The fluid property dependency on micro-fluidic characteristics in the deposition process for microfabrication

The droplet impingement into a cavity at micrometer-scale is one of important fluidic issues for microfabrications, e.g. the inkjet deposition process in the PLED display manufacturing. The related micro-fluidic behaviors in the deposition process should be carefully treated to ensure the desired quality of microfabrication. The droplets generally dispensing from an inkjet head, which contains an array of nozzles, have a volume in several picoliters, while each nozzle responds very quickly and jets the droplets into cavities on substrates with micrometer size. The nature of droplet impingement depends on the fluid properties, the initial state of droplet, the impact parameters and the surface characteristics. The commonly chosen non-dimensional numbers to describe this process are the Weber number, the Reynolds number, the Ohnesorge number, and the Bond number. This paper discusses the influences of fluid properties of a Newtonian fluid, such as surface tension and fluid viscosity, on micro-fluidic characteristics for a certain jetting speed in the deposition process via a numerical approach, which indicates the impingement process consists of four different phases. In the first phase, the droplet stretching outwards rapidly, where inertia force is dominated. In the second phase, the recoiling of droplet is observed, where surface tension becomes the most important force. In the third phase, the gravitational force pulls the droplet surface towards cavity walls. The fourth phase begins when the droplet surface touches cavity walls and ends when the droplet obtains a stable shape. If the fluid viscosity is relatively small, the droplet surface touches cavity walls in the second phase. A stable fluid layer would not form if the viscosity is relatively small.

A review on in vitro studies of hemodynamic characteristics in terminal and lateral aneurysm models

Intracranial saccular aneurysms have been a well known cerebrovascular disease for over fourty years in the Taiwan area and over two centuries around the world. Up to now, information pertinent to the genesis, progression, and thrombosis or rupture of saccular aneurysms has been mainly acquired from autopsies and various in vivo studies. The present review provides relevant hemodynamic information gathered from in vitro studies. The parallel results between in vitro and in vivo or between in vitro and autopsy investigations are also addressed. Emphases are placed on the terminal and lateral saccular aneurysms. The effects of the branches's flow-rate ratio, bifurcation angle, aneurysmal size, parent vessel curvature, and Wormersley number on the intra-aneurysmal flow characteristics are examined in detail, and possible risky factors are identified.

Experimental study of steady and pulsatile flows in cerebral aneurysm model of various sizes at branching site

Pulsatile and steady flow fields in cerebrovascular aneurysm models of various sizes are presented in terms of laser-Doppler velocimetry measurements and flow visualization. The bifurcation angle was 140 deg and volume flow rate ratio between the branches was 3:1. The mean, peak, and minimal Reynolds numbers based on the bulk average velocity and diameter of the parent vessel were 600, 800, and 280, respectively. It is found that among the tested sizes there exists a middle range of aneurysm sizes, above and below which the forced-vortex inside the aneurysmal model is weaker and lacking, respectively, whereas in the middle range of the tested sizes the forced vortex is stronger and the fluctuation level is higher near the dome. The present results also identify the major fluid dynamic factors of the aneurysmal promotion or rupture for the medium and larger aneurysms, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum fluctuation intensity is found to increase with aneurysm size. The locations of the maximum fluctuation intensity are found to occur in the bifurcation area or at the neck instead of intra-aneurysm.

Pulsatile flow through a bifurcation with a cerebrovascular aneurysm

Laser-Doppler velocimetry measurements and flow visualization were complementarily made in pulsatile and steady flow in a cerebrovascular aneurysm model with bifurcation angles of 60, 90, and 140 deg, and volume-flow rate ratios between the branches of 1 to 1 and 3 to 1. The mean, peak, and minimal Reynolds numbers based on the bulk average velocity and diameter of the parent vessel were 600, 800, and 280, respectively. For uneven branch flow, it is found that the flow activity inside the aneurysm and the stresses acting on the aneurysmal wall increase with increasing bifurcation angle. More importantly, the present angle suggests the presence of a critical bifurcation angle below which the aneurysm is prone to thrombosis, whereas above which the aneurysm is susceptible to progression or rupture. For evenly distributed branch flow, the intra-aneurysmal flow is sluggish and therefore prone to thrombosis for all studied bifurcation angles.