1
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Wu Z, Han S, Meng H, Lian D, Wu T, Chu W, Li H, Ning M, Wang B, Gao X, Xu S, Ren J, Yang X. Investigation of piezoelectric printing devices for oil-free and on-demand picolitre monodisperse droplet generation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17104. [PMID: 39048610 PMCID: PMC11269629 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67849-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Picolitre monodisperse droplet printing technology has important applications in biochemistry, such as accounting for quantitative analysis and single-cell analysis, and can be used for parallel high-throughput analysis of biomarkers and chemicals. However, commonly used droplet generation devices require complex control systems or customised microfluidic chips, making them costly and difficult for researchers to operate. Additionally, generating picolitre monodisperse droplets with microfluidic devices necessitates the introduction of an oil phase to block and separate the liquid. This requirement can reduce the throughput of the target droplets and cause cell contamination, hindering the adoption of this technology. By employing a common 1-mm-diameter capillary in the laboratory in combination with a piezoelectric transducer, we have achieved on-demand picolitre droplet printing of less than 100 pL in an oil-free environment. The device was found to be biocompatible with K562 cells. This approach is less costly, offers greater operational freedom, and is easier to integrate with other downstream assay modules or even handheld cell-printing devices. This study holds great potential for application in areas such as single-cell analysis, cell sampling, and pharmaceutical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlin Wu
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Shaoshuai Han
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Hu Meng
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Di Lian
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Tongfei Wu
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Wenjie Chu
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - He Li
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Mengting Ning
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Bingjie Wang
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Xijing Gao
- School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Shizhao Xu
- Dalian Municipal Central Hospital, Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Jun Ren
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Imaging, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
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2
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Mardanpour MM, Sudalaiyadum Perumal A, Mahmoodi Z, Baassiri K, Montiel-Rubies G, LeDez KM, Nicolau DV. Investigation of air bubble behaviour after gas embolism events induced in a microfluidic network mimicking microvasculature. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2518-2536. [PMID: 38623600 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00087k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Gas embolism is a medical condition that occurs when gas bubbles are present in veins or arteries, decreasing blood flow and potentially reducing oxygen delivery to vital organs, such as the brain. Although usually reported as rare, gas embolism can lead to severe neurological damage or death. However, presently, only limited understanding exists regarding the microscale processes leading to the formation, persistence, movement, and resolution of gas emboli, as modulated by microvasculature geometrical features and blood properties. Because gas embolism is initially a physico-chemical-only process, with biological responses starting later, the opportunity exists to fully study the genesis and evolution of gas emboli using in vitro microfluidic networks mimicking small regions of microvasculature. The microfluidics networks used in this study, which aim to mimic microvasculature geometry, comprise linear channels with T-, or Y-junction air inlets, with 20, 40, and 60 μm widths (arterial or venous), and a 30 μm width honeycombed network (arterial) with three bifurcation angles (30°, 60°, and 90°). Synthetic blood, equivalent to 46% haematocrit concentrations, and water were used to study the modulation of gas embolism-like events by liquid viscosity. Our study shows that (i) longer bubbles with lower velocity occur in narrower channels, e.g., with 20 μm width; (ii) the resistance of air bubbles to the flow increases with the higher haematocrit concentration; and lastly (iii) the propensity of gas embolism-like events in honeycomb architectures increases for more acute, e.g., 30°, bifurcation angles. A dimensionless analysis using Euler, Weber, and capillary numbers demarcated the conditions conducive to gas embolism. This work suggests that in vitro experimentation using microfluidic devices with microvascular tissue-like structures could assist medical guidelines and management in preventing and mitigating the effects of gas embolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mahdi Mardanpour
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, H3A 0E9, Canada.
| | | | - Zahra Mahmoodi
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, H3A 0E9, Canada.
| | - Karine Baassiri
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, H3A 0E9, Canada.
| | - Gala Montiel-Rubies
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, H3A 0E9, Canada.
| | - Kenneth M LeDez
- Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Dan V Nicolau
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, H3A 0E9, Canada.
