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Grigor E, Carver J, Bulan E, Scott S, Chew YJ, Perera S. A New Generation of Activated Carbon Adsorbent Microstructures. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2406551. [PMID: 39239773 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202406551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
This work presents the successful manufacture and characterization of bespoke carbon adsorbent microstructures such as tessellated (TES) or serpentine spiral grooved (SSG) by using 3D direct light printing. This is the first time stereolithographic printing has been used to exert precise control over specific micromixer designs to quantify the impact of channel structure on the removal of n-butane. Activated microstructures achieved nitrogen Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface areas up to 1600 m2 g-1 while maintaining uniform channel geometries. When tested with 1000 ppm n-butane at 1 L min-1, the microstructures exceeded the equilibrium loading of commercial carbon-packed beds by over 40%. Dynamic adsorption breakthrough testing using a constant Reynolds number (Re 80) shows that complex micromixer designs surpassed simpler geometries, with the SSG geometry achieving a 41% longer breakthrough time. Shorter mass transfer zones were observed in all the complex geometries, suggesting superior kinetics and carbon structure utilization as a result of the micromixer-based etched grooves and interlinked channels. Furthermore, pressure drop testing demonstrates that all microstructures had half the pressure drop of commercial carbon-packed beds. This study shows the power of leveraging 3D printing to produce optimized microstructures, providing a glimpse into the future of high-performance gas separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Grigor
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Joseph Carver
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Edric Bulan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Stuart Scott
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Ym John Chew
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Semali Perera
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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2
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Das S, Vanarse VB, Bandyopadhyay D. Tailored micromixing in chemically patterned microchannels undergoing electromagnetohydrodynamic flow. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2024; 18:044108. [PMID: 39184284 PMCID: PMC11344636 DOI: 10.1063/5.0209606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
The study unveils a simple, non-invasive method to perform micromixing with the help of spatiotemporal variation in the Lorentz force inside a microchannel decorated with chemically heterogeneous walls. Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been utilized to investigate micromixing under the coupled influence of electric and magnetic fields, namely, electromagnetohydrodynamics, to alter the direction of the Lorentz force at the specific locations by creating the reverse flow zones where the pressure gradient, ∇ p = 0 . The study explores the impact of periodicity, distribution, and size of electrodes alongside the magnitude of applied field intensity, the flow rate of the fluid, and the nature of the electric field on the generation of the mixing vortices and their strength inside the microchannels. The results illustrate that the wall heterogeneities can indeed enforce the formation of localized on-demand vortices when the strength of the localized reverse flow overcomes the inertia of the mainstream flow. In such a scenario, while the vortex size and strength are found to increase with the size of the heterogeneous electrodes and field intensities, the number of vortices increases with the number of heterogeneous electrodes decorated on the channel wall. The presence of a non-zero pressure-driven inflow velocity is found to subdue the strength of the vortices to restrict the mixing facilitated by the localized variation of the Lorentz force. Interestingly, the usage of an alternating current (AC) electric field is found to provide an additional non-invasive control on the mixing vortices by enabling periodic changes in their direction of rotation. A case study in this regard discloses the possibility of rapid mixing with the usage of an AC electric field for a pair of miscible fluids inside a microchannel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumadip Das
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Vinod B. Vanarse
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
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Ma H, Ramanujam AA, Linnes JC, Kinzer-Ursem TL. Biomolecular Interaction Analysis Quantification with a Low-Volume Microfluidic Chip and Particle Diffusometry. Anal Chem 2024; 96:5815-5823. [PMID: 38575144 PMCID: PMC11025547 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic techniques are widely applied in biomolecular analysis and disease diagnostic assays. While the volume of the sample that is directly used in such assays is often only femto-to microliters, the "dead volume" of solutions supplied in syringes and tubing can be much larger, even up to milliliters, increasing overall reagent use and making analysis significantly more expensive. To reduce the difficulty and cost, we designed a new chip using a low volume solution for analysis and applied it to obtain real-time data for protein-protein interaction measurements. The chip takes advantage of air/aqueous two-phase droplet flow, on-chip rapid mixing within milliseconds, and a droplet capture method, that ultimately requires only 2 μL of reagent solution. The interaction is analyzed by particle diffusometry, a nonintrusive and precise optical detection method to analyze the properties of microparticle diffusion in solution. Herein, we demonstrate on-chip characterization of human immunodeficiency virus p24 antibody-antigen protein binding kinetics imaged via fluorescence microscopy and analyzed by PD. The measured kon and koff are 1 × 106 M-1 s-1 and 3.3 × 10-4 s-1, respectively, and agree with independent measurement via biolayer interferometry and previously calculated p24-antibody binding kinetics. This new microfluidic chip and the protein-protein interaction analysis method can also be applied in other fields that require low-volume solutions to perform accurate measurement, analysis, and detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ma
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Aiswarya A. Ramanujam
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jacqueline C. Linnes
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Gande VV, Podupu PKR, Berry B, Nere NK, Pushpavanam S, Singh MR. Engineering advancements in microfluidic systems for enhanced mixing at low Reynolds numbers. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2024; 18:011502. [PMID: 38298373 PMCID: PMC10827338 DOI: 10.1063/5.0178939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Mixing within micro- and millichannels is a pivotal element across various applications, ranging from chemical synthesis to biomedical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. The inherent low Reynolds number flow in these channels often results in a parabolic velocity profile, leading to a broad residence time distribution. Achieving efficient mixing at such small scales presents unique challenges and opportunities. This review encompasses various techniques and strategies to evaluate and enhance mixing efficiency in these confined environments. It explores the significance of mixing in micro- and millichannels, highlighting its relevance for enhanced reaction kinetics, homogeneity in mixed fluids, and analytical accuracy. We discuss various mixing methodologies that have been employed to get a narrower residence time distribution. The role of channel geometry, flow conditions, and mixing mechanisms in influencing the mixing performance are also discussed. Various emerging technologies and advancements in microfluidic devices and tools specifically designed to enhance mixing efficiency are highlighted. We emphasize the potential applications of micro- and millichannels in fields of nanoparticle synthesis, which can be utilized for biological applications. Additionally, the prospects of machine learning and artificial intelligence are offered toward incorporating better mixing to achieve precise control over nanoparticle synthesis, ultimately enhancing the potential for applications in these miniature fluidic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vamsi Vikram Gande
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Prem K. R. Podupu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
| | - Bianca Berry
- LaGrange Highlands Middle School, LaGrange Highlands, Illinois 60525, USA
| | | | - S. Pushpavanam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Meenesh R. Singh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, USA
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Saffar Y, Kashanj S, Nobes DS, Sabbagh R. The Physics and Manipulation of Dean Vortices in Single- and Two-Phase Flow in Curved Microchannels: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:2202. [PMID: 38138371 PMCID: PMC10745399 DOI: 10.3390/mi14122202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Microchannels with curved geometries have been employed for many applications in microfluidic devices in the past decades. The Dean vortices generated in such geometries have been manipulated using different methods to enhance the performance of devices in applications such as mixing, droplet sorting, and particle/cell separation. Understanding the effect of the manipulation method on the Dean vortices in different geometries can provide crucial information to be employed in designing high-efficiency microfluidic devices. In this review, the physics of Dean vortices and the affecting parameters are summarized. Various Dean number calculation methods are collected and represented to minimize the misinterpretation of published information due to the lack of a unified defining formula for the Dean dimensionless number. Consequently, all Dean number values reported in the references are recalculated to the most common method to facilitate comprehension of the phenomena. Based on the converted information gathered from previous numerical and experimental studies, it is concluded that the length of the channel and the channel pathline, e.g., spiral, serpentine, or helix, also affect the flow state. This review also provides a detailed summery on the effect of other geometric parameters, such as cross-section shape, aspect ratio, and radius of curvature, on the Dean vortices' number and arrangement. Finally, considering the importance of droplet microfluidics, the effect of curved geometry on the shape, trajectory, and internal flow organization of the droplets passing through a curved channel has been reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Reza Sabbagh
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (Y.S.); (S.K.); (D.S.N.)
