A new droplet formation chip utilizing controllable moving-wall structures for double emulsion applications

Yen Heng Lin*, Chun Hong Lee, Gwo Bin Lee

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper reports a new microfluidic device which can actively fine-tune the size of emulsion droplets in liquids by utilizing a controllable moving-wall structure. Furthermore, it can generate tunable double emulsion microdroplets with various sizes of external and internal droplets. Three pneumatic side-chambers were placed at T-junction and flow-focusing channels to construct the controllable moving-wall structure. Compressed air was used to activate the moving-all structure. The deformation of the controllable moving-wall structure can physically change width of the microchannel. Therefore the flow velocity can be locally changed by applying compressed air pressure. Size of the internal droplets at the intersection of the T-junction channel was then fine-tuned. Then the internal droplets were focused into a narrow stream hydrodynamically and finally chopped into double emulsion droplets using a pair of pneumatic moving-wall structures downstream. For single emulsion, the average droplets size of the oil-in-water emulsion could be actively fine-tuned from 50.07 to 21.80 ?m under applied air pressures ranging from 10 to 25 psi with a variation less than 3.53%. For double emulsions, size of the external and internal droplets sizes can be fine-tuned successfully.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMEMS 2008 Tucson - 21st IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems
Pages22-25
Number of pages4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
Event21st IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, MEMS 2008 Tucson - Tucson, AZ, United States
Duration: 13 01 200817 01 2008

Publication series

NameProceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
ISSN (Print)1084-6999

Conference

Conference21st IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, MEMS 2008 Tucson
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityTucson, AZ
Period13/01/0817/01/08

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