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3
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Zhang S, Li H, Wang K, Qiu T. Accelerating intelligent microfluidic image processing with transfer deep learning: a microchannel droplet/bubble breakup case study. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2023.123703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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4
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Du L, Li Y, Wang J, Zhou Z, Lan T, Jing D, Wu W, Zhou J. Cost-Effective Droplet Generator for Portable Bio-Applications. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:466. [PMID: 36838166 PMCID: PMC9966110 DOI: 10.3390/mi14020466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The convenient division of aqueous samples into droplets is necessary for many biochemical and medical analysis applications. In this article, we propose the design of a cost-effective droplet generator for potential bio-chemical application, featuring two symmetric tubes. The new droplet generator revisits the relationship between capillary components and liquid flow rates. The size of generated droplets by prototype depends only on generator dimensions, without precisely needing to control external flow conditions or driving pressure, even when the relative extreme difference in flow rate for generating nL level droplets is over 57.79%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the volume of droplets is barely about 9.80%. A dropper working as a pressure resource is used to verify the rapidity and robustness of this principle of droplet generation, which shows great potential for a wide range of droplet-based applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Du
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yuxin Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jie Wang
- School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zijian Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Tian Lan
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dalei Jing
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wenming Wu
- Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510075, China
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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5
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Surfactant effect on mass transfer characteristics in the generation and flow stages of gas–liquid Taylor flow in a microchannel. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2023.123368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
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6
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Sheng L, Li S, Wang K, Chang Y, Deng J, Luo G. Gas–Liquid Microfluidics: Transition Hysteresis Behavior between Parallel Flow and Taylor Flow. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c03640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Sheng
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shaowei Li
- Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 102201, China
| | - Kai Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu Chang
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jian Deng
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guangsheng Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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7
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Taylor bubble formation and flowing in a straight millimetric channel with a cross-junction inlet geometry. Part I: Bubble dynamics. Chem Eng Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2022.117609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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8
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Cai J, Chen Y, Liu Y, Li S, Sun C. Capillary imbibition and flow of wetting liquid in irregular capillaries: A 100-year review. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 304:102654. [PMID: 35468356 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Capillary imbibition, such as plant roots taking up water, reservoir rocks absorbing brine and a tissue paper wiping stains, is pervasive occurred in nature, engineering and industrial fields, as well as in our daily life. This phenomenon is earliest modeled through the process that wetting liquid is spontaneously propelled by capillary pressure into regular geometry models. Recent studies have attracted more attention on capillary-driven flow models within more complex geometries of the channel, since a detailed understanding of capillary imbibition dynamics within irregular geometry models necessitates the fundamentals to fluid transport mechanisms in porous media with complex pore topologies. Herein, the fundamentals and concepts of different capillary imbibition models in terms of geometries over the past 100 years are reviewed critically, such as circular and non-circular capillaries, open and closed capillaries with triangular/rectangular cross-sections, and heterogeneous geometries with axial variations. The applications of these models with appropriate conditions are discussed in depth accordingly, with a particular emphasize on the capillary flow pattern as a consequence of capillary geometry. In addition, a universal model is proposed based on the dynamic wetting condition and equivalent cylindrical geometry to describe the capillary imbibition process in terms of various solid topologies. Finally, future research is suggested to focus on analyzing the dynamics during corner flow, the snap-off of wetting fluid, the capillary rise of non-Newtonian fluids and applying accurate physical simulation methods on capillary-driven flow processes. Generally, this review provides a comprehensive understanding of the capillary-driven flow models inside various capillary geometries and affords an overview of potential advanced developments to enhance the current understanding of fluid transport mechanisms in porous media.