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Hoang T, Truong H, Han J, Lee S, Lee J, Parajuli S, Lee J, Cho G. Room temperature roll-to-roll additive manufacturing of polydimethylsiloxane-based centrifugal microfluidic device for on-site isolation of ribonucleic acid from whole blood. Mater Today Bio 2023; 23:100838. [PMID: 38033369 PMCID: PMC10681912 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymer-based lab-on-a-disc (LoaD) devices for isolating ribonucleic acid (RNA) from whole blood samples have gained considerable attention for accurate biomedical analysis and point-of-care diagnostics. However, the mass production of these devices remains challenging in manufacturing cost and sustainability, primarily due to the utilization of a laser cutter or router computer numerical control (CNC) machine for engraving and cutting plastics in the conventional prototyping process. Herein, we reported the first energy-efficient room-temperature printing-imprinting integrated roll-to-roll manufacturing platform for mass production of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based LoaD to on-site isolate ribonucleic acid (RNA) from undiluted blood samples. We significantly reduced energy consumption and eliminated thermal expansion variations between the mold, substrate, and resists by accelerating the PDMS curing time to less than 10 min at room temperature without using heat or ultraviolet radiation. The additive manufacturing technology was applied to fabricate a multi-depth flexible polymer mold that integrated macro (2 mm) and micro-sized (500 μm) features, which overcomes the economic and environmental challenges of conventional molding techniques. Our integrated R2R platform was enabled to print adhesion-promoting films at the first printing unit and continuously in-line imprint with a high replication accuracy (99%) for high-volume manufacturing of a new centrifugal microfluidic chip with an enhancement of mixing performance by integrating an efficient mixing chamber and serpentine micromixer. This research paved the way for scalable green manufacturing of large-volume polymer-based microfluidic devices, often required in real-world sample-driven analytical systems for clinical bioanalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trung Hoang
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Han Truong
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jiyeon Han
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Saebom Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jihyeong Lee
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sajjan Parajuli
- Research Engineering Center for R2R Printed Flexible Computer, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Jinkee Lee
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Gyoujin Cho
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Research Engineering Center for R2R Printed Flexible Computer, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
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Cai S, Jin Y, Lin Y, He Y, Zhang P, Ge Z, Yang W. Micromixing within microfluidic devices: Fundamentals, design, and fabrication. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:061503. [PMID: 38098692 PMCID: PMC10718651 DOI: 10.1063/5.0178396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
As one of the hot spots in the field of microfluidic chip research, micromixers have been widely used in chemistry, biology, and medicine due to their small size, fast response time, and low reagent consumption. However, at low Reynolds numbers, the fluid motion relies mainly on the diffusive motion of molecules under laminar flow conditions. The detrimental effect of laminar flow leads to difficulties in achieving rapid and efficient mixing of fluids in microchannels. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance fluid mixing by employing some external means. In this paper, the classification and mixing principles of passive (T-type, Y-type, obstructed, serpentine, three-dimensional) and active (acoustic, electric, pressure, thermal, magnetic field) micromixers are reviewed based on the presence or absence of external forces in the micromixers, and some experiments and applications of each type of micromixer are briefly discussed. Finally, the future development trends of micromixers are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxiang Cai
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Yawen Jin
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Yun Lin
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Yingzheng He
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Naval Aviation University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Peifan Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Naval Aviation University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Zhixing Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenguang Yang
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
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Choi I, Ahn GY, Kim ES, Hwang SH, Park HJ, Yoon S, Lee J, Cho Y, Nam JH, Choi SW. Microfluidic Bioreactor with Fibrous Micromixers for In Vitro mRNA Transcription. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:7897-7905. [PMID: 37435905 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
A new type of microfluidic bioreactor with fibrous micromixers for the ingredient mixing and a long macrochannel for the in vitro transcription reaction was fabricated for the continuous production of mRNA. The diameter of the fibrous microchannels in the micromixers was tuned by using an electrospun microfibrous disc with different microfiber diameters. The micromixer with a larger diameter of fibrous microchannels exhibited a better mixing performance than the others. The mixing efficiency was increased to 0.95 while the mixture was passed through the micromixers, suggesting complete mixing. To demonstrate the continuous production of mRNA, the ingredients for in vitro transcription were introduced into the perfluoropolyether microfluidic bioreactor. The mRNA synthesized by the microfluidic bioreactor had the same sequence and in vitro/in vivo performances as those prepared by the bulk reaction. The continuous reaction in the microfluidic bioreactor with efficient mixing performance can be used as a powerful platform for various microfluidic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inseong Choi
- Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Guk-Young Ahn
- Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Seo Kim
- Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hee Hwang
- Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Jung Park
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Subin Yoon
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Jisun Lee
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngran Cho
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hwan Nam
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Wook Choi
- Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, Republic of Korea
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De Figueiredo I, Bartenlian B, Van der Rest G, Pallandre A, Halgand F. Proteomics Methodologies: The Search of Protein Biomarkers Using Microfluidic Systems Coupled to Mass Spectrometry. Proteomes 2023; 11:proteomes11020019. [PMID: 37218924 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes11020019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein biomarkers have been the subject of intensive studies as a target for disease diagnostics and monitoring. Indeed, biomarkers have been extensively used for personalized medicine. In biological samples, these biomarkers are most often present in low concentrations masked by a biologically complex proteome (e.g., blood) making their detection difficult. This complexity is further increased by the needs to detect proteoforms and proteome complexity such as the dynamic range of compound concentrations. The development of techniques that simultaneously pre-concentrate and identify low-abundance biomarkers in these proteomes constitutes an avant-garde approach to the early detection of pathologies. Chromatographic-based methods are widely used for protein separation, but these methods are not adapted for biomarker discovery, as they require complex sample handling due to the low biomarker concentration. Therefore, microfluidics devices have emerged as a technology to overcome these shortcomings. In terms of detection, mass spectrometry (MS) is the standard analytical tool given its high sensitivity and specificity. However, for MS, the biomarker must be introduced as pure as possible in order to avoid chemical noise and improve sensitivity. As a result, microfluidics coupled with MS has become increasingly popular in the field of biomarker discovery. This review will show the different approaches to protein enrichment using miniaturized devices and the importance of their coupling with MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel De Figueiredo
- Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris Saclay, Avenue Jean Perrin, F91400 Orsay, France
| | - Bernard Bartenlian
