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Hu S, Zhang Q, Ou Z, Dang Y. Particle sorting method based on swirl induction. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:174901. [PMID: 37909455 DOI: 10.1063/5.0170783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluid-based methods for particle sorting demonstrate increasing appeal in many areas of biosciences due to their biocompatibility and cost-effectiveness. Herein, we construct a microfluidic sorting system based on a swirl microchip. The impact of microchannel velocity on the swirl stagnation point as well as particle movement is analyzed through simulation and experiment. Moreover, the quantitative mapping relationship between flow velocity and particle position distribution is established. With this foundation established, a particle sorting method based on swirl induction is proposed. Initially, the particle is captured by a swirl. Then, the Sorting Region into which the particle aims to enter is determined according to the sorting condition and particle characteristic. Subsequently, the velocities of the microchannels are adjusted to control the swirl, which will induce the particle to enter its corresponding Induction Region. Thereafter, the velocities are adjusted again to change the fluid field and drive the particle into a predetermined Sorting Region, hence the sorting is accomplished. We have extensively conducted experiments taking particle size or color as a sorting condition. An outstanding sorting success rate of 98.75% is achieved when dealing with particles within the size range of tens to hundreds of micrometers in radius, which certifies the effectiveness of the proposed sorting method. Compared to the existing sorting techniques, the proposed method offers greater flexibility. The adjustment of sorting conditions or particle parameters no longer requires complex chip redesign, because such sorting tasks can be successfully realized through simple microchannel velocities control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Hu
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Zhiming Ou
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Yanping Dang
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
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Bezrukov A, Galyametdinov Y. Dynamic Flow Control over Optical Properties of Liquid Crystal-Quantum Dot Hybrids in Microfluidic Devices. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:mi14050990. [PMID: 37241613 DOI: 10.3390/mi14050990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we report developing approaches to tuning the optical behavior of microfluidic devices by infusing smart hybrids of liquid crystal and quantum dots into microchannel confinement. We characterize the optical responses of liquid crystal-quantum dot composites to polarized and UV light in single-phase microflows. In the range of flow velocities up to 10 mm/s, the flow modes of microfluidic devices were found to correlate with the orientation of liquid crystals, dispersion of quantum dots in homogeneous microflows and the resulting luminescence response of these dynamic systems to UV excitation. We developed a Matlab algorithm and script to quantify this correlation by performing an automated analysis of microscopy images. Such systems may have application potential as optically responsive sensing microdevices with integrated smart nanostructural components, parts of lab-on-a-chip logic circuits, or diagnostic tools for biomedical instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Bezrukov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 420015 Kazan, Russia
| | - Yury Galyametdinov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 420015 Kazan, Russia
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Fang W, Xiong T, Pak OS, Zhu L. Data-Driven Intelligent Manipulation of Particles in Microfluidics. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2205382. [PMID: 36538743 PMCID: PMC9929134 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202205382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Automated manipulation of small particles using external (e.g., magnetic, electric and acoustic) fields has been an emerging technique widely used in different areas. The manipulation typically necessitates a reduced-order physical model characterizing the field-driven motion of particles in a complex environment. Such models are available only for highly idealized settings but are absent for a general scenario of particle manipulation typically involving complex nonlinear processes, which has limited its application. In this work, the authors present a data-driven architecture for controlling particles in microfluidics based on hydrodynamic manipulation. The architecture replaces the difficult-to-derive model by a generally trainable artificial neural network to describe the kinematics of particles, and subsequently identifies the optimal operations to manipulate particles. The authors successfully demonstrate a diverse set of particle manipulations in a numerically emulated microfluidic chamber, including targeted assembly of particles and subsequent navigation of the assembled cluster, simultaneous path planning for multiple particles, and steering one particle through obstacles. The approach achieves both spatial and temporal controllability of high precision for these settings. This achievement revolutionizes automated particle manipulation, showing the potential of data-driven approaches and machine learning in improving microfluidic technologies for enhanced flexibility and intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen‐Zhen Fang
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117575Singapore
- Key Laboratory of Thermo‐Fluid Science and EngineeringMOE, Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710049China
| | - Tongzhao Xiong
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117575Singapore
| | - On Shun Pak
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringSanta Clara UniversitySanta ClaraCA95053USA
| | - Lailai Zhu
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117575Singapore
