Acoustic Atomization-Induced Pumping Based on a Vibrating Sharp-Tip Capillary

Pumping is an essential component in many microfluidic applications. Developing simple, small-footprint, and flexible pumping methods is of great importance to achieve truly lab-on-a-chip systems. Here, we report a novel acoustic pump based on the atomization effect induced by a vibrating sharp-tip capillary. As the liquid is atomized by the vibrating capillary, negative pressure is generated to drive the movement of fluid without the need to fabricate special microstructures or use special channel materials. We studied the influence of the frequency, input power, internal diameter (ID) of the capillary tip, and liquid viscosity on the pumping flow rate. By adjusting the ID of the capillary from 30 µm to 80 µm and the power input from 1 V_pp to 5 V_pp, a flow rate range of 3 to 520 µL/min can be achieved. We also demonstrated the simultaneous operation of two pumps to generate parallel flow with a tunable flow rate ratio. Finally, the capability of performing complex pumping sequences was demonstrated by performing a bead-based ELISA in a 3D-printed microdevice.

An absorption spectrophotometer compatible paper-based thin-layer cuvette with an integrated pneumatic pump

This study presents a paper-based thin-layer optical cuvette for absorption spectroscopy with a pneumatically driven pump for the introduction of an aqueous sample. The three major components, a sample reservoir, an open-channel as an optical path and a pneumatic pump, are patterned in polypropylene paper using an electronic cutting machine. When sealed with transparent tape, the patterned paper serves as the side walls of the paper-based cuvette with an integrated pneumatic pump. Due to the reduced pressure inside the open-channel caused by the depression of the pump with a finger, aqueous samples spotted onto the reservoir are introduced into the open-channel of the paper-based cuvette. We demonstrated that the paper-based cuvettes are compatible with conventional spectrophotometers for absorption spectroscopic measurements and capable of quantifying the concentrations of various colored dyes in aqueous samples.

Acoustofluidic generation of droplets with tunable chemical concentrations

The dynamic control of the chemical concentration within droplets is required in numerous droplet microfluidic applications. Here, we propose an acoustofluidic method for the generation of a library of aqueous droplets with the desired chemical concentrations in a continuous oil phase. Surface acoustic waves produced by a focused interdigital transducer interact with two parallel laminar streams with different chemical compositions. Coupling the acoustic waves with the flow streams results in the controlled acoustofluidic mixing of the aqueous solutions through the formation of acoustic streaming flow-induced microvortices. The mixed streams are split at a bifurcation, and one of the streams with a precisely controlled chemical concentration is fed into a T-junction to produce droplets with tunable chemical concentrations. The periodic acoustofluidic mixing of the aqueous streams enables the generation of a droplet library with a well-defined inter-droplet concentration gradient. The proposed method is a promising tool for the on-chip dynamic control of in-droplet chemical concentrations and for next-generation droplet microfluidic applications.

Streptavidin-triggered signal amplified fluorescence polarization for analysis of DNA-protein interactions

Fluorescence polarization (FP) is a sensitive, robust, and homogeneous assay format, able to probe a diversity of biological molecules and their interactions. Herein, we describe a new FP strategy based on the use of streptavidin as a signal amplifier. Such signal amplified fluorescence polarization (SAFP) was used to monitor the binding affinity of human angiogenin and a single-stranded DNA aptamer. Streptavidin was bound to a biotinylated single-stranded DNA aptamer and the interaction between this complex and Alexa Fluor 488 labelled human angiogenin was measured. A dissociation constant of 135.3 ± 32.9 nM and a limit of detection of 6.3 nM were successfully extracted only when the FP signal was increased (without binding hindrance) via streptavidin. Moreover, the demonstrated approach was specific to target molecules without any non-specific binding. The streptavidin-triggered SAFP method unlike amplification strategies that utilize nanomaterials (such as graphene oxides, carbon nanotubes, and metal nanoparticles) is not compromised by fluorescence quenching, and it is able to operate within nanomolar concentration regimes. Furthermore, unlike the other FP signal amplification strategies that use dual binding DNA probes, the presented method is simple to implement with signal amplification only requiring the binding of streptavidin with biotinylated DNA. This method could be expanded to analyze molecular interactions and it may be a useful tool for FP measurement by reducing the concentration of rare and expensive protein samples.

Microfluidic Droplet Extraction by Hydrophilic Membrane

Droplet-based microfluidics are capable of transporting very small amounts of fluid over long distances. This characteristic may be applied to conventional fluid delivery using needles if droplets can be reliably expelled from a microfluidic channel. In this paper, we demonstrate a system for the extraction of water droplets from an oil-phase in a polymer microfluidic device. A hydrophilic membrane with a strong preference for water over oil is integrated into a droplet microfluidic system and observed to allow the passage of the transported aqueous phase droplets while blocking the continuous phase. The oil breakthrough pressure of the membrane was observed to be 250 ± 20 kPa, a much greater pressure than anywhere within the microfluidic channel, thereby eliminating the possibility that oil will leak from the microchannel, a critical parameter if droplet transport is to be used in needle-based drug delivery.