- Centre des Nanosciences et Nanotechnologies, Université Paris Saclay, 10 Boulevard Thomas Gobert, F91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Guillaume Van der Rest
- Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris Saclay, Avenue Jean Perrin, F91400 Orsay, France
| | - Antoine Pallandre
- Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris Saclay, Avenue Jean Perrin, F91400 Orsay, France
| | - Frédéric Halgand
- Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris Saclay, Avenue Jean Perrin, F91400 Orsay, France
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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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Kshirsagar A, Choi G, Santosh V, Harvey T, Bernhards RC, Guan W. Handheld Purification-Free Nucleic Acid Testing Device for Point-of-Need Detection of Malaria from Whole Blood. ACS Sens 2023; 8:673-683. [PMID: 36696460 PMCID: PMC11214673 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c02169] [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] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
World Health Organization's aim to eliminate malaria from developing/resource-limited economies requires easy access to low-cost, highly sensitive, and specific screening. We present a handheld nucleic acid testing device with on-chip automated sample preparation to detect malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) infection from a whole blood sample as a feasibility study. We used a simple two-reagent-based purification-free protocol to prepare the whole blood sample on a piezo pump pressure-driven microfluidic cartridge. The cartridge includes a unique mixing chamber for sample preparation and metering structures to dispense a predetermined volume of the sample lysate mixture into four chambers containing a reaction mix. The parasite genomic DNA concentration can be estimated by monitoring the fluorescence generated from the loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction in real time. We achieved a sensitivity of ∼0.42 parasite/μL of whole blood, sufficient for detecting asymptomatic malaria parasite carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneesh Kshirsagar
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA
| | - Gihoon Choi
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA
| | - Vishaka Santosh
- U.S. Army, DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 21010, USA
| | - Tara Harvey
- U.S. Army, DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 21010, USA
| | - Robert Cory Bernhards
- U.S. Army, DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, 21010, USA
| | - Weihua Guan
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA
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Tomaras G, Kothapalli CR, Fodor PS. Serpentine Micromixers Using Extensional Mixing Elements. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:1785. [PMID: 36296138 PMCID: PMC9611290 DOI: 10.3390/mi13101785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Computational fluid dynamics modeling was used to characterize the effect of the integration of constrictions defined by the vertices of hyperbolas on the flow structure in microfluidic serpentine channels. In the new topology, the Dean flows characteristic of the pressure-driven fluid motion along curved channels are combined with elongational flows and asymmetric longitudinal eddies that develop in the constriction region. The resulting complex flow structure is characterized by folding and stretching of the fluid volumes, which can promote enhanced mixing. Optimization of the geometrical parameters defining the constriction region allows for the development of an efficient micromixer topology that shows robust enhanced performance across a broad range of Reynolds numbers from Re = 1 to 100.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Tomaras
- Department of Physics, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44236, USA
| | - Chandrasekhar R. Kothapalli
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44236, USA
| | - Petru S. Fodor
- Department of Physics, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44236, USA
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13
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CFD Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Continuous Synthesis of Magnetite Nanoparticles Using 2D and 3D Micromixers. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13060970. [PMID: 35744584 PMCID: PMC9230433 DOI: 10.3390/mi13060970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) have attracted basic and applied research due to their immense potential to enable applications in fields as varied as drug delivery and bioremediation. Conventional synthesis schemes led to wide particle size distributions and inhomogeneous morphologies and crystalline structures. This has been attributed to the inability to control nucleation and growth processes under the conventional conditions of bulk batch processes. Here, we attempted to address these issues by scaling down the synthesis process aided by microfluidic devices, as they provide highly controlled and stable mixing patterns. Accordingly, we proposed three micromixers with different channel configurations, namely, serpentine, triangular, and a 3D arrangement with abrupt changes in fluid direction. The micromixers were first studied in silico, aided by Comsol Multiphysics® to investigate the obtained mixing patterns, and consequently, their potential for controlled growth and the nucleation processes required to form MNPs of uniform size and crystalline structure. The devices were then manufactured using a low-cost approach based on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and laser cutting. Testing the micromixers in the synthesis of MNPs revealed homogeneous morphologies and particle size distributions, and the typical crystalline structure reported previously. A life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis for the devices was conducted in comparison with conventional batch co-precipitation synthesis to investigate the potential impacts on water and energy consumption. The obtained results revealed that such consumptions are higher than those of the conventional process. However, they can be reduced by conducting the synthesis with reused micromixers, as new PMMA is not needed for their assembly prior to operation. We are certain that the proposed approach represents an advantageous alternative to co-precipitation synthesis schemes, in terms of continuous production and more homogeneous physicochemical parameters of interest such as size, morphologies, and crystalline structure. Future work should be directed towards improving the sustainability indicators of the micromixers’ manufacturing process.
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14
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Wang Y, Rink S, Baeumner AJ, Seidel M. Microfluidic flow-injection aptamer-based chemiluminescence platform for sulfadimethoxine detection. Mikrochim Acta 2022; 189:117. [PMID: 35195801 PMCID: PMC8866360 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-022-05216-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Gold nanoparticle–catalyzed chemiluminescence (CL) of luminol is an attractive alternative to strategies relying on enzymes, as their aggregation leads to significantly enhanced CL signals. Consequently, analytes disturbing such aggregation will lead to an easy-to-quantify weakening of the signal. Based on this concept, a homogeneous aptamer-based assay for the detection of sulfadimethoxine (SDM) has been developed as a microfluidic CL flow-injection platform. Here, the efficient mixing of gold nanoparticles, aptamers, and analyte in short channel distances is of utmost importance, and two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) mixer designs made via Xurography were investigated. In the end, since 2D designs could not provide sufficient mixing, a laminated 3D 5-layer microfluidic mixer was developed and optimized with respect to mixing capability and observation by the charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Furthermore, the performance of standard luminol and its more hydrophilic derivative m-carboxy luminol was studied identifying the hydrophilic derivative to provide tenfold more signal enhancement and reliable results. Finally, the novel detection platform was used for the specific detection of SDM via its aptamer and yielded a stunning dynamic range over 5 orders of magnitude (0.01–1000 ng/ml) and a limit of detection of 4 pg/ml. This new detection concept not only outperforms other methods for SDM detection, but can be suggested as a new flow-injection strategy for aptamer-based rapid and cost-efficient analysis in environmental monitoring and food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanwei Wang
- Institute of Hydrochemistry, Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Simone Rink
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Antje J Baeumner
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Chemo- and Biosensors, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Seidel
- Institute of Hydrochemistry, Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748, Garching, Germany.