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Wan F, Xu K, Wang H, Xu H, Huang A, Bai Z, Zhang L, Wu L. Formation of a 3D Particle Array Actuated by Ultrasonic Traveling Waves in a Regular Polygon Resonator. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:2003. [PMID: 36422431 PMCID: PMC9697207 DOI: 10.3390/mi13112003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic radiation forces have been extensively studied regarding static particles, cell patterning, and dynamic transportation. Compared with standing wave manipulation, traveling wave manipulation can be more easily modulated in real time and has no matching requirement between the size of the resonant cavity and the sound frequency. In this work, we present an efficient, multi-layer microparticle pattern technique in a 3D polygon cavity with a traveling bulk acoustic wave. There are two types of excitation modes: the interval excitation mode (IEM) and the adjacent excitation mode (AEM). We conducted theoretical and simulation analyses, and our results show that both of these modes can form particle arrays in the resonant cavity, which is in accordance with the experimental results. The array spacings in the IEM and AEM were about 0.8 mm and 1.3 mm, respectively, while the acoustic frequency was 1MHz. Double-layer particle patterns were arrayed by a double in the resonant cavity. The spacing between the two layers was set at 3.0 mm. The line spacings were about 0.4 mm in both layers. The line width was 0.2 mm, which was larger than the single layer. The results show that ultrasonic traveling waves are a feasible method to manipulate particles and cells that form 3D patterns in particle-fluid flows.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hongcheng Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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Nalupurackal G, Gunaseelan M, Roy S, Lokesh M, Kumar S, Vaippully R, Singh R, Roy B. A hydro-thermophoretic trap for microparticles near a gold-coated substrate. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:6825-6835. [PMID: 36040245 PMCID: PMC7613615 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00627h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Optical tweezers have revolutionised micromanipulation from physics and biology to material science. However, the high laser power involved in optical trapping can damage biological samples. In this context, indirect trapping of microparticles and objects using fluid flow fields has assumed great importance. It has recently been shown that cells and particles can be turned in the pitch sense by opto-plasmonic heating of a gold surface constituting one side of a sample chamber. We extend that work to place two such hotspots in close proximity to each other to form a very unique configuration of flow fields forming an effective quasi-three-dimensional 'trap', assisted by thermophoresis. This is effectively a harmonic trap confining particles in all three dimensions without relying on other factors to confine the particles close to the surface. We use this to show indirect trapping of different types of upconverting particles and cells, and also show that we can approach a trap stiffness of 40 fN μm-1 indicating a weak confinement regime without relying on feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gokul Nalupurackal
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - M Gunaseelan
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Srestha Roy
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Muruga Lokesh
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Sumeet Kumar
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Rahul Vaippully
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Rajesh Singh
- Department of Physics, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
| | - Basudev Roy
- Department of Physics, Quantum Centres in Diamond and Emergent Materials (QuCenDiEM)-group, Micro Nano and Bio-Fluidics (MNBF)-Group, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
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Ho TM, Razzaghi A, Ramachandran A, Mikkonen KS. Emulsion characterization via microfluidic devices: A review on interfacial tension and stability to coalescence. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 299:102541. [PMID: 34920366 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Emulsions have gained significant importance in many industries including foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health care formulations, paints, polymer blends and oils. During emulsion generation, collisions can occur between newly-generated droplets, which may lead to coalescence between the droplets. The extent of coalescence is driven by the properties of the dispersed and continuous phases (e.g. density, viscosity, ion strength and pH), and system conditions (e.g. temperature, pressure or any external applied forces). In addition, the diffusion and adsorption behaviors of emulsifiers which govern the dynamic interfacial tension of the forming droplets, the surface potential, and the duration and frequency of the droplet collisions, contribute to the overall rate of coalescence. An understanding of these complex behaviors, particularly those of interfacial tension and droplet coalescence during emulsion generation, is critical for the design of an emulsion with desirable properties, and for the optimization of the processing conditions. However, in many cases, the time scales over which these phenomena occur are extremely short, typically a fraction of a second, which makes their accurate determination by conventional analytical methods extremely challenging. In the past few years, with advances in microfluidic technology, many attempts have demonstrated that microfluidic systems, characterized by micrometer-size channels, can be successfully employed to precisely characterize these properties of emulsions. In this review, current applications of microfluidic devices to determine the equilibrium and dynamic interfacial tension during droplet formation, and to investigate the coalescence stability of dispersed droplets applicable to the processing and storage of emulsions, are discussed.