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9
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Guzowski J, Buda RJ, Costantini M, Ćwiklińska M, Garstecki P, Stone HA. From dynamic self-organization to avalanching instabilities in soft-granular threads. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:1801-1818. [PMID: 35166293 PMCID: PMC8889560 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01350e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We study the dynamics of threads of monodisperse droplets, including droplet chains and multi-chains, in which the droplets are interconnected by capillary bridges of another immiscible liquid phase. This system represents wet soft-granular matter - a class of granular materials in which the grains are soft and wetted by thin fluid films-with other examples including wet granular hydrogels or foams. In contrast to wet granular matter with rigid grains (e.g., wet sand), studied previously, the deformability of the grains raises the number of available metastable states and facilitates rearrangements which allow for reorganization and self-assembly of the system under external drive, e.g., applied via viscous forces. We use a co-flow configuration to generate a variety of unique low-dimensional regular granular patterns, intermediate between 1D and 2D, ranging from linear chains and chains with periodically occurring folds to multi-chains and segmented structures including chains of finite length. In particular, we observe that the partially folded chains self-organize via limit cycle of displacements and rearrangements occurring at a frequency self-adapted to the rate of build-up of compressive strain in the chain induced by the viscous forces. Upon weakening of the capillary arrest of the droplets, we observe spontaneous fluidization of the quasi-solid structures and avalanches of rearrangements. We identify two types of fluidization-induced instabilities and rationalize them in terms of a competition between advection and propagation. While we use aqueous droplets as the grains we demonstrate that the reported mechanisms of adaptive self-assembly apply to other types of soft granular systems including foams and microgels. We discuss possible application of the reported quasi-1D compartmentalized structures in tissue engineering, bioprinting and materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Guzowski
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - R J Buda
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - M Costantini
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - M Ćwiklińska
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - P Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - H A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, 08544 NJ, USA
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10
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Kubochkin N, Gambaryan-Roisman T. Capillary-Driven Flow in Corner Geometries. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2022.101575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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11
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Effect of surfactant addition and viscosity of the continuous phase on flow fields and kinetics of drop formation in a flow-focusing microfluidic device. Chem Eng Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2021.117183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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12
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Ma H, Zhao Q, Yao C, Zhao Y, Chen G. Effect of fluid viscosities on the liquid-liquid slug flow and pressure drop in a rectangular microreactor. Chem Eng Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2021.116697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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13
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Formation dynamics and size prediction of bubbles for slurry system in T-shape microchannel. Chin J Chem Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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14
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He Z, Wang J, Fike BJ, Li X, Li C, Mendis BL, Li P. A portable droplet generation system for ultra-wide dynamic range digital PCR based on a vibrating sharp-tip capillary. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 191:113458. [PMID: 34216876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Monodisperse droplet has been widely used as a versatile tool in different disciplines including biosensing. Existing methods still struggle to balance the droplet generation performance with system simplicity. Here we introduce a novel droplet generation scheme based on the acoustic streaming generated from a vibrating sharp-tip capillary. The unique fluid pattern enables efficient droplet generation without any external pressure sources. This method achieved real-time modulation of droplet size over an ultra-wide range (6.77-661 μm), high throughput (up to 5000 droplets/s), and good monodispersity (<4%) with a power consumption below 60 mW. This method has enabled a multi-volume digital PCR with a dynamic range of ~6 orders of magnitude and multiplexing capability. It has also enabled a simple protocol to produce cell-laden alginate microcapsules in variable sizes with excellent biocompatibility. Overall, the present method combines high performance with small footprint and portability, which will be especially valuable for droplet applications requiring variable droplet size and performed in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi He
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Bethany J Fike
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Xiaojun Li
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Chong Li
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | | | - Peng Li
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
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15
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Zaremba D, Błoński S, Korczyk PM. Integration of capillary-hydrodynamic logic circuitries for built-in control over multiple droplets in microfluidic networks. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1771-1778. [PMID: 33710202 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00900h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Here, we show the successful implementation of advanced sequential logic in droplet microfluidics, whose principles rely on capillary wells establishing stationary states, where droplets can communicate remotely via pressure impulses, influencing each other and switching the device states. All logic operations perform spontaneously due to the utilization of nothing more than capillary-hydrodynamic interactions, inherent for the confined biphasic flow. Our approach offers integration feasibility allowing to encode unprecedentedly long algorithms, e.g., 1000-droplet counting. This work has the potential for the advancement of liquid computers and thereby could participate in the development of the next generation of portable microfluidic systems with embedded control, enabling applications from single-cell analysis and biochemical assays to materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Zaremba
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Sławomir Błoński
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Piotr M Korczyk
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
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16
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Gao Y, Zhao CX, Sainsbury F. Droplet shape control using microfluidics and designer biosurfactants. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 584:528-538. [PMID: 33129162 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.09.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Many uses of emulsion droplets require precise control over droplet size and shape. Here we report a 'shape-memorable' micro-droplet formulation stabilized by a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified protein -surfactant, the droplets are stable against coalescence for months and can maintain non-spherical shapes for hours, depending on the surface coverage of PEGylated protein. Monodisperse droplets with aspect ratios ranging from 1.0 to 3.4 were controllably synthesized with a flow-focusing microfluidic device. Mechanical properties of the interfacial protein network were explored to elucidate the mechanism behind the droplet shape conservation phenomenon. Characterization of the protein film revealed that the presence of a PEG layer at interfaces alters the mechanical responses of the protein film, resulting in interfacial networks with improved strength. Taking advantage of the prolonged stabilization of non-spherical droplets, we demonstrate functionalization of the droplet interface with accessible biotins. The stabilization of micro-droplet shape with surface-active proteins that also serve as an anchor for integrating functional moieties, provides a tailorable interface for diverse biomimetic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Chun-Xia Zhao
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Frank Sainsbury
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia; Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia.