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15
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Jeerapan I, Moonla C, Thavarungkul P, Kanatharana P. Lab on a body for biomedical electrochemical sensing applications: The next generation of microfluidic devices. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2022; 187:249-279. [PMID: 35094777 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This chapter highlights applications of microfluidic devices toward on-body biosensors. The emerging application of microfluidics to on-body bioanalysis is a new strategy to establish systems for the continuous, real-time, and on-site determination of informative markers present in biofluids, such as sweat, interstitial fluid, blood, saliva, and tear. Electrochemical sensors are attractive to integrate with such microfluidics due to the possibility to be miniaturized. Moreover, on-body microfluidics coupled with bioelectronics enable smart integration with modern information and communication technology. This chapter discusses requirements and several challenges when developing on-body microfluidics such as difficulties in manipulating small sample volumes while maintaining mechanical flexibility, power-consumption efficiency, and simplicity of total automated systems. We describe key components, e.g., microchannels, microvalves, and electrochemical detectors, used in microfluidics. We also introduce representatives of advanced lab-on-a-body microfluidics combined with electrochemical sensors for biomedical applications. The chapter ends with a discussion of the potential trends of research in this field and opportunities. On-body microfluidics as modern total analysis devices will continue to bring several fascinating opportunities to the field of biomedical and translational research applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itthipon Jeerapan
- Division of Physical Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand; Center of Excellence for Trace Analysis and Biosensor, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
| | - Chochanon Moonla
- School of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Panote Thavarungkul
- Division of Physical Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand; Center of Excellence for Trace Analysis and Biosensor, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Proespichaya Kanatharana
- Division of Physical Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand; Center of Excellence for Trace Analysis and Biosensor, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
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16
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Juraeva M, Kang DJ. Mixing Performance of a Passive Micro-Mixer with Mixing Units Stacked in Cross Flow Direction. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12121530. [PMID: 34945380 PMCID: PMC8705926 DOI: 10.3390/mi12121530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
A new passive micro-mixer with mixing units stacked in the cross flow direction was proposed, and its performance was evaluated numerically. The present micro-mixer consisted of eight mixing units. Each mixing unit had four baffles, and they were arranged alternatively in the cross flow and transverse direction. The mixing units were stacked in four different ways: one step, two step, four step, and eight step stacking. A numerical study was carried out for the Reynolds numbers from 0.5 to 50. The corresponding volume flow rate ranged from 6.33 μL/min to 633 μL/min. The mixing performance was analyzed in terms of the degree of mixing (DOM) and relative mixing energy cost (MEC). The numerical results showed a noticeable enhancement of the mixing performance compared with other micromixers. The mixing enhancement was achieved by two flow characteristics: baffle wall impingement by a stream of high concentration and swirl motion within the mixing unit. The baffle wall impingement by a stream of high concentration was observed throughout all Reynolds numbers. The swirl motion inside the mixing unit was observed in the cross flow direction, and became significant as the Reynolds number increased to larger than about five. The eight step stacking showed the best performance for Reynolds numbers larger than about two, while the two step stacking was better for Reynolds numbers less than about two.
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17
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Ning S, Liu S, Xiao Y, Zhang G, Cui W, Reed M. A microfluidic chip with a serpentine channel enabling high-throughput cell separation using surface acoustic waves. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4608-4617. [PMID: 34763349 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00840d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
As an acute inflammatory response, sepsis may cause septic shock and multiple organ failure. Rapid and reliable detection of pathogens from blood samples can promote early diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. However, traditional pathogen detection methods rely on bacterial blood culture, which is complex and time-consuming. Although pre-separation of bacteria from blood can help with the identification of pathogens for diagnosis, the required low-velocity fluid environment of most separation techniques greatly limits the processing capacity for blood samples. Here, we present an acoustofluidic device for high-throughput bacterial separation from human blood cells. Our device utilizes a serpentine microfluidic design and standing surface acoustic waves (SSAWs), and separates bacteria from blood cells effectively based on their size difference. The serpentine microstructure allows the operating distance of the acoustic field to be multiplied in a limited chip size via the "spatial multiplexing" and "pressure node matching" of SSAW field. Microscopic observation and flow cytometry analysis shows that the device is helpful in improving the flow rate (2.6 μL min-1 for blood samples; the corresponding velocity is ∼3 cm s-1) without losing separation purity or cell recovery. The serpentine microfluidic design provides a compatible solution for high-throughput separation, which can synergize with other functional designs to improve device performance. Further, its advantages such as low cost, high biocompatibility, label-free separation and ability to integrate with on-chip biosensors are promising for clinical utility in point-of-care diagnostic platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shupeng Ning
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & Instruments, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shuchang Liu
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & Instruments, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yunjie Xiao
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Guanyu Zhang
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & Instruments, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Weiwei Cui
- School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology & Instruments, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Mark Reed
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Sheth S, Stealey S, Morgan NY, Zustiak SP. Microfluidic Chip Device for In Situ Mixing and Fabrication of Hydrogel Microspheres via Michael-Type Addition. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:11793-11803. [PMID: 34597052 PMCID: PMC9447845 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogel microspheres are sought for a variety of biomedical applications, including therapeutic and cellular delivery, sensors, and lubricants. Robust fabrication of hydrogel microspheres with uniform sizes and properties can be achieved using microfluidic systems that rely on droplet formation and subsequent gelation to form microspheres. Such systems work well when gelation is initiated after droplet formation but are not practical for timed gelation systems where gelation is initiated prior to droplet formation; premature gelation can lead to device blockage, variable microsphere diameter due to viscosity changes in the precursor solution, and limited numbers of microspheres produced in a single run. To enable microfluidic fabrication of microspheres from timed gelation hydrogel systems, an in situ mixing region is needed so that various hydrogel precursor components can be added separately. Here, we designed and evaluated three mixing devices for their effectiveness at mixing hydrogel precursor solutions prior to droplet formation and subsequent gelation. The serpentine geometry was found to be the most effective and was further improved with the inclusion of a pillar array to increase agitation. The optimized device was shown to fully mix precursor solutions and enable the fabrication of monodisperse polyethylene glycol microspheres, offering great potential for use with timed gelation hydrogel systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saahil Sheth
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA 63103
| | - Samuel Stealey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA 63103
| | - Nicole Y. Morgan
- Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science Shared Resource, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA 20814
| | - Silviya P. Zustiak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA 63103
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19
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Microfluidics for Multiphase Mixing and Liposomal Encapsulation of Nanobioconjugates: Passive vs. Acoustic Systems. FLUIDS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/fluids6090309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
One of the main routes to ensure that biomolecules or bioactive agents remain active as they are incorporated into products with applications in different industries is by their encapsulation. Liposomes are attractive platforms for encapsulation due to their ease of synthesis and manipulation and the potential to fuse with cell membranes when they are intended for drug delivery applications. We propose encapsulating our recently developed cell-penetrating nanobioconjugates based on magnetite interfaced with translocating proteins and peptides with the purpose of potentiating their cell internalization capabilities even further. To prepare the encapsulates (also known as magnetoliposomes (MLPs)), we introduced a low-cost microfluidic device equipped with a serpentine microchannel to favor the interaction between the liposomes and the nanobioconjugates. The encapsulation performance of the device, operated either passively or in the presence of ultrasound, was evaluated both in silico and experimentally. The in silico analysis was implemented through multiphysics simulations with the software COMSOL Multiphysics 5.5® (COMSOL Inc., Stockholm, Sweden) via both a Eulerian model and a transport of diluted species model. The encapsulation efficiency was determined experimentally, aided by spectrofluorimetry. Encapsulation efficiencies obtained experimentally and in silico approached 80% for the highest flow rate ratios (FRRs). Compared with the passive mixer, the in silico results of the device under acoustic waves led to higher discrepancies with respect to those obtained experimentally. This was attributed to the complexity of the process in such a situation. The obtained MLPs demonstrated successful encapsulation of the nanobioconjugates by both methods with a 36% reduction in size for the ones obtained in the presence of ultrasound. These findings suggest that the proposed serpentine micromixers are well suited to produce MLPs very efficiently and with homogeneous key physichochemical properties.