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Zhang X, Gu B, Qiu CW. Force measurement goes to femto-Newton sensitivity of single microscopic particle. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2021; 10:243. [PMID: 34876551 PMCID: PMC8651730 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-021-00684-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Highly sensitive force measurements of a single microscopic particle with femto-Newton sensitivity have remained elusive owing to the existence of fundamental thermal noise. Now, researchers have proposed an optically controlled hydrodynamic manipulation method, which can measure the weak force of a single microscopic particle with femto-Newton sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohe Zhang
- Advanced Photonics Center, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Bing Gu
- Advanced Photonics Center, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Cheng-Wei Qiu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117583, Singapore.
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Erben E, Seelbinder B, Stoev ID, Klykov S, Maghelli N, Kreysing M. Feedback-based positioning and diffusion suppression of particles via optical control of thermoviscous flows. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:30272-30283. [PMID: 34614753 DOI: 10.1364/oe.432935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ability to control the position of micron-size particles with high precision using tools such as optical tweezers has led to major advances in fields such as biology, physics and material science. In this paper, we present a novel optical strategy to confine particles in solution with high spatial control using feedback-controlled thermoviscous flows. We show that this technique allows micron-size particles to be positioned and confined with subdiffraction precision (24 nm), effectively suppressing their diffusion. Due to its physical characteristics, our approach might be particular attractive where laser exposure is of concern or materials are inherently incompatible with optical tweezing since it does not rely on contrast in the refractive index.
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Narayan S, Makhnenko I, Moravec DB, Hauser BG, Dallas AJ, Dutcher CS. Insights into the Microscale Coalescence Behavior of Surfactant-Stabilized Droplets Using a Microfluidic Hydrodynamic Trap. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:9827-9842. [PMID: 32693603 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coalescence of micrometer-scale droplets is impacted by several parameters, including droplet size, viscosities of the two phases, droplet velocity, angle of approach, as well as interfacial tension and surfactant coverage. The thinning dynamics of films between coalescing droplets can be particularly complex in the presence of surfactants, due to the generation of Marangoni stresses and reduced film mobility. Here, a microfluidic hydrodynamic "Stokes" trap is used to gently steer and trap surfactant-laden micrometer-sized droplets at the center of a cross-slot. Water droplets are formed upstream of the cross-slot using a microfluidic T-junction, in heavy and light mineral oils and stabilized using SPAN 80, an oil-soluble surfactant. Incoming droplets are made to coalesce with the trapped droplet, yielding measurements of the film drainage time. Film drainage times are measured as a function of continuous phase viscosity, incoming droplet speed, trapped droplet size, and surfactant concentrations above and below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). As expected, systems with higher surfactant concentrations and slower incoming droplet speed exhibit longer film drainage times. At low surfactant concentrations, the drainage time is longer for the more viscous heavy mineral oil in the continuous phase, whereas at high surfactant concentrations, the dependence on continuous phase viscosity vanishes. Perhaps more surprisingly, larger droplets and high confinement also result in longer film drainage times, potentially due to deformation of the droplet interfaces. The results are used here to determine critical conditions for coalescence, including both an upper and a lower critical capillary number. Moreover, it is shown that induced surfactant concentration gradient effects enable coalescence events after the droplets had originally flocculated, at surfactant concentrations above the CMC. The microfluidic hydrodynamic trap provides new insights into the role of surfactants in film drainage and opens avenues for controlled coalescence studies at micrometer length scales and millisecond time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Narayan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Iaroslav Makhnenko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Davis B Moravec
- Donaldson Company, Inc., Bloomington, MN 55431, United States
| | - Brad G Hauser
- Donaldson Company, Inc., Bloomington, MN 55431, United States
| | - Andrew J Dallas
- Donaldson Company, Inc., Bloomington, MN 55431, United States
| | - Cari S Dutcher
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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Kumar D, Richter CM, Schroeder CM. Double-mode relaxation of highly deformed anisotropic vesicles. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:010605. [PMID: 32794982 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.010605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lipid vesicles are known to undergo complex conformational transitions, but it remains challenging to systematically characterize nonequilibrium membrane dynamics in flow. Here, we report the direct observation of anisotropic vesicle relaxation from highly deformed shapes using a Stokes trap. Vesicle shape relaxation is described by two distinct characteristic timescales governed by the bending modulus and membrane tension. Interestingly, the fast double-mode timescale is found to depend on vesicle deflation or reduced volume. Experimental results are well described by a viscoelastic model of a deformed membrane. Overall, these results show that vesicle relaxation is governed by an interplay between membrane elastic moduli, surface tension, and vesicle deflation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Channing M Richter
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Charles M Schroeder
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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