micro-organisms has attracted much attention for practical biomedical applications. Despite the development in this field, it is still challenging to achieve simple and rapid biological detection using the microfluidic method. Herein, we propose a novel strategy of biological detection that combines precise detection control of the capillary microfluidic chip and versatile manipulation of magnetic beads. The microfluidic chip was fabricated via laser cutting, which utilized capillary pressure to realize rapid passive injection of liquid samples. Under an external magnetic field, the aptamer-modified magnetic beads were actuated to mix with Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) and its nucleic acid in the capillary microfluidic chip for rapid selective capture and detection, which could be achieved within 40 min. The experimental results demonstrated that V. parahaemolyticus could be captured using on-chip immunomagnetic beads with a high efficiency and significantly enhanced detection value. Due to these superior performances, the capillary microfluidic system, based on the manipulation of magnetic beads, demonstrated great potential for automatic biological detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxuan Zhang
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xue Deng
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Wenqiang Zhang
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kehan Chen
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yuan Su
- Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Quality Control of Food, Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Health (Institute of Nutrition and Health), China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chao Gao
- College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - De Gong
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Longjiao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Quality Control of Food, Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Health (Institute of Nutrition and Health), China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jun Cai
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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Naula Duchi EA, Betancourt Cervantes HA, Yañez Espinosa CR, Rodríguez CA, Garza-Castañon LE, Martínez López JI. Particle Tracking and Micromixing Performance Characterization with a Mobile Device. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:9900. [PMID: 38139748 PMCID: PMC10747875 DOI: 10.3390/s23249900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Strategies to stir and mix reagents in microfluid devices have evolved concomitantly with advancements in manufacturing techniques and sensing. While there is a large array of reported designs to combine and homogenize liquids, most of the characterization has been focused on setups with two inlets and one outlet. While this configuration is helpful to directly evaluate the effects of features and parameters on the mixing degree, it does not portray the conditions for experiments that involve more than two substances required to be subsequently combined. In this work, we present a mixing characterization methodology based on particle tracking as an alternative to the most common approach to measure homogeneity using the standard deviation of pixel intensities from a grayscale image. The proposed algorithm is implemented on a free and open-source mobile application (MIQUOD) for Android devices, numerically tested on COMSOL Multiphysics, and experimentally tested on a bidimensional split and recombine micromixer and a three-dimensional micromixer with sinusoidal grooves for different Reynolds numbers and geometrical features for samples with fluids seeded with red, blue, and green microparticles. The application uses concentration field data and particle track data to evaluate up to eleven performance metrics. Furthermore, with the insights from the experimental and numerical data, a mixing index for particles (mp) is proposed to characterize mixing performance for scenarios with multiple input reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edisson A. Naula Duchi
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (E.A.N.D.); (H.A.B.C.); (C.R.Y.E.); (C.A.R.); (L.E.G.-C.)
| | - Héctor Andrés Betancourt Cervantes
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (E.A.N.D.); (H.A.B.C.); (C.R.Y.E.); (C.A.R.); (L.E.G.-C.)
| | - Christian Rodrigo Yañez Espinosa
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (E.A.N.D.); (H.A.B.C.); (C.R.Y.E.); (C.A.R.); (L.E.G.-C.)
| | - Ciro A. Rodríguez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (E.A.N.D.); (H.A.B.C.); (C.R.Y.E.); (C.A.R.); (L.E.G.-C.)
- Laboratorio Nacional de Manufactura Aditiva y Digital MADiT, Apodaca 64629, Mexico
| | - Luis E. Garza-Castañon
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (E.A.N.D.); (H.A.B.C.); (C.R.Y.E.); (C.A.R.); (L.E.G.-C.)
| | - J. Israel Martínez López
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (E.A.N.D.); (H.A.B.C.); (C.R.Y.E.); (C.A.R.); (L.E.G.-C.)