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17
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Lashkaripour A, Rodriguez C, Mehdipour N, Mardian R, McIntyre D, Ortiz L, Campbell J, Densmore D. Machine learning enables design automation of microfluidic flow-focusing droplet generation. Nat Commun 2021; 12:25. [PMID: 33397940 PMCID: PMC7782806 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20284-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidic devices hold immense potential in becoming inexpensive alternatives to existing screening platforms across life science applications, such as enzyme discovery and early cancer detection. However, the lack of a predictive understanding of droplet generation makes engineering a droplet-based platform an iterative and resource-intensive process. We present a web-based tool, DAFD, that predicts the performance and enables design automation of flow-focusing droplet generators. We capitalize on machine learning algorithms to predict the droplet diameter and rate with a mean absolute error of less than 10 μm and 20 Hz. This tool delivers a user-specified performance within 4.2% and 11.5% of the desired diameter and rate. We demonstrate that DAFD can be extended by the community to support additional fluid combinations, without requiring extensive machine learning knowledge or large-scale data-sets. This tool will reduce the need for microfluidic expertise and design iterations and facilitate adoption of microfluidics in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Lashkaripour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher Rodriguez
- Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Noushin Mehdipour
- Biological Design Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Systems Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rizki Mardian
- Biological Design Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David McIntyre
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Design Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Luis Ortiz
- Biological Design Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Douglas Densmore
- Biological Design Center, 610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Two-phase flow and mass transfer in microchannels: A review from local mechanism to global models. Chem Eng Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2020.116017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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19
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Kalantarifard A, Alizadeh-Haghighi E, Saateh A, Elbuken C. Theoretical and experimental limits of monodisperse droplet generation. Chem Eng Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2020.116093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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20
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Schuler J, Neuendorf LM, Petersen K, Kockmann N. Micro‐computed
tomography for the
3D time‐resolved
investigation of monodisperse droplet generation in a
co‐flow
setup. AIChE J 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.17111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Schuler
- Laboratory of Equipment Design, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering TU Dortmund University Dortmund Germany
| | - Laura Maria Neuendorf
- Laboratory of Equipment Design, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering TU Dortmund University Dortmund Germany
| | - Kai Petersen
- Laboratory of Equipment Design, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering TU Dortmund University Dortmund Germany
| | - Norbert Kockmann
- Laboratory of Equipment Design, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering TU Dortmund University Dortmund Germany
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21
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Pang Y, Zhou Q, Wang X, Lei Y, Ren Y, Li M, Wang J, Liu Z. Droplets generation under different flow rates in T‐junction microchannel with a neck. AIChE J 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.16290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Pang
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Xiang Wang
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Yanghao Lei
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Yanlin Ren
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Mengqi Li
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Ju Wang
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
| | - Zhaomiao Liu
- College of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Electronics Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Beijing University of Technology Beijing China
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Totlani K, Hurkmans JW, van Gulik WM, Kreutzer MT, van Steijn V. Scalable microfluidic droplet on-demand generator for non-steady operation of droplet-based assays. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:1398-1409. [PMID: 32255441 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc01103j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We developed a microfluidic droplet on-demand (DoD) generator that enables the production of droplets with a volume solely governed by the geometry of the generator for a range of operating conditions. The prime reason to develop this novel type of DoD generator is that its robustness in operation enables scale out and operation under non-steady conditions, which are both essential features for the further advancement of droplet-based assays. We first detail the working principle of the DoD generator and study the sensitivity of the volume of the generated droplets with respect to the used fluids and control parameters. We next compare the performance of our DoD generator when scaled out to 8 parallel generators to the performance of a conventional DoD generator in which the droplet volume is not geometry-controlled, showing its superior performance. Further scale out to 64 parallel DoD generators shows that all generators produce droplets with a volume between 91% and 105% of the predesigned volume. We conclude the paper by presenting a simple droplet-based assay in which the DoD generator enables sequential supply of reagent droplets to a droplet stored in the device, illustrating its potential to be used in droplet-based assays for biochemical studies under non-steady operation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Totlani
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Chemical Engineering, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
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Wu S, Chen J, Liu X, Yao F. Experimental study of droplet formation in the cross-junction. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2020.1736092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Suchen Wu
- Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiangdong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Energy Thermal Conversion and Control of Ministry of Education, School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- College of Electrical, Energy and Power Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Feng Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Heat Fluid Flow Technology and Energy Application, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
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