Selective droplet splitting using single layer microfluidic valves
File(s)
Author(s)
Raveshi, Mohammad Reza
Agnihotri, Sagar N
Sesen, Muhsincan
Bhardwaj, Rajneesh
Neild, Adrian
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Droplet microfluidics, with its small scale isolated samples, offers huge potential in the further miniaturisation of high throughput screening. The challenge is to deliver multiple samples in a manner such that reactions can be performed in numerous permutations. The present study investigates the use of single layer valves to break up individual droplets selectively. This splitting of large droplets, allows the main sample volume to navigate around the chip, with smaller daughter droplets being removed at desired locations. As such, the mother droplet is no longer an isolated sample akin to an on-chip test tube, but rather a mobile sample delivery system akin to an on-chip pipette. The partitioning takes place at the entrance to a bypass loop of the main channel. Under normal operating conditions the droplet passes the entrance intact, however, when a valve located at the entrance to the bypass loop is actuated, the geometry changes causes the droplet to split. We analyse this transition in behaviour for a range of oil and water inlets, and valve actuation pressures, showing that the valve can be actuated such that the next droplet to pass the bypass loop will be split, but subsequent droplets will not be.
Date Issued
2019-08-01
Date Acceptance
2019-04-23
Citation
Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical: international journal devoted to research and development of physical and chemical transducers, 2019, 292, pp.233-240
ISSN
0925-4005
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
233
End Page
240
Journal / Book Title
Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical: international journal devoted to research and development of physical and chemical transducers
Volume
292
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000467537100030&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Analytical
Electrochemistry
Instruments & Instrumentation
Chemistry
Splitting
Selectivity
Droplet microfluidics
Pneumatic microvalves
Single layer
GENERATION
MEMBRANES
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-04-24