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20
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Juraeva M, Kang DJ. Optimal Combination of Mixing Units Using the Design of Experiments Method. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:985. [PMID: 34442607 PMCID: PMC8398973 DOI: 10.3390/mi12080985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
A passive micromixer was designed by combining two mixing units: the cross-channel split and recombined (CC-SAR) and a mixing cell with baffles (MC-B). The passive micromixer was comprised of eight mixing slots that corresponded to four combination units; two mixing slots were grouped as one combination unit. The combination of the two mixing units was based on four combination schemes: (A) first mixing unit, (B) first combination unit, (C) first combination module, and (D) second combination module. The statistical significance of the four combination schemes was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in terms of the degree of mixing (DOM) and mixing energy cost (MEC). The DOM and MEC were simulated numerically for three Reynolds numbers (Re = 0.5, 2, and 50), representing three mixing regimes. The combination scheme (B), using different mixing units in the first two mixing slots, was significant for Re = 2 and 50. The four combination schemes had little effect on the mixing performance of a passive micromixer operating in the mixing regime of molecular dominance. The combination scheme (B) was generalized to arbitrary mixing slots, and its significance was analyzed for Re = 2 and 50. The general combination scheme meant two different mixing units in two consecutive mixing slots. The numerical simulation results showed that the general combination scheme was statistically significant in the first three combination units for Re = 2, and significant in the first two combination units for Re = 50. The combined micromixer based on the general combination scheme throughout the entire micromixer showed the best mixing performance over a wide range of Reynolds numbers, compared to other micromixers that did not adopt completely the general combination scheme. The most significant enhancement due to the general combination scheme was observed in the transition mixing scheme and was negligible in the molecular dominance scheme. The combination order was less significant after three combination units.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dong-Jin Kang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyoungsan 712-749, Korea;
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21
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Wei C, Yu C, Li S, Pan F, Li T, Wang Z, Li J. Rapid Microfluidic Mixing Method Based on Droplet Rotation Due to PDMS Deformation. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12080901. [PMID: 34442523 PMCID: PMC8400329 DOI: 10.3390/mi12080901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Droplet-based micromixers have shown great prospects in chemical synthesis, pharmacology, biologics, and diagnostics. When compared with the active method, passive micromixer is widely used because it relies on the droplet movement in the microchannel without extra energy, which is more concise and easier to operate. Here we present a droplet rotation-based microfluidic mixer that allows rapid mixing within individual droplets efficiently. PDMS deformation is used to construct subsidence on the roof of the microchannel, which can deviate the trajectory of droplets. Thus, the droplet shows a rotation behavior due to the non-uniform distribution of the flow field, which can introduce turbulence and induce cross-flow enhancing 3D mixing inside the droplet, achieving rapid and homogenous fluid mixing. In order to evaluate the performance of the droplet rotation-based microfluidic mixer, droplets with highly viscous fluid (60% w/w PEGDA solution) were generated, half of which was seeded with fluorescent dye for imaging. Mixing efficiency was quantified using the mixing index (MI), which shows as high as 92% mixing index was achieved within 12 mm traveling. Here in this work, it has been demonstrated that the microfluidic mixing method based on the droplet rotation has shown the advantages of low-cost, easy to operate, and high mixing efficiency. It is expected to find wide applications in the field of pharmaceutics, chemical synthesis, and biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Wei
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-Robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China; (C.W.); (F.P.); (Z.W.)
| | - Chengzhuang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China;
| | - Shanshan Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-Robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China; (C.W.); (F.P.); (Z.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Reliability and Intelligence of Electrical Equipment, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China;
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Food Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Wuxi 214122, China
- Correspondence: (S.L.); (T.L.); (J.L.); Tel.: +86-22-60202605 (S.L.); +86-22-60202605 (T.L.); +86-22-60201070 (J.L.)
| | - Feng Pan
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-Robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China; (C.W.); (F.P.); (Z.W.)
| | - Tiejun Li
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-Robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China; (C.W.); (F.P.); (Z.W.)
- Correspondence: (S.L.); (T.L.); (J.L.); Tel.: +86-22-60202605 (S.L.); +86-22-60202605 (T.L.); +86-22-60201070 (J.L.)
| | - Zichao Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Robotic Sensing and Human-Robot Interactions, School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300132, China; (C.W.); (F.P.); (Z.W.)
| | - Junwei Li
- Institute of Biophysics, School of Science, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China
- Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Langfang 065000, China
- Correspondence: (S.L.); (T.L.); (J.L.); Tel.: +86-22-60202605 (S.L.); +86-22-60202605 (T.L.); +86-22-60201070 (J.L.)
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22
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Ghazimirsaeed E, Madadelahi M, Dizani M, Shamloo A. Secondary Flows, Mixing, and Chemical Reaction Analysis of Droplet-Based Flow inside Serpentine Microchannels with Different Cross Sections. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:5118-5130. [PMID: 33877832 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c03662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Chemical bioreactions are an important aspect of many recent microfluidic devices, and their applications in biomedical science have been growing worldwide. Droplet-based microreactors are among the attractive types of unit operations, which utilize droplets for enhancement in both mixing and chemical reactions. In the present study, a finite-volume-method (FVM) numerical investigation is conducted based on the volume-of-fluid (VOF) applying for the droplet-based flows. This multiphase computational modeling is used for the study of the chemical reaction and mixing phenomenon inside a serpentine microchannel and explores the effects of the aspect ratio (i.e., AR = height/width) of rectangular cross-sectional geometries as well as three other cross-sectional geometries including trapezoidal, triangular, and circular, on consumption and production rates of chemical species. It is found that in these droplet bioreactors, the reaction begins from the forward section of the droplet. We investigate the secondary flows and chemical reactions inside the droplets in a serpentine microchannel with different cross-sectional geometries. Different transient Dean vortices and secondary flows in the presence and absence of the droplets are studied and explained based on the position of the droplets. It is found that as the droplets pass through the microchannel turns, the patterns and magnitude of the secondary flows change, depending on the cross-sectional geometry. Eventually, the results demonstrate that the AR = 2 rectangular cross-section is the most helpful geometry, whereas the trapezoidal cross-section takes into account the least efficient one between all geometries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Ghazimirsaeed
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, >Tehran 165165161, Iran
| | - Masoud Madadelahi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, >Tehran 165165161, Iran
| | - Mahdi Dizani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, >Tehran 165165161, Iran
| | - Amir Shamloo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, >Tehran 165165161, Iran
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23
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Ahmadi VE, Butun I, Altay R, Bazaz SR, Alijani H, Celik S, Warkiani ME, Koşar A. The effects of baffle configuration and number on inertial mixing in a curved serpentine micromixer: Experimental and numerical study. Chem Eng Res Des 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2021.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Guo W, Tang L, Zhou B, Fung Y. Fundamental Studies of Rapidly Fabricated On-Chip Passive Micromixer for Modular Microfluidics. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:153. [PMID: 33557366 PMCID: PMC7914446 DOI: 10.3390/mi12020153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Micromixers play an important role in many modular microfluidics. Complex on-chip mixing units and smooth channel surfaces ablated by lasers on polymers are well-known problems for microfluidic chip fabricating techniques. However, little is known about the ablation of rugged surfaces on polymer chips for mixing uses. This paper provides the first report of an on-chip compact micromixer simply, easily and quickly fabricated using laser-ablated irregular microspheric surfaces on a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microfluidic chip for continuous mixing uses in modular microfluidics. The straight line channel geometry is designed for sequential mixing of nanoliter fluids in about 1 s. The results verify that up to about 90% of fluids can be mixed in a channel only 500 µm long, 200 µm wide and 150 µm deep using the developed micromixer fabricating method under optimized conditions. The computational flow dynamics simulation and experimental result agree well with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng Guo
- First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518035, China;
| | - Li Tang
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.T.); (Y.F.)
| | - Biqiang Zhou
- First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518035, China;
| | - Yingsing Fung
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.T.); (Y.F.)