- Laboratorio Nacional de Manufactura Aditiva y Digital MADiT, Apodaca 64629, Mexico
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Moetazedian A, Candeo A, Liu S, Hughes A, Nasrollahi V, Saadat M, Bassi A, Grover LM, Cox LR, Poologasundarampillai G. Versatile Microfluidics for Biofabrication Platforms Enabled by an Agile and Inexpensive Fabrication Pipeline. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300636. [PMID: 37186512 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics have transformed diagnosis and screening in regenerative medicine. Recently, they are showing much promise in biofabrication. However, their adoption is inhibited by costly and drawn-out lithographic processes thus limiting progress. Here, multi-material fibers with complex core-shell geometries with sizes matching those of human arteries and arterioles are fabricated employing versatile microfluidic devices produced using an agile and inexpensive manufacturing pipeline. The pipeline consists of material extrusion additive manufacturing with an innovative continuously varied extrusion (CONVEX) approach to produce microfluidics with complex seamless geometries including, novel variable-width zigzag (V-zigzag) mixers with channel widths ranging from 100-400 µm and hydrodynamic flow-focusing components. The microfluidic systems facilitated rapid mixing of fluids by decelerating the fluids at specific zones to allow for increased diffusion across the interfaces. Better mixing even at high flow rates (100-1000 µL min-1 ) whilst avoiding turbulence led to high cell cytocompatibility (>86%) even when 100 µm nozzles are used. The presented 3D-printed microfluidic system is versatile, simple and efficient, offering a great potential to significantly advance the microfluidic platform in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirpasha Moetazedian
- School of Dentistry, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7EG, UK
- EPSRC Future Metrology Hub, School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3D, UK
| | - Alessia Candeo
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Siyun Liu
- School of Dentistry, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7EG, UK
| | - Arran Hughes
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Vahid Nasrollahi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Mozafar Saadat
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Andrea Bassi
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Liam M Grover
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Liam R Cox
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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Nishu IZ, Samad MF. Modeling and simulation of a split and recombination-based passive micromixer with vortex-generating mixing units. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14745. [PMID: 37025873 PMCID: PMC10070643 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As a state-of-the-art technology, micromixers are being used in various chemical and biological processes, including polymerization, extraction, crystallization, organic synthesis, biological screening, drug development, drug delivery, etc. The ability of a micromixer to perform efficient mixing while consuming little power is one of its basic needs. In this paper, a passive micromixer having vortex-generating mixing units is proposed which shows effective mixing with a small pressure drop. The micromixer works on the split and recombination (SAR) flow principle. In this study, four micromixers are designed with different arrangements of mixing units, and the effect of the placement of connecting channels is evaluated in terms of mixing index, pressure drop, and mixing performance. The channel width of 200 μm, height of 300 μm, and size of mixing units are maintained constant for all the micromixers throughout the evaluation process. The numerical simulation is performed for the Reynolds number (Re) range of 0.1-100 using Comsol Multiphysics software. By categorizing the flow patterns into three regimes based on the range of Re, the fluid flow throughout the length of the micromixer is visualized. The micromixer with dislocated connecting channels provides a satisfactory result with the mixing index of 0.96 and 0.94, and the pressure drop of 2.5 Pa and 7.8 kPa at Re = 0.1 and Re = 100 respectively. It also outperformed the other models in terms of the mixing performance. The proposed micromixer might very well be used in microfluidic devices for a variety of analytical procedures due to its straightforward construction and outstanding performance.
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Lin Y, He D, Wu Z, Yao Y, Zhang Z, Qiu Y, Wei S, Shang G, Lei X, Wu P, Ding W, He L. Junction matters in hydraulic circuit bio-design of microfluidics. Biodes Manuf 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42242-022-00215-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Effect of Thermal Energy and Ultrasonication on Mixing Efficiency in Passive Micromixers. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9050891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Micromixing is a key process in microfluidics technology. However, rapid and efficient fluid mixing is difficult to achieve inside the microchannels due to unfavourable laminar flow. Active micromixers employing ultrasound and thermal energy are effective in enhancing the micromixing process; however, integration of these energy sources within the devices is a non-trivial task. In this study, ultrasound and thermal energy have been extraneously applied at the upstream of the micromixer to significantly reduce fabrication complexity. A novel Dean micromixer was laser-fabricated to passively increase mixing performance and compared with T- and Y-micromixers at Reynolds numbers between 5 to 100. The micromixers had a relatively higher mixing index at lower Reynolds number, attributed to higher residence time. Dean micromixer exhibits higher mixing performance (about 27% better) than T- and Y-micromixers for 40 ≤ Re ≤ 100. Influence of ultrasound and heat on mixing is more significant at 5 ≤ Re ≤ 20 due to the prolonged mechanical effects. It can be observed that mixing index increases by about 6% to 10% once the temperature of the sonicated fluids increases from 30 °C to 60 °C. The proposed method is potentially useful as direct contact of the inductive energy sources may cause unwanted substrate damage and structural deformation especially for applications in biological analysis and chemical synthesis.
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