Droplet control technologies for microfluidic high throughput screening (μHTS)

The transition from micro well plate and robotics based high throughput screening (HTS) to chip based screening has already started. This transition promises reduced droplet volumes thereby decreasing the amount of fluids used in these studies. Moreover, it significantly boosts throughput allowing screening to keep pace with the overwhelming number of molecular targets being discovered. In this review, we analyse state-of-the-art droplet control technologies that exhibit potential to be used in this new generation of screening devices. Since these systems are enclosed and usually planar, even some of the straightforward methods used in traditional HTS such as pipetting and reading can prove challenging to replicate in microfluidic high throughput screening (μHTS). We critically review the technologies developed for this purpose in depth, describing the underlying physics and discussing the future outlooks.

Concentration gradient generation methods based on microfluidic systems

Various concentration gradient generation methods based on microfluidic systems are summarized in this paper.

Passive and active droplet generation with microfluidics: a review

Precise and effective control of droplet generation is critical for applications of droplet microfluidics ranging from materials synthesis to lab-on-a-chip systems. Methods for droplet generation can be either passive or active, where the former generates droplets without external actuation, and the latter makes use of additional energy input in promoting interfacial instabilities for droplet generation. A unified physical understanding of both passive and active droplet generation is beneficial for effectively developing new techniques meeting various demands arising from applications. Our review of passive approaches focuses on the characteristics and mechanisms of breakup modes of droplet generation occurring in microfluidic cross-flow, co-flow, flow-focusing, and step emulsification configurations. The review of active approaches covers the state-of-the-art techniques employing either external forces from electrical, magnetic and centrifugal fields or methods of modifying intrinsic properties of flows or fluids such as velocity, viscosity, interfacial tension, channel wettability, and fluid density, with a focus on their implementations and actuation mechanisms. Also included in this review is the contrast among different approaches of either passive or active nature.

Microfluidic Assessment of Frying Oil Degradation

Monitoring the quality of frying oil is important for the health of consumers. This paper reports a microfluidic technique for rapidly quantifying the degradation of frying oil. The microfluidic device generates monodispersed water-in-oil droplets and exploits viscosity and interfacial tension changes of frying oil samples over their frying/degradation process. The measured parameters were correlated to the total polar material percentage that is widely used in the food industry. The results reveal that the steady-state length of droplets can be used for unambiguously assessing frying oil quality degradation.

Fluorescence polarization measurement system using a liquid crystal layer and an image sensor

The detection system which enables simultaneous fluorescence polarization (FP) measurement of multiple samples was proposed and proven by a proof-of-concept experiment on the viscosity dependence of FP of fluorescein sample in water-ethylene glycol solution and another experiment on the FP immunoassay of prostaglandin E2 sample. The measurement principle of FP is based on the synchronization between the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules and the sampling frequency of a CCD. This report is the first description of the simultaneous FP measurement of multiple samples. This system has a great potential for equipment miniaturization and price reduction as well as providing simultaneous FP measurement of multiple samples.

The Poisson distribution and beyond: methods for microfluidic droplet production and single cell encapsulation

There is a recognized and growing need for rapid and efficient cell assays, where the size of microfluidic devices lend themselves to the manipulation of cellular populations down to the single cell level. An exceptional way to analyze cells independently is to encapsulate them within aqueous droplets surrounded by an immiscible fluid, so that reagents and reaction products are contained within a controlled microenvironment. Most cell encapsulation work has focused on the development and use of passive methods, where droplets are produced continuously at high rates by pumping fluids from external pressure-driven reservoirs through defined microfluidic geometries. With limited exceptions, the number of cells encapsulated per droplet in these systems is dictated by Poisson statistics, reducing the proportion of droplets that contain the desired number of cells and thus the effective rate at which single cells can be encapsulated. Nevertheless, a number of recently developed actively-controlled droplet production methods present an alternative route to the production of droplets at similar rates and with the potential to improve the efficiency of single-cell encapsulation. In this critical review, we examine both passive and active methods for droplet production and explore how these can be used to deterministically and non-deterministically encapsulate cells.

Active porous valves for plug actuation and plug flow manipulation in open channel fluidics

The fluidic channel has porous hydrophobic walls. Reversible transitions from sticky to slippery state are leveraged by backpressure application, resulting to valve switching from “off” to “on”. Ultra-low energy demands for small cross-sections.