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25
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Shen S, Gao M, Zhang F, Niu Y. Numerical Study of Multivortex Regulation in Curved Microchannels with Ultra-Low-Aspect-Ratio. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12010081. [PMID: 33466925 PMCID: PMC7830345 DOI: 10.3390/mi12010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The field of inertial microfluidics has been significantly advanced in terms of application to fluid manipulation for biological analysis, materials synthesis, and chemical process control. Because of their superior benefits such as high-throughput, simplicity, and accurate manipulation, inertial microfluidics designs incorporating channel geometries generating Dean vortexes and helical vortexes have been studied extensively. However, existing technologies have not been studied by designing low-aspect-ratio microchannels to produce multi-vortexes. In this study, an inertial microfluidic device was developed, allowing the generation and regulation of the Dean vortex and helical vortex through the introduction of micro-obstacles in a semicircular microchannel with ultra-low aspect ratio. Multi-vortex formations in the vertical and horizontal planes of four dimension-confined curved channels were analyzed at different flow rates. Moreover, the regulation mechanisms of the multi-vortex were studied systematically by altering the micro-obstacle length and channel height. Through numerical simulation, the regulation of dimensional confinement in the microchannel is verified to induce the Dean vortex and helical vortex with different magnitudes and distributions. The results provide insights into the geometry-induced secondary flow mechanism, which can inspire simple and easily built planar 2D microchannel systems with low-aspect-ratio design with application in fluid manipulations for chemical engineering and bioengineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaofei Shen
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (Y.N.); Tel./Fax: +86-354-6287205 (S.S. & Y.N.)
| | | | | | - Yanbing Niu
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (Y.N.); Tel./Fax: +86-354-6287205 (S.S. & Y.N.)
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Numerical Study of T-Shaped Micromixers with Vortex-Inducing Obstacles in the Inlet Channels. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11121122. [PMID: 33352968 PMCID: PMC7766108 DOI: 10.3390/mi11121122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
To enhance fluid mixing, a new approach for inlet flow modification by adding vortex-inducing obstacles (VIOs) in the inlet channels of a T-shaped micromixer is proposed and investigated in this work. We use a commercial computational fluid dynamics code to calculate the pressure and the velocity vectors and, to reduce the numerical diffusion in high-Peclet-number flows, we employ the particle-tracking simulation with an approximation diffusion model to calculate the concentration distribution in the micromixers. The effects of geometric parameters, including the distance between the obstacles and the angle of attack of the obstacles, on the mixing performance of micromixers are studied. From the results, we can observe the following trends: (i) the stretched contact surface between different fluids caused by antisymmetric VIOs happens for the cases with the Reynolds number (Re) greater than or equal to 27 and the enhancement of mixing increases with the increase of Reynolds number gradually, and (ii) the onset of the engulfment flow happens at Re≈125 in the T-shaped mixer with symmetric VIOs or at Re≈140 in the standard planar T-shaped mixer and results in a sudden increase of the degree of mixing. The results indicate that the early initiation of transversal convection by either symmetric or antisymmetric VIOs can enhance fluid mixing at a relatively lower Re.
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Aranguren A, Torres CE, Muñoz-Camargo C, Osma JF, Cruz JC. Synthesis of Nanoscale Liposomes via Low-Cost Microfluidic Systems. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11121050. [PMID: 33260732 PMCID: PMC7760644 DOI: 10.3390/mi11121050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We describe the manufacture of low-cost microfluidic systems to produce nanoscale liposomes with highly uniform size distributions (i.e., low polydispersity indexes (PDI)) and acceptable colloidal stability. This was achieved by exploiting a Y-junction device followed by a serpentine micromixer geometry to facilitate the diffusion between the mixing phases (i.e., continuous and dispersed) via advective processes. Two different geometries were studied. In the first one, the microchannels were engraved with a laser cutting machine on a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet and covered with another PMMA sheet to form a two-layer device. In the second one, microchannels were not engraved but through-hole cut on a PMMA sheet and encased by a top and a bottom PMMA sheet to form a three-layer device. The devices were tested out by putting in contact lipids dissolved in alcohol as the dispersed phase and water as the continuous phase to self-assemble the liposomes. By fixing the total flow rate (TFR) and varying the flow rate ratio (FRR), we obtained most liposomes with average hydrodynamic diameters ranging from 188 ± 61 to 1312 ± 373 nm and 0.30 ± 0.09 PDI values. Such liposomes were obtained by changing the FRR from 5:1 to 2:1. Our results approached those obtained by conventional bulk synthesis methods such as a thin hydration bilayer and freeze-thaw, which produced liposomes with diameters ranging from 200 ± 38 to 250 ± 38 nm and 0.30 ± 0.05 PDI values. The produced liposomes might find several potential applications in the biomedical field, particularly in encapsulation and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Aranguren
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Cra. 1E No. 19a-40, Bogotá DC 111711, Colombia;
| | - Carlos E. Torres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Cra. 1E No. 19a-40, Bogotá DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Carolina Muñoz-Camargo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Cra. 1E No. 19a-40, Bogotá DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (C.M.-C.)
| | - Johann F. Osma
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Cra. 1E No. 19a-40, Bogotá DC 111711, Colombia;
- Correspondence: (J.F.O.); (J.C.C.)
| | - Juan C. Cruz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, Cra. 1E No. 19a-40, Bogotá DC 111711, Colombia; (C.E.T.); (C.M.-C.)
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
- Correspondence: (J.F.O.); (J.C.C.)
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Martínez-López JI, Betancourt Cervantes HA, Cuevas Iturbe LD, Vázquez E, Naula EA, Martínez López A, Siller HR, Mendoza-Buenrostro C, Rodríguez CA. Characterization of Soft Tooling Photopolymers and Processes for Micromixing Devices with Variable Cross-Section. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E970. [PMID: 33138263 PMCID: PMC7692576 DOI: 10.3390/mi11110970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we characterized an assortment of photopolymers and stereolithography processes to produce 3D-printed molds and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) castings of micromixing devices. Once materials and processes were screened, the validation of the soft tooling approach in microfluidic devices was carried out through a case study. An asymmetric split-and-recombine device with different cross-sections was manufactured and tested under different regime conditions (10 < Re < 70). Mixing performances between 3% and 96% were obtained depending on the flow regime and the pitch-to-depth ratio. The study shows that 3D-printed soft tooling can provide other benefits such as multiple cross-sections and other potential layouts on a single mold.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Israel Martínez-López
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
- Laboratorio Nacional de Manufactura Aditiva y Digital (MADiT), Apodaca, Nuevo Leon 66629, Mexico
- Centro de Investigación Numericalc, 5 de mayo Oriente 912, Monterrey 64000, Mexico;
| | - Héctor Andrés Betancourt Cervantes
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
| | - Luis Donaldo Cuevas Iturbe
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
| | - Elisa Vázquez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
- Laboratorio Nacional de Manufactura Aditiva y Digital (MADiT), Apodaca, Nuevo Leon 66629, Mexico
| | - Edisson A. Naula
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
| | | | - Héctor R. Siller
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Texas, 3940 N. Elm. St., Denton, TX 76207, USA;
| | - Christian Mendoza-Buenrostro
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
| | - Ciro A. Rodríguez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Monterrey 64849, Mexico; (H.A.B.C.); (L.D.C.I.); (E.V.); (E.A.N.); (C.M.-B.)
- Laboratorio Nacional de Manufactura Aditiva y Digital (MADiT), Apodaca, Nuevo Leon 66629, Mexico
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Abdul Hamid ISL, Khi Khim B, Sal Hamid S, Abd Rahman MF, Abd Manaf A. Implementation of a Single Emulsion Mask for Three-Dimensional (3D) Microstructure Fabrication of Micromixers Using the Grayscale Photolithography Technique. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E548. [PMID: 32485795 PMCID: PMC7345853 DOI: 10.3390/mi11060548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) microstructures have been exploited in various applications of microfluidic devices. Multilevel structures in micromixers are among the essential structures in microfluidic devices that exploit 3D microstructures for different tasks. The efficiency of the micromixing process is thus crucial, as it affects the overall performance of a microfluidic device. Microstructures are currently fabricated by less effective techniques due to a slow point-to-point and layer-by-layer pattern exposure by using sophisticated and expensive equipment. In this work, a grayscale photolithography technique is proposed with the capability of simultaneous control on lateral and vertical dimensions of microstructures in a single mask implementation. Negative photoresist SU8 is used for mould realisation with structural height ranging from 163.8 to 1108.7 µm at grayscale concentration between 60% to 98%, depending on the UV exposure time. This technique is exploited in passive micromixers fabrication with multilevel structures to study the mixing performance. Based on optical absorbance analysis, it is observed that 3D serpentine structure gives the best mixing performance among other types of micromixers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intan Sue Liana Abdul Hamid
- Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Center (CEDEC), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sains@USM, Pulau Pinang 11900, Malaysia; (I.S.L.A.H.); (B.K.K.); (S.S.H.); (M.F.A.R.)
- Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Johor 86400, Malaysia
| | - Beh Khi Khim
- Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Center (CEDEC), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sains@USM, Pulau Pinang 11900, Malaysia; (I.S.L.A.H.); (B.K.K.); (S.S.H.); (M.F.A.R.)
| | - Sofiyah Sal Hamid
- Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Center (CEDEC), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sains@USM, Pulau Pinang 11900, Malaysia; (I.S.L.A.H.); (B.K.K.); (S.S.H.); (M.F.A.R.)
| | - Mohamad Faizal Abd Rahman
- Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Center (CEDEC), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sains@USM, Pulau Pinang 11900, Malaysia; (I.S.L.A.H.); (B.K.K.); (S.S.H.); (M.F.A.R.)
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Pulau Pinang, Pulau Pinang 14000, Malaysia
| | - Asrulnizam Abd Manaf
- Collaborative Microelectronic Design Excellence Center (CEDEC), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sains@USM, Pulau Pinang 11900, Malaysia; (I.S.L.A.H.); (B.K.K.); (S.S.H.); (M.F.A.R.)
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Huang W, Wu T, Shallan A, Kostecki R, Rayner CK, Priest C, Ebendorff-Heidepriem H, Zhao J. A Multiplexed Microfluidic Platform toward Interrogating Endocrine Function: Simultaneous Sensing of Extracellular Ca 2+ and Hormone. ACS Sens 2020; 5:490-499. [PMID: 31939298 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.9b02308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]ex) is an important regulator of various physiological and pathological functions, including intercellular communication for synchronized cellular activities (e.g., coordinated hormone secretion from endocrine tissues). Yet it is rarely possible to concurrently quantify the dynamic changes of [Ca2+]ex and related bioactive molecules with high accuracy and temporal resolution. This work aims to develop a multiplexed microfluidic platform to enable monitoring oscillatory [Ca2+]ex and hormone(s) in a biomimetic environment. To this end, a low-affinity fluorescent indicator, Rhod-5N, is identified as a suitable sensor for a range of [Ca2+]ex based on its demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity to Ca2+ in biomedical samples, including human serum and cell culture medium. A microfluidic chip is devised to allow for the immobilization of microscale subjects (analogous to biological tissues), precise control of the perfusion gradient at sites of interest, and integration of modalities for fluorescence measurement and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. As this analytical system is demonstrated to be viable to quantify the dynamic changes of Ca2+ (0.2-2 mM) and insulin (15-150 mU L-1) concurrently, with high temporal resolution, it has the potential to provide key insights into the essential roles of [Ca2+]ex in the secretory function of endocrine tissues and to identify novel therapeutic targets for human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weikun Huang
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- The ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Tongzhi Wu
- Adelaide Medical School, Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- Institute of Diabetes, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Aliaa Shallan
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt
| | - Roman Kostecki
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- The ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Christopher K. Rayner
- Adelaide Medical School, Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Craig Priest
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- The ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Jiangbo Zhao
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- The ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Jena 07745, Germany
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31
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Wang C, Song Y, Pan X. Electrokinetic‐vortex formation near a two‐part cylinder with same‐sign zeta potentials in a straight microchannel. Electrophoresis 2020; 41:793-801. [DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chengfa Wang
- Department of Marine EngineeringDalian Maritime University Dalian P. R. China
| | - Yongxin Song
- Department of Marine EngineeringDalian Maritime University Dalian P. R. China
| | - Xinxiang Pan
- Maritime CollegeGuangdong Ocean University Zhanjiang P. R. China
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32
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Mixing Optimization in Grooved Serpentine Microchannels. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11010061. [PMID: 31947897 PMCID: PMC7019475 DOI: 10.3390/mi11010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Computational fluid dynamics modeling at Reynolds numbers ranging from 10 to 100 was used to characterize the performance of a new type of micromixer employing a serpentine channel with a grooved surface. The new topology exploits the overlap between the typical Dean flows present in curved channels due to the centrifugal forces experienced by the fluids, and the helical flows induced by slanted groove-ridge patterns with respect to the direction of the flow. The resulting flows are complex, with multiple vortices and saddle points, leading to enhanced mixing across the section of the channel. The optimization of the mixers with respect to the inner radius of curvature (Rin) of the serpentine channel identifies the designs in which the mixing index quality is both high (M > 0.95) and independent of the Reynolds number across all the values investigated.
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33
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Kašpar O, Koyuncu AH, Hubatová-Vacková A, Balouch M, Tokárová V. Influence of channel height on mixing efficiency and synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using droplet-based microfluidics. RSC Adv 2020; 10:15179-15189. [PMID: 35495462 PMCID: PMC9052325 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra02470h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental and CFD numerical analysis of mixing efficiency in droplet-based microfluidics for various channel heights and its impact on the preparation of iron oxide nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. Kašpar
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
- Prague 6
- Czech Republic
| | - A. H. Koyuncu
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
- Prague 6
- Czech Republic
| | - A. Hubatová-Vacková
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
- Prague 6
- Czech Republic
| | - M. Balouch
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
- Prague 6
- Czech Republic
| | - V. Tokárová
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
- Prague 6
- Czech Republic
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34
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Inertial Micromixing in Curved Serpentine Micromixers with Different Curve Angles. FLUIDS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/fluids4040204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Micromixers are of considerable significance in many microfluidics system applications, from chemical reactions to biological analysis processes. Passive micromixers, which rely solely on their geometry, have the advantages of low cost and a less-complex fabrication process. Dean vortices seen in curved microchannels are one of the useful tools to enhance micromixing. In this study, the effects of curve angle on micromixing were experimentally investigated in three curved serpentine micromixers consisting of ten segments with curve angles of 180 ° , 230 ° and 280 ° , at Dean numbers between 12 and 87. To characterize and compare the performance of the micromixers, fluorescence intensity maps and mixing indices were utilized. Accordingly, the micromixer having segments with 280 ° curve angle had significantly higher mixing index values up to the Dean number 60 and outperformed the other two micromixers. This was due to the severe distortion of flow streamlines by Dean vortices and the occurrence of chaotic advection at lower Dean numbers. Beyond the Dean number of 70, no difference was observed in the performance of the micromixers and the mixing index at their outlets had the asymptotic value of 0.93 ± 0.02. Furthermore, the flow behavior of the micromixers was numerically simulated to provide further insight about the mixing phenomena.
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35
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Taheri RA, Goodarzi V, Allahverdi A. Mixing Performance of a Cost-effective Split-and-Recombine 3D Micromixer Fabricated by Xurographic Method. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10110786. [PMID: 31744080 PMCID: PMC6915444 DOI: 10.3390/mi10110786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations of a novel passive micromixer based on the lamination of fluid layers. Lamination-based mixers benefit from increasing the contact surface between two fluid phases by enhancing molecular diffusion to achieve a faster mixing. Novel three-dimensional split and recombine (SAR) structures are proposed to generate fluid laminations. Numerical simulations were conducted to model the mixer performance. Furthermore, experiments were conducted using dyes to observe fluid laminations and evaluate the proposed mixer's characteristics. Mixing quality was experimentally obtained by means of image-based mixing index (MI) measurement. The multi-layer device was fabricated utilizing the Xurography method, which is a simple and low-cost method to fabricate 3D microfluidic devices. Mixing indexes of 96% and 90% were obtained at Reynolds numbers of 0.1 and 1, respectively. Moreover, the device had an MI value of 67% at a Reynolds number of 10 (flow rate of 116 µL/min for each inlet). The proposed micromixer, with its novel design and fabrication method, is expected to benefit a wide range of lab-on-a-chip applications, due to its high efficiency, low cost, high throughput and ease of fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramezan Ali Taheri
- Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1435116471, Iran
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +989126110865
| | - Vahabodin Goodarzi
- Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1435116471, Iran;
| | - Abdollah Allahverdi
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14115-335, Iran;
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36
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Shanko ES, van de Burgt Y, Anderson PD, den Toonder JMJ. Microfluidic Magnetic Mixing at Low Reynolds Numbers and in Stagnant Fluids. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E731. [PMID: 31671753 PMCID: PMC6915455 DOI: 10.3390/mi10110731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic mixing becomes a necessity when thorough sample homogenization is required in small volumes of fluid, such as in lab-on-a-chip devices. For example, efficient mixing is extraordinarily challenging in capillary-filling microfluidic devices and in microchambers with stagnant fluids. To address this issue, specifically designed geometrical features can enhance the effect of diffusion and provide efficient mixing by inducing chaotic fluid flow. This scheme is known as "passive" mixing. In addition, when rapid and global mixing is essential, "active" mixing can be applied by exploiting an external source. In particular, magnetic mixing (where a magnetic field acts to stimulate mixing) shows great potential for high mixing efficiency. This method generally involves magnetic beads and external (or integrated) magnets for the creation of chaotic motion in the device. However, there is still plenty of room for exploiting the potential of magnetic beads for mixing applications. Therefore, this review article focuses on the advantages of magnetic bead mixing along with recommendations on improving mixing in low Reynolds number flows (Re ≤ 1) and in stagnant fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriola-Sophia Shanko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems Research Section, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Yoeri van de Burgt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems Research Section, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Patrick D Anderson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Technology Research Section, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Jaap M J den Toonder
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems Research Section, and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS), Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
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37
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Shi X, Wang L, Huang S, Li F. A novel passive micromixer with array of Koch fractal obstacles in microchannel. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2019.1674156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xianchun Shi
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology , Huainan , Anhui , China
| | - Long Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology , Huainan , Anhui , China
| | - Shaofu Huang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology , Huainan , Anhui , China
| | - Feng Li
- Key Laboratory of Road and Traffic Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Tongji University , Shanghai , China
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Guo M, Hu X, Yang F, Jiao S, Wang Y, Zhao H, Luo G, Yu H. Mixing Performance and Application of a Three-Dimensional Serpentine Microchannel Reactor with a Periodic Vortex-Inducing Structure. Ind Eng Chem Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.9b01573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xingjian Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Song Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Tsinghua University, The Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yujun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Haiyan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangsheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Huimin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Tsinghua University, The Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100084, China
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Li H, Huang B, Wu M. Experimental and Numerical Investigations on the Flow Characteristics within Hydrodynamic Entrance Regions in Microchannels. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E317. [PMID: 31083496 PMCID: PMC6563028 DOI: 10.3390/mi10050317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Flow characteristics within entrance regions in microchannels are important due to their effect on heat and mass transfer. However, relevant research is limited and some conclusions are controversial. In order to reveal flow characteristics within entrance regions and to provide empiric correlation estimating hydrodynamic entrance length, experimental and numerical investigations were conducted in microchannels with square cross-sections. The inlet configuration was elaborately designed in a more common pattern for microdevices to diminish errors caused by separation flow near the inlet and fabrication faults so that conclusions which were more applicable to microchannels could be drawn. Three different microchannels with hydraulic diameters of 100 μm, 150 μm, and 200 μm were investigated with Reynolds (Re) number ranging from 0.5 to 50. For the experiment, deionized water was chosen as the working fluid and microscopic particle image velocimetry (micro-PIV) was adopted to record and analyze velocity profiles. For numerical simulation, the test-sections were modeled and incompressible laminar Navier-Stokes equations were solved with commercial software. Strong agreement was achieved between the experimental data and the simulated data. According to the results of both the experiments and the simulations, new correlations were proposed to estimate entrance length. Re numbers ranging from 12.5 to 15 was considered as the transition region where the relationship between entrance length and Re number converted. For the microchannels and the Reynolds number range investigated compared with correlations for conventional channels, noticeable deviation was observed for lower Re numbers (Re < 12.5) and strong agreement was found for higher Re numbers (Re > 15).
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiwang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero Engines Aero-thermodynamics, The Collaborative Innovation Middle for Advanced Aero-Engine of China, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Binghuan Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero Engines Aero-thermodynamics, The Collaborative Innovation Middle for Advanced Aero-Engine of China, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Min Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Aero Engines Aero-thermodynamics, The Collaborative Innovation Middle for Advanced Aero-Engine of China, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
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Afzal A, Ansari MA, Kim KY. Editorial for the Special Issue on Passive Micromixers. MICROMACHINES 2018; 9:E250. [PMID: 30424183 PMCID: PMC6187279 DOI: 10.3390/mi9050250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Micromixers are important components of microfluidic systems [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Afzal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India.
| | - Mubashshir A Ansari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202001, India.
| | - Kwang-Yong Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Korea.
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Zhang J, Luo X. Mixing Performance of a 3D Micro T-Mixer with Swirl-Inducing Inlets and Rectangular Constriction. MICROMACHINES 2018; 9:E199. [PMID: 30424132 PMCID: PMC6187579 DOI: 10.3390/mi9050199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, three novel 3D micro T-mixers, namely, a micro T-mixer with swirl-inducing inlets (TMSI), a micro T-mixer with a rectangular constriction (TMRC), and a micro T-mixer with swirl-inducing inlets and a rectangular constriction (TMSC), were proposed on the basis of the original 3D micro T-mixer (OTM). The flow and mixing performance of these micromixers was numerically analyzed using COMSOL Multiphysics package at a range of Reynolds numbers from 10 to 70. Results show that the three proposed 3D micro T-mixers have achieved better mixing performance than OTM. Due to the coupling effect of two swirl-inducing inlets and a rectangular constriction, the maximum mixing index and pressure drop appeared in TMSC among the four micromixers especially; the mixing index of TMSC reaches 91.8% at Re = 70, indicating that TMSC can achieve effective mixing in a short channel length, but has a slightly higher pressure drop than TMSI and TMRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.
| | - Xiaoping Luo
- School